The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-12-10

t'i'b - 100 - ~ Ft''o ~
power insufflciently concentrated. SO tina
no enc can be held responsible, TO the
IS palpable. visible, responsible, easils
reached, quickly held to account. Power
scattered through many administrators
many legislators. many men who work
behind and through Legislators and ad,
ministrators, is impalpable, is unseen, is
irresponsible, can not be reached, can MOI
peril wherever the administration of pc
litical power is scattered among a va
rtety OF men who work in secret, whose
very names are unknown to the common
people. 1t is not in peril from any man
who derives authority from the people,
who exercises 1t in sight of the people,
and who is from time to time compelled
to give an account of it's exercise to the
people
THE LABOR PROBLEM. \
There are many matters affecting labor
and the status OF the wage worker TO
! which 1 should like to draw your atten-
ton. but an exhaustive discussion of the
problem in all Its aspects is not now
ing It's end: and, moreover, under our
form OF government the solution of the
problem depends upon the action of the
states as much as upon the action of the
natlcn. Nevertheless, there are certain
CONSIDERATIONS which 1 wish to set before
you, because [ hope that our people viii
more and more keep them in mind. A
bind and ignorant resistance to every
effort for the reform of abuses and for
tle feadJuStment OF society to modern
lndllstrlal conditions represents not true
c~onServatism but an Indictment to the
widest radicalism; for wise radicalis1n
and wise conservatism go hand in hand,
one bent on progress, the other bent on
seeing mat no change is made unless in
the efTa right direction. believe in a steady
eurate to say In steady efforts In many
ditterent directions, to bring about a con-
al5l9n Of affairs under which the men who
WORK with h&ad or with brain, the labor
ers, the superintendent, the men who pro-
duce for the market and the men who
find a market for the articles produced.
shall own a far greater share than at
present OF the wealth hey produce, and
pc enabled to invest it in the tools and
instruments by which all work is carried
As far as possible I hope to see a frank
t~ecognl5lon of the advantages conferred
or labor, accompanied by an effort to
bring about a larger share in the owner
SNIP by wage worker of railway, mill and
thef we wish to see the farmer own his
own land; we do not wish to see the
farms SO large that they became the
them by tenants, nor yet so small that
the farmer becomes like a European
peasant. Again, the depositors in our
savings banks now number over one
tenth of our entire population. These
are an capitalists. who through the saw
-'SS eosifAS iodH lASil money 10 the WORK
ers-that is. in many cases to them
selves-to carry on their various indus
Lries. The more we increase their num-
Der. the more we introduce the principles
of cooperation into our industry. Every
increase in the number of small stock
holders in corporations is a good thing,
employees are the stockholders the result
is particularly good. Very much of this
m fha must be outside of anything
but legislation can do a good deal. Post.
a sa"tngs banks will make it easy for
the poorest to keep their savings in
national highways must be such that
they shall serve all people with equal
Corporate finances must be supervised
SO as to make it far safer than at pres
ent for the man of small means to In
be prohibition of child labor, dimfnution
Of woman labor. shortening OF hours of
all meehanicai labor. stock watering
SO far as IS possible discouraged. TherS
should be a progressive inheritance tax
on iaTge fortunes. Industrial education
sible we should tighten the burden of
taxation on the small man. We should
and business energy; but these Qualities
cease to be the main factors in accumu-
latins a fortune long before that for
seriously affected by any inheritance tax
such as I propose. It is eminently right
that the nation SHOULD fix the terms upon
They rarely do good and they often dc
harm to those who inherit them in their
entirety.
Protection for Wage Workers.
The above Is the merest skelcn. narfly
even a sketch in outline, of the reforms
for which we should work. But there is
one n,,a matter with which the congress
no longer be any paltering with the cues
ton OF taking care of the wage workers
who, und E,rh our present Industrial system,
part OF the regular incidents of a given
business. The majority of wage workers
must ave their rights secured for them
by state action; but the national govern.
ment should legislate in thoroughgoine
and far reaching fashion not only for ali
for al y persons or ens herle a g%0Y ie Infnrs,t sI y
commerce. The object sought for could
pc achieved to q measurable degree, as
Iar as those killed or crippled are con
laws. As far as concerns those who have
peen worn out. call your attention tc
yiding old age pensions have been taken
N many of our private industries. These
n mdn oe in asdnnyo estended .hrough
scheines. or through the agency Of saw
ings banks. as under the recent Massa-
teal measures should be our immediate
duty; 1t Is not at present necessary t.
consider the larger and more genera
SiiCliiCS lldI- Euro
pean governments have found themselye:
Obliged to adopt.
Pending a t~horoughgoing investigation
and action there is7 certain Legislation
which should be enacted at once. TIL
law nag.r passed at the last session Of tht
tain classes OF employees of the govern.
ment. should be extended to include al
employees OF the government, and shoulc
be made more liberal In Its terms. There
made In the law between those engaged
IN hazardous occupations and those no
SO engaged. Il a man is injured or killed
I, IN n line s. Work, It was hazardous il
per cent Of those following a given occu.
patton actually suffer injury or deatf
question Of their Receiving compensation
injured employee or to the d~ependent O.
one killed that he or they are entitled tc
no compensation because very few people
other than he have been injured or killed
most striking omissions in the law Is
that 4 does not embrace peace oficers
In snforsing the laws Of the United
states. The terms of the act proyidins
| compensation should be made more iyLs