The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-11-21
now uN|0h|SM DEALS
WITH RELIEF PROBLEM
w. E. McEwen Tells State Char
ity Workers What Organized
Labor Is Doing.
UNIONS THROUGH JOINT
EFFORT OF MEMBERS
Would Abolish the Conditions
Which Are Pauperizing the
Workers of America.

st. Paul, Nov. 19.-(Special to the
Labor World 1.-The Seventeenth An
nual State Conference of Charities
and Corrections in this city early this
week attracted state wide attention
because of the interesting speeches
made by notable people of the state.
Every phase of the relief question was
discussed by representatives from
every walk of life.
w. E. McEwen, secretary-treasurer
of the Minnesota State Federation of
Labor, spoke Monday morning on the
work done by the trade unions. His
speech received marked attention,
and at the conclusion he was asked
number of questions, all of which he
answered in a straight forward earn
est manner, showing his clear compre-
hension of the subject. The Twin
City papers devoted much space to
Mr.. McEwen's speech, and he Is re-
ceiving many congratulations from his
friends as a result of the fine impress.
sion made there. The speech in full
was as follows:
Relief BY Organized Labor.
Surely there are happenings every
day which convince us that we are
living in q Christian world, and during
a Christian era. This is apparent to
all who observe the good work being
done verywhere, by people in all walks
of life, to relieve the suffering, want
and Injustice which abound in the
land, and which have appeared in
form d11r3nc noriN6 0f
time.
~It.dees not seem any different when
=. a great calamity overtakes a people,
ie reported The spirit which prompts
people to act seems to be the same.
A great fire or flood may render thous-
ands homeless, and then as if by
magic the generous impulse of a
Christian nation is asserted; self is
forgotten; human brotherhood takes
it's place, and the great right hand of
the people is extended, filled with
material relief for the stricken. Only
recently in Minnesota striking ex-
ample of this fact was manifested.
Poor Always Generous.
live in community inhabited
wholly by people of the working class.
I never knew of case of want re-
ported there that did not receive a
ready response from theneighborhood.
1t seemed to be the rule too, and this
is from personal observation, that the
people with the least means in that
community were among the first and
most liberal in their offerings of sue
cor.
However, the thought wish to con-
vey is, no matter how general or how
isolated suffering or want may exist
there is well developed Christian
sentiment among the people to give
relief and in this there is no distinc.
tion as to degrees. The heart that
prompts a man to help lone misfor.
tunate, is the same heart that urges
him to aid stricken people.
No one likes to see misery abound
anywhere. What pleasure is there in
palace, with the surroundings dotted
here and there with novels? There
is no complete satisfaction attending
success in life, with myriads of unsuc-
cessful men about US. And still IL
spite of the splendid ideals with which
our people are possessed, a sordi(
comm mercialism attending our mora
and economic means Of life holds
ever before our gaze it's natural Off
springs: injustice, poverty and dis
ease.
No One Remedy Will Do.
We have quack reformers who be-
lieve they have a. remedy for all Of
the ills of the body polite, just as we
have quack doctors who claim to have
a cure for every ailment with which
the human body may be afflicted
But there is no one remedy, and II
one could be applied to cure all the
ills of this generation, after time
new evils would present themselves
and the same problems differing IL
form perhaps, would again confron
us. Where selfishness and greco
hold sway there will be found socia
and economic injustice, and physica
suffering and want.
Men blame the system under which
we live for all the wrongs we suffer
but evil may exist under any system
Systems have no being. They ar,
but the creatures of men. If the me1
behind a system are of high mora
status those dependent upon that sys.
tenn will enjoy moral and economi
justice. On the other hand If tn,
men behind a system are not of ::
high moral status, and If they ar
possessed by greed and avarice, Their
will naturally follow injustice, priva
tion, hunger and want.
,@2@+ Moral Phase Of Problem.
So sinarnered down the question nat
ri urally resolves itself into q moral one
,G.T :. -, s.-E- = r.