Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-09-25

opeech
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle

NIL OAoll mall AouiOo anu NNAeAS
men:
Labor Day is legal holiday and it
was made so because the Legislators
thought the wage-earners worthy to
have day specially set apart for
tie consideration of themes that con-
Germ those who toll. l appreciate
the compliment paid me by the prog
ram committee Of this city inviting
me to participate in the ceremonies
of this day and it was gladly accept
ed, because Chicago in the second
city in the Union, and as labor
center it is scarcely second to any
city in the world.
If it were proper to speak from a
text, l would select a passage from
Proverbs; for | know OF no better
one than that which is furnished
by the words of Solomon when he
declared that as a man "thinketh in
his heart, so is he." This is Bible
doctrine; it is common sense, and
it is human experience. We think
in our hearts as well as in our heads
out of the hear" are the issues of
life.' 1t is a poor head that cannot
find a plausible reason for doing
what the heart wants to do. be-
gin my speech with this proposition
because | want to impress it upon
the minds of those who listen to
me, and upon those who read what
say to you. The labor question is
more a moral than an Intellectual
one.
Tolstoi, the great Russian phil
.osopher, in defining the doctrine of
"bread labor" gives as one of the
reasons in support of it, that per
sonal contact with manual labOr-not
a recollection of former toll, but con-
tinued acquaintance with it's nee
essary to keep one in sympathy with
those who work with their hands. He
contends-and is it not true?-that
lack of sympathy, one with anoth-
ser, is at the root of most Of the
problems of society and goyernmnet.
The world is growing toward broth
erhood, and our nation is leading the
way. There is more altruism in this
country than anywhere else in the
world, and more today than there
ever has been before. There is more
q recognition of the kinship that ex-
lists between us, more thought about
the questions which concern a CON-
mon humanity than at any preceding
time. The labor organization is a
part of this great movement of the
masses toward closer fellowship. 1t
has worked wonders in the past and
its work is only commenced.
The labor organization helps all
those outside Of it as its members
because the increased wages and i'm
/. proved conditions are shared by
non-union men as we'll as by union
men.
Do not understand me to say that
a labor organization is perfect; "the
king can do no wrong" can no more
be spoken of group than of individ-
uals. The labor organization is COM
posed of men; its affairs are control
led by human beings and human be-
ings are not perfect. All that man
touches is stained with mans imper-
fections, and his frailty can be trac-
ed through all his works. But fortu-
nately for the laboring men, the judg
ment pronounced against his mistake
must be tempered by the fact that
those with whom the laboring man
comes into contact are also likely to
err. When the employe deals with
the employer, he is dealing with one
Of Like passions with himself. Each
Is likely to be insistent upon what
he believes to be right, and the opin-
ion Of each, as to what is rigat, is
likely to be colored by selfish inter-
ests and affected by incomplete in
formation as to the facts. II the
employer has sometimes employed
: violence to enforce his wishes, the
employer abs sometimes employed
his position to secure an unfair
share Of the joint product. It is the
province Of the law to place limita.
tons upon both, and the security Of
our government is found in the fact
that both employer and employe, in
]. their calmer moments, win join in
the enactment Of laws which will re.
strain them in moments Of tempta
ton. Some assume that labor Is
lawless and that to settle the labor
question permanently we need. only