Arizona republican., 1907-12-04
THE STATE OF THE UNION
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larger number of wage-earners, the former tend more and more to combine into corporations and the latter into unions The relations or the capitalist and wage worker tO one another, and of each To the general public. are not always easy 10 adjust; and 10 put them and keep them on a satisfactory basis is ore of the most important and one of the most delicate tasks before our whole civilization. Much of the work for the accomplishment of this end must be done bE the individuals con Cerned themselves, whether singly or in combination: and the one funda- mental fact that must never be lost track 0s .s that the character of the average man, whether he be a man of means o- q man who works with his hands. is the most important factor in solving the problem alright. But il is almost equally important to remember that without good laws it is also i'm possible to reach the proper solution. II .s Idle to hold that without good laws evils such as child labor. as the oyer-workihg Of women, as the fail- ure to protect employees from loss of life or limb, can be effectively. reached. any more than the evils of rebates and stock watering can be reached with out good laws. To fail to stop these practices by legislation means tO force honest men into them. because other wise the dishonest who surely will take advantage of them will have every thing their own wa. If the States will correct these evils. well and good but the Nation must stand ready to aid them
 No question growing out of our rap id and complex industrial development is r1ore important than that Of the employment of women and children. The presence Of women in industry re- acts with extreme directness upon the character of the home and upon fam ily life, and the conditions surround ing the employment Of children bear vital relation to our future citiZen- ship. Our legislation in those areas under the control of the Congress is very much behind the legislation of our more progressive States. A thor Ough and comprehensive measure should be adopted at this session of the Congress relating to the employ ment O. women and children in the District of Columbia and the Terri tories. The investigation into the condition Of women and children wage earners recently authorized and di- rected b. tke Congress is now being carried on in the various States, and ] recommend that the appropriation made last year for beginning this work be renewed. in order that we may have the thorough and comprehensive in- Vestigation which the subject demands 'The National Government has as an ultimate resort for control of child labor the use ot the interstate com- merce clause to prevent the products of child labor from entering into inter state commerce. But before using this il ought certainly to enact model laws on the subject for the Territories un- der It's ow- immediate control
 There IS one fundamental proposi- ton which can be laid down as re- gards all these matters. namely: While honesty by itself will not solve the problem, yet the insistence upon hon. esty-not merely technical honesty but honesty in purpose and spirit-is an essential element in arriving al right conclusion. Vice in its cruder and more archaic forms shocks everybody; but there is ver- urgent need that public opinion should be just as severe in condemnation ot the vice which hides itself behind class or professional loyalty. or which denies that it is vice if t can escape conviction ip the courts. The public and the represen- tatives of the public. the high officials, whether or the bench or in executive ar legislative positions. need to remem- Der that often the most dangerous criminals. so far as the life of the Ma ton ts concerned, are not those who commit the crimes known to and con- demned b.. the popular conscience for centuries. but those who commit crimes only rendered possible by the complex conditions of our modern in- dustrial life. It makes not a particle of difference whether these crimes are committed by a capitalist or by la borer, b. leading banker or manu- facturer or railroad man. or by a lead ing representative of a labor union. Swtndling in stocks. corrupting legis- latures. making fortunes by the infla- ton Of securities, by wrecking rail- roads. by destroying competitors trough rebates these forms of wrong doing in the capitalist. are far more infamous than any ordinary form of embeZzement or forgery; vet 1t is matter of extreme difficulty to se- cure the punishment of the man most guilty of them. most responsible for them. The business man who con dOnes such conduct stands on a level with the labor man who deliberately supports corrupt demagogue and agi- tator, whether head of d union or head of some municipality. because he is said to have stood by the union The members Of the business community the educators. or clergymen. who con- done and encourage the first kind of wrong doing. are no less dangerous 10 the Community. but are morally even worse. than the labor men who are guilty of the second type of wrong doing, because less is to be pardoned those who have no such excuse as is furnished either by ignorance or by dire need
 Farmers and Wage Workers.
 When the Department of Agricul- ture was founded there was much sneering as to it's usefulness. No De- partment of the Government however. has more emDhatically vindicated it's usefulness, and none save the Post office Deua arfnnent cop,es on contipuat