The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-12-11

behind n through legislators and ad-
InlnlstTat0rs Is l~mpalpable. ts unseen. is
be held to account. Democracy IL in
peril wherever the administration of po-
litical power Is scattered among a va
riety 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.
ana VINO Is from time to time compelled
to give an account OF Its exercise to the
people.
= THE LABOR PROBLEM.
and ane the '. .sa many 81 matters ,se wa aree Worke is69 9o
which / should like to draw your atten-
,,on l but an exhaustive discussion of the
necessary. This ,administration is near
ing It's end; and, moreover. under u
,o rn o. government the solution OF the
states as much as upon the action OF the
nation. Nevertheless, there are certain
Sonsiderations which I wish to set before
more and more keep them in mind. A
effort for the reform OF abuses and for
industrial conditions represents not true
eonservatlsm but an Indictment to the
widest Wiz radicalism; for wise radicalism
- SS A1s ~ ldIu III udIlN,
one oent on progress. the other bent on
seeing that no change is made unless in
ene right direction. 1 believe in a steady
Gurate to say in steady efforts in many
dinerent directions. to bring about a con-
u.aon OF anatrs under which the men who
work with hand or with brain, the labor
ers, the superintendents, the men who pro-
d dnd Tor the market and the men who
s ,iha a o market 8 ,d for the %srtiGies produced.
present OF the wealth they produce, and
pc enabled to invest 1T in he tools and
Instruments by which all work is carried
As far as possible Y hope TO see a frank
~ecognltion of the advantages conferred
Of labor. accompanied by an effort to
DrinE about a larger share in the owner
MP by wage worker Of railway. mill and
that We wish to see the farmer own his
own land; we do not wish to sec the
property 80 Of large abssn that i. they they, be com the
the farmer srn Becomes eof Ike Sse 80 . 'R Ea1op eaas
p gsSinI. Again; the dspSsitor. in y
tenth of our entire population. These
are all capitalists. who through the sav-
sns sst banks loan their money to the work
seives,fo carry on their various indus
nies. II more we increase their num-
Of cooperation into our Industry. Every
Increase in the number OF small stock
noloers IN corporations Is a good thing,
employees are the stockholders the result
IL particularly good. Very much of lis
movement; must be outside Of anything
but legislation can do a good deal. Post.
al savings banks will make it easy for
abso,P poorest ss to keep their savings in
national highways must be such that
they shall serve all people with equal
Corporata fpanco, ,r,,.+ b ...--,
SO as to make it far safer than at pres
Sest his Woney in stocks, There must
Of woman labor. Shortening Of hours Of
all mechanical labor, stock watering
sa0n faa as ss IR E poasibia a disco sfoeE camping nhs1s
should be a progressive inheritance tax
on large fortunes. Industrial education
sible we should tighten the burden Of
taxation on the small man. We should
put q premium upon thrift. hard work,
cease to be the main factors in accumu-
iating a fortune long before that for
s sane reaches nesofod P1hin !. where It would be
such as I propose. It is eminently right
that the nation should fix the terms UPON
which the great fortunes are inherited.
harm to those who inherit them in their
entirety. ~
Protection for Wage Workers.
The above IS the merest sketch, hardly
fDen vh + sketch Ma . In GIItl nIo;k of n the reforms Is
one matter with which the congress
s should 'as deal at this session. There Should
ton 81 taking care Of the wage workers r r
who. under our present Industrial system,
become killed, crippled. or worn out as
business. The majority Of wage workers
must ave their rights secured for them
by state action; but the national govern
and far reaching fashion not only for ali
for all persons engaged in Interstate
be achieved to a measurable degree. as
far as those killed or crippled are con-
He n BY proper employers liability
peen worn out. I call your attention to
the fact that definite steps toward pro-
Hldlng old age pensions have been taken
may be indefinitely extended through
mi association n c~ontributory
schemes. or through the agency Of saw
chusetts plan. To strengthen these prac-
teal measures should be our Immediate
autyi 1t is not at present necessary to
governments schemes that most Euro
pean governments have found themselves
obliged TO adopt.
Pending a t~horoughsoins investigation
and action there Is certain legislation
which should be enacted at once. The
""s RdsSeu AT TIE last session OF the
congress. granting compensation to GER
tain classes of employees of the govern
ment. should be extended to include all
employees of the government and should
be made more liberal in its terms There
Is no good ground for the distinction
made in the law between those engaged
in hazardous occupations and those not
go engaged. II a man ts injured or killed
IN n line Of work. 1T was hazardous in
his case. Whether one per cent or 10
per cent of those following a given occu-
patton actually suffer injury or death
ought not to have any bearing on the
question Of their receiving compensation.
It is a grim logic which says to an
injured employe or to the dependents Of
one killed that he or they are entitled to
other than he ave been injured or killed
In that occupation. Perhaps one Of the
most striking omissions in the law is
that 1t does not embrace peace officers
and others whose lives may be sacrificed
IN enforcing the laws Of the United
States. The terms Of the act providing
compensation hould be made more MS.
eral than in the present act. A years
earner's family In the event Of his death
by accident in the course of his employ
ment. And in the event of death
occurring, say, 10 or II months after the
accident, the family would only receive
AZ compensation the equivalent Of one