The San Francisco call., 1907-06-11

ognize in more effective form their mutual In
terdependence. and the duty of safeguarding the
interest of each in the ultimate interest of ALL
We have inherited and developed superbiy
self-reIiant individualism in this country. most
earnestly hope that 1t will not be lost, that It
will never be exchanged for a deadening social
ism. The only permanently beneficial way in
which to help any one Is to- help him to help
himself; IL either private charity or government
al action. any form of social expression, de-
stroys the individuals power of self-help. the
eravest possible wrong is really done to the IN
dividual.
NEW CHILD LAWS
Nevertheless as the conditions of life grow
more complex, II is not possible TO trnst our
welfare only TO the unbrided individual initiative
of each unit Of our population working as that
unit Wills We need laws for the care OF our
children which were not needed when this coun-
try in its infancy. We need laws for the
control of vast corporations such were not
needed when the individual fortunes were lar
smaller than at present. ard when these Tor
tunes not combined for business use. In the
same way need to change our attitude toward
labor problems from what that attitude was
in the days when the great bulk of our people
lived In the country with no more complex Ia
Dor relations than Is implied in the connection
between the farmer and the hired help.
For example the great increase in mechan
ical and manufacturing operations means cor
responding increase in the number of accidents TO
the wageworkers employed therein. these in
Guiding both preventabe and inevitable acci-
dents. To the ordinary wage workers family
such calamity means grim hardship. AS tne
work is done for the employer. and therefore
ultimately for the public. 1t Is a bitter Injustice
that iHshould be the wage worker himseif and
hie VIE and children who bear the whole pen
atty. Legislation should be had, alike from the
nation and from the states. not only to guard
against the needless multiplication of these ac-
cidents but to relieve the financial suffering due
TO them. Last winter congress passed a safety
appliance law which marked a long stride in the
right direction. But there should be additional
legislation to secure pecunary compensation to
workmen suffering from accidents, and when
they are killed, to their families. At present
both in the sphere covered By national legislation
and, in the sphere covered by state legislation,
the law in too many cases leaves the nnanclal
burden OF Industrial accidents TO be borne by
the injured workm4n and their families; and a
workman who suffers from an accident either
hes no case al all for redress or else must I'M
dertake suit for damages against his en-
ployer.
The present practice is based on the view
announced nearly 10 years ago that principles
of Justice aud good sense demand that work
man shall take upon himself all the ordinary
risks of his occupation" In my view. principles
of Justice and good sense demand the very re-
verse of this view, which experience has. proved
to be unsound and productive of widespread sur
fering. IL is neither JUST expedient, nor hui
name: 1t is revolving TO judgment and senti-
ment alike. that the financial burden of accidents
occurring because of the necessary exigeneies of
their daily occupation should be thrust upon
those sufferers who are least able TO bear it.
and that such remedy as is theirs should only be
obtained by litigation which now burdens our
courts.
As a matter of fact there Is no sound
nomic reason for distinction between accidents
caused by negligence and those which are IN
avoidable, and the law should be such that the
payment of those accidents will become auto
matte instead of being matter for a lawsuit.
Workmen should receive certain definite and
limited compensation for all accidents in in
dustry irrespective of negligence. When the
of the public. his
responsibility ana for his own profit In the
business of serving the public. starts In motion
agencies which create risks for Others. he should
take all the ordinary and extraordinary risks
involved and though the burden viii at the
moment be his. II will ultimately be assumed,
1t ought to be, by the general public. Only
difused for IL viii be transferred from en-
ployer to consumer. for whose benefit all In
dustries are carried on From eterySstandpoint
the change would be benefit. g.es
BURDEN DISTRIBUTED
The community at large should share the bur
den well as the benefits OF industry. Em-
ployers would thereby gain desirable certainty
of obligation and get rid of litigation TO deter
mine it,. The workman. and the workman's fam
lily would be relieved from crushing load.
The national government should be model
employer. 1t should demand the highest quality
of service from its employees and should care for
them properly in return Congress should adopt
legislation providing limited but definite COM
pensation for accidents to all workmen within
the scope of the federal power. including en-
ployes in navy yards and arsenals. Similar
legislation should follow throughout the states.
The old and inadequate remedy of suit for neg
ligence would then gradually disappear.
Such policy would mean that with Increased
responsibility of the employer would come In
creased care. and accidents would, be reduced in
number The temporary burden involved will
not hamper our industries. Long experience or
compensation laws in other countries has DEM
onstrated their benefit. What we advocate is
ssro of fucffee
toward the goal of securing, SO far as human
wisdom secure, fair and equitable treatment
for each and every one OF our people
AS a corollary to the above let me point out
the extreme unwisdom of the railway COM
panies in fighting the constitutionalfty of the
national employers liability law. No law is
more emphatically needed, and it must be kept
ON the statute books in drastic and thorough
going form The railroads are prompt to de-
mand the interference and to claim the protec-
tion of the federal courts in times of riot and
disorder; and In turn the federal government
should see to it that they are not permitted
successfully to plead that they are under the
federal law when thereby their own rights can
be protected, but outside of 1t when 1t is in
yoked against them In behalf Of the rights of
others. II it is proper for the federal courts
to issue injunctions in behalf OF railroads, 1t is
proper that railroads should be held to strict
liability for accidents occurring to their em-
ployes.
There should be the plainest and most un-
eouivocable additional statement by enactment Of
congress- to the effect that railroad employees are
entitled to receive damages for any accident
that comes to them as an incident OF the per-
formance of their duties, and the law should
be such that it will he impossible for the
railroads successfully to fight it without thereby
forfeiting all right to the protection of the
federal government under any circumstances. In
the same way there should be rigid federal legis
lation to minimize all railway accidents
In closing, friends and fellow citizens Of
Georgia, let say word suggested by the
recent ceremonies in which you have just taken
part in connection with your gift to the noble
battleship named after your state. Our battle
ships and great armored cruisers. our fChting
craft, are named after the states OF our union,
and this symbolizes the fact that the navy is q
common possession of all of us, and that its
honor and its triumphs dear to the heart
of a true American who dwells anywhere inland
as to a true American who dwels anywhere
on the seacoast. The navy is our surest guar
anty for peace, and If war should ever come
1t will be the greatest safeguard for our honor
and our interest. As is likewise true OF our
army, 1t is manned by a volunteer force; for
1t must never be forgotten that all our soldiers
and sailors, whether regular or not, are voun-
teers.
SHOULD ENCOURAGE NAVY
Every encouragement should be given to our
navy. and no public servant should be pardoned
for failing to do everything In him to see that
we have the best type Of ships and Of guns, and
IL