Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-04
CAPITAL AND LABOR

'Tt is certain that for some time to
come there will be a constant increase
absolutely, and perhaps relatively, of
those among our citizens who dwell in
cities or towns of some size and who
work for wages. This means that
there will be an ever increasing need to
consider the problems inseparable from
a great industrial civilization Where
an immense and complex business, .es-
pecially in those branches relating to
manufacture. and transportation, Is
transacted by a large number OF CAPT.
talists who employ a very much large
number of wage earners, the former
tend more and more to combine into
corporations and the latter into unions.
1.-THE relations of the capitalist and
wage-worker to one another, and OF each
to the general public, are not always easX
to adjust; and to put them and keen
them on a satisfactory basis is one of the
most important and one of the most deii-
cate tasks before our whole civilization.
Much of the work for the accomplish
ment of this end must be done by the in
dividuals concerned themselves, whethec
singly or in combinations; and the one
fundamental fact that must never be lost
track of is that the character of the av-
erage man, whether he be man OF
means or a man who works with his
hands, is the most important factor in
solving the problem Alright. But 1T IS
almost equally important to remember
that without good laws it is also impos-
sible to reach the proper solution.
'It is idle to hold that without good
laws evils such as child labor, as the
overwoHlSing of women, as the failure t.
project employees from loss of life or
limb, can be effectively reached, any
more than the evils of rebates and stock
watering can be reached without good
laws. To fail to stop these practices by
legislation means to force honest men
into them, because otherwise the dishon-
est who surely will take advantage of
them will have everything their own way.
If the states will correct these evils, well
and good; but tho nation must stand
ready to aid them.
employment of Children
mo question growing out, of our rapid
and complex industrial development is
more important than that of the employs
ment of women and children. The pres
ence of women in industry reacts with
extreme diIectness upon the character OF
the home and upon family life, and the
conditions surrounding the employment
of children bear a vital relation to our
future citizenship. Our legislation in
those areas under the control of the
congress is very much behind the legis
lation of our more progressive states. A
thorough and comprehensive measure
should be adopted at this session of the
congress relating to the employment OF
women and children in the District of
Columbia and the territories.
1.-THE investigation into the condition of
women and children wage-earners re-
Gently authorized and directed by the
congress is now being carried on in the
various states, and / recommend that the
appropriation made last year for begin.
ming this work be renewed, in order thak
we may have the thorough and compre~
hensive investigation which the subject.
demands The national government has
as an ultimate resort for control of child
labor the use of the interstate commerce
clause to- prevent the products of child
labor from entering into interstate COM
merce But before using this it ought
certainly to enact model laws on the sub
ject for the territories under it's own
immediate control.
''There is one fundamental proposition
which can be laid down as regards all
these matters, namely: While honesty
by itself will not solve the problem, yet
the insistence upon honesty-not merely
technical honesty, but honesty in pur-
pose and Spirits an essential element
in arriving at right conclusion. Vice in
it's cruder and more archaic forms shocks
everybody; but there is very urgent need
that public opinion should be just as Sc
we're in condemnation of the vice which
hides itself behind class or professional
loyalty or which denies that IL is vice If
it can escape conviction in thescourts.
1.-THE public and the representatives of
the public, the high officials, whether on
the bench or in executive or legislative
positions, need to remember that often
the most dangerous criminals, so far as
the life of the nation is concerned, are
not those who commit the crimes known
to and condemned by. the popular con-