The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-02-08
All That the Wage Farmers De-
sire Is That Their Work and En-
!. vironment and Compensation
Therefor Shall Be Such as TO-.
Give Them a Fair Chance,
and an Opportunity to Live
Alright.

On Monday last Mr.. w: E. McEwen;.
Secretary Treasurer Of the State Fed
GRAFTON OF Labor, by special Invitation
Of the Duluth Ministerial association,
addressed the clergyman, at the Lii
brary hall auditorium, giving union la
bor's side Of the issues involved in the
present lockout.
After Mr.. McEwen had spoken for
about an hour, which was his time
limit, so great was the interest Of the
ministers in the subject, and In Mr..
McEwens presentation Of it, that they
unanimously voted to extend the time,
and prevailed upon Mr.. McEW0en to
continue his address SO long as his
own good Judgment would direct.
. There were present q! number, of the
representatives of organized labor, and
all were cordially received by: the
clergymen, and heartily welcomed in
words that Indicated that the clergy
men Of Duluth are not strangers to the
Issues involved In the present conflict.
After the usual. preliminaries Mr..
McEwen was introduced and spoke in
part as follows:
Reverend Gentlemen Of the Ministerial
= Association:
i regret exceedingly to begin an ad-
dress on any occasion with an apology.
and this is specially true when UNDER
taking to address an assembly the
members OF whom gladly recognize
not only as spiritual leaders, but as in
tellectual leaders In thfs community.
! consented to appear before you on
this occasion with some degree OF re-
:luctance. because I knew the shortness
Of the time allotted me for preparation,
only two days, coupled with the multi.
plcity Of my other duties, would pres
%clpde, my! being aaales3 to make ss1c4ra
sentation sd6 our. s.a,,tsct a. III III,
Eportanee desnands,I and the kind .;1nyi-
tation THIS associations deserves How
ever II I am not oratortcal shall try
to he at least nfethodtcal, and present
to you In my own humble unadorned
way a brief summary Of labor's posi-
tlon in the present industrial struggle,
and the reasons which in our judy
ment justify it.
~S~ODsSU ~ ~SuStVV0TVys
Very many of the controversies Of
the world are oocasioned by want Of
concord upon the definition of terms.
Until there is unanimity of agreement
upon this point there can be- no profit
in discussion howsoever much pro.
aonged. Akin to this point iQ another,
namely Of what causes can certain ef-
fects be predicated. For instance our
opponents contend that wages should
be governed: wholly by the law of sup
ply and demand.
Law Of Supply and Demand.
Our objection to that contention is
manifold. -, We say that whatever ap-
pl1cation such law might have in q
primitive and simple state OF society,
1t Is too antiquated for applicability. to
the complex conditions Of our present
industrial civilization. Supply is SUBJ
1ect to too many vicissitudes to throw
It out Of alignment with demand, and
conversely demand is subject to too
many Vicissitudes to throw it out of
alignment, with supply The so-ca1led
law, Is today >repudiated not only as
unsound In theory but as positively
vicious In. practice by the most pro-
found, economists Of our day. The
recent most authoritative deliyerance
on the subject is by Mr.: Taft, and I
commend his speech to your perusal If
YOU have not already done So This
So called law was never. founded in
righteousness and from time immen1-
oral has been the; pet argument Of the
appeessor' and all whom greed con-
strained to deprive the -lAaorer OF his
equitable hire. Even Il, it measurably
applied and Were true within certain
ltmits, 1t is hardly necessary for me to
state to p ministerial assembly that no
fallacy is more misleading or nds-
chtevous than is a truth when COM
PEELED to do duty outside Of it's legiti-.
mate orbit. Even liberty the founda-
tion' principle of our beloved country
has to be regulated lest 1T desenerate
into license. s~-r- =:
r.. - Surely Not 4 Christian, g
4: The individual whose mental vision
cannot grasp anything deeper in the
relations and duties OF employers and
sssmployes respectively than mere sup
ply and demand, whatever else he may ,a
fbe: I can tell you two things, which ne
is not; he is not. . philosopher, and he
~ certainly not q Christian, IL the
lea latter character is to be determined by
the e teachings 81 the humble Gallilean.
Us the 'gool old-fashioned doctrine 81
me me- golden rule were observed by em-
ployers and employees we. would have
IN =, era not only OF prosperity but OF an
abiding peace based upon a law OF
righteousness waose orbit Is as bound
less as eternity. s.5:#.s 81. 2.7''77',
. But Definitions Are. Not All, {.