Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-09-25

ollOIC6 Iuo law IlSOIOuoly. glclu
to none in insistence upon obedience
to the law. Law is necessary in 'hu-
man society, and its enforcement is
essential to peace and order, but we
must remedy abuses by law if we
would insure respect for and obedienc
to, law.
The important lesson to be learn
ed by the citizen in government
like ours is that the ballot Is both
shield and sword-it protects him
from injury and enforces his rights.
The first thing that is needed for
a better understanding Of labor ques-
tions is the recognition of the eq-
ual rights of all, and, second, more
intimate acquaintances. We have righ
that may be called natural rights;
they are inherent; we have them
because we are human beings. The
government did not bestow them up
on us-the government cannot right
fully withdraw them from us. We all
come into the world, without volition;
the environment of youth largely de-
'termines the course of our lives, and
this environment is not of our choos-
ing. We live under the same moral
obligations, and are responsible to
the same Supreme Being. We have
our needs that must be supplied; We
require food, clothing, shelter, COM
panionship. We have our domestic
ties, and the tenderness of these
ties is not measured by wealth or
position in society. Man has used
petty distinctions to separate soci-
ETY. into different classes, but these
distinctions are insignificant when
compared with the great similarities
that unite US in a common destiny
and impel us toward common end.
On this day it is well to empha-
size the fact that we are linked to-
gether by bonds which we could not
break if we would and should not
weaken if we could. 1t ought to be
easy to learn this lesson in the I'm
tied States, for here, more than any
where else, people feel their inter-
dependence. We have no law OF pri-
mogeniture to separate the Oldest son
from his brothers and sisters; and
we have no law of entail to prevent
| the alineation of an estate. There is
no aristocracy resting upon birth or
kingly favor; and if the people per-
form their civic duties, there will be
no plutocracy ruling in the name Of
the dollar. Here the road to advance
ment is public highway, and it is
within our power to keep it open to
all alike. Here, too, the government
is within the control of the people,
and no department of the service is
out of the reach of the voter or be-
: yond the influence Of public opinion.
Under our constitution, some branch.
es of the government are more re-
sponsive than others to the public
opinion. Under our constitution, som
branches of the government are mort
responsive than others to the public
will, but our government can be con
trolled by the people, from the or
ganfc law which we call the consti'
tuition to the statute and the court
decree.
A long step toward the elevation
of labor to its proper position in the
nations deliberations is to be found
: In the establishment of a Department
s Of Labor, with cabinet officer at
its head. The wage-earners deserve
this recognition, and the executive is
entitled to the assistance which
such an official could render him.
regard the Inauguration Of this reform
as the opening Of a new era in which
those who toll will have a voice in
the deliberations Of the Presidents
council chamber.
The labor organization has beer
seriously handicapped by the fact
that 1t has been-and I am not sure
that 1t has not been done unwit
tingly-yoked up with the industrial
combinations known as trusts. The
proneness Of trust defneders to use
the labor organization as an excuse
for combinations in restraint Of trad,
has aroused the suspicion that they
have been classed together for the
purpose Of shielding the combina
tions Of capital. As the result o.
eighteen years Of antitrust legisla
tion. only one man has been giver
a penal sentence for violating ths
federal law on this subject. and thai
man was a member Of labor or