The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-03-25


employer and s'iu mofe he 1917
wealthy corporation. stand IL On enor-
nous advantage when compared III
ihs TT ividuaI orkineluhu and white
there inc many ense where i may
not Be iiecea for borsrs p form
4 union IL many er eases e = nj
dispensabie, Ior otherwise The thou
lsands or small nnIta. the thousands %
individuaf worldhgnen WiiH pc LETT
helpless In their dealings With the one
| big unit; the big individual Or corpo-
rate employer.
twenty-five years ago, by me act
+. al June %. 1886 trades unions were
recognized by law, and the right Of
liaboring people to combine for all law
ial purposes was formerly recognized
this right including combination for
mutua, protection and benefits the
regulation Of wages, hours and condi-
tons Of labor. and the protection of
THE Individual rights Of the workmen
| In the prosecution of their trade or.
trades; and in the act Of June1, 1898,
strikes were recognized as legal in
the same provision that forbade par
ticipatEon in or instigetion Of force or
violence against persons or property,
or the attempt to prevent others from
working. by violence, threat, or intim-
ldation. The business man must be
protected in person and property, and
SO must the farmer and the wage
worker; and as regards all alike, the
right Of peaceful combination for all
lawful purposes should be explicitly
recognized.
The right of employers to combine
and contract with one another and
with their employees should be explIc-
lily recognized; and SO should the right
of The employees to combine and to
contract with one another and with
the employers. and to seek peacebly
to persuade others to accept their
views, and to strike for the purpose
of peaceably obtaining from employ
ers satisfactory terms for their labor.
Nothing should be done to legalize
either blacklist or boycott that
would be illegal at common law; this
being the type Of boycott defined and
condemned by the Anthracite Strike
Commission.
The question Of financial legislation
is now receiving such attention In
both houses that we have a right to
expect action before the close of the
session. 1t is urgently necessary that
there should be such action. More
over, action should be taken to estat
lish postal savings banks. These pos
tai savings banks are imperative1y
needed for the benefit of the wage
workers and men Of small means, and
will be valuable adjunct to our whole
financial system.
The time has come when we should
prepare for revision of the tariff.
This should be, and indeed must be,
preceded by. careful Investigation. 1t
is peculiarly the province of the Con-
gress and not of the President. and in
deed peculiarly the province of the
House of Representatives, to originate
a tariff bfll and to determine upon its
terms; and this fully realize. Yet
1t seems to me that before the close
of this session provision should be
made for collecting full material which
viii enable the Congress elected next
fall to act Immediately after It comes
into existence. This would necessi-
tate some action by tho Congress at
its present session, perhaps in the
shape Of directing the proper commit
tee to gather The necessary lnforma
tion, both through the committee It
self and through Government agents
who should report to the committee
and should lay before 1t the facts
which would permit it to act with
prompt and intelligent fairness, These
Government agents, If 1T is not deem
ed wise to appoint individuals from
outside the public service, might with
advantage be members OF the Execu-
tive Departments, designated by the
President, on his own motion or on
the request of the committee, to act
with it.
/ am of the opinion, however that
one change in tho tariff could with adj
vantage be made forthwith. Our for
ests need every protection, and one
method of protecting them would be
to put upon the free list wood pulp.
with n corresponding reduction upon
paper made from wood pulp, when
they come from any country that does
not put an export duty upon them.
Ample provision should be made -
permanent waterways Commission,
with whatever power Is required to
make it effective. The reasonable ex-
pectation of the people will not be
II "a