The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-07

business men, both in overalIs and in
sack coats. That employers see this
problem and recognize it's deep mean
ing is evidenced by the fact that capt.
tai In many places is providing for
service pensions to those who remain
long in one employment; also that
profit sharing plans are being adopted
by many concerns and further, that
many corporations are SO formed that
the laborer may share in dividends.
Scores of other plans are in vogue
though rather sporadically, which
mirror the quickening conscience of
, commercfal1sm that is moving the
world. But these isolated cases of a
belated conscience must multiply.
They must become universal. Other
wise, the 1aborer will continue to or
gan1Ze along class lines and to de-
velop a class spirit, which certainly
| VIII delay the coming of good will
among men; but unless the stronger
brother shows that the spirit of fra
ternalism is in him. shows that he can
curb his greed toward his weaker
brother, the weaker brother must not
be blamed for hardening his heart
toward the stronger selfish brother,
| and going it alone.
In America we are rapidly coming
10 the parting of the ways. Socialism
is gaining in numbers, in respectable
ity. In power every day. The appar-
ent justice of its protest hides the pit
| less business men of all degrees wild
| en- their vision. and thereby share
their profits, cut down their earnings,
divide more equitably with labor the
joint profits of labor and capital, So
cialism will be real menace in
America. In England the labor party
is not a socialist party. Because in
England, employers of labor are see
ing the light Of this new spirit of hui
manity. In England, the right OF or
tro ~ rxo 10 1,v, - L.
ployer is legal right. The right to
| strike is legal right. Under the Eng
llsh law and on the continent the en-
ployer insures the laboring man, not
| merely against accidents, but against
sickness and disease. The old age.
pension system prevails in SO many
concerns, that a serious movement is
| afoot to establish it by law. And yet
in America today we find a congress
| hesftating all winter and far into a
late spring, over an employers liabil-
| ity act-one of the mildest of such
statutes on the books of any civilized
| nation.
| Menace of Socialism.
"This question of the menace Of
socialism is not political-not yet. 1t
is still a question between man and
mana moral question. 1t will be
| answered when the instinct which is
impelling the rich man to give in
|
| Their, and keep him from taking SO
| much profits from the many. For
laws will avail little until the spirit
of brotherhood among men in this
nation grows deeper into the national
life-deeper even than it is today;
was before. But it must sink into
the heart of the rich man until he is
willing to give not merely his surplus.
| but that spirit of brotherhood must
poor man who lays down his tools,
! gives up his job, and with heroic
faith in Gods ultimate goodness
strikes, though his family suffer, that
his brother at another bench may get
| justice and thrive. If the spirit Of
| often moves the poor could but get
| into the heart of the rich man, he
could go through the eye of the
needle into the Kingdom of God
spirit of humanity, for ''in His image
created He him., And the thing that
is needed most Of all in this land to-
day is working sympathy among
the men with ten talents for the men
with five, and those with one. We
who wear good clothes on week days
prattle about the brotherhood of
man, and often by our selfishness we
drive into a class and caste by them
selves the men who toll, as If they
| were of another world, and did not
bleed our blood, have our hopes, as
pire with our very souls. There
burns a truer light of God in them,
says Browning:
In their vexed, beating, stuffed and
stopped-up brain,
Heart or whate'er else, than goes on
to prompt
This low-pulsed fortnight crafts
mans hand of mine.
j Their works drop groundward, but
themselves I know,
Reach many time a Heaven that's
shut to me;
Enter and take their place there sure
enough;
Though they come back and cannot
J tell the world
Secretary Taft had the last address
on the program and did not speak un-
til after II o'clock. He was greeted
with a hearty round of cheers which
to speak.
Secretary Taft's Speech.
Secretary Taft spoke in part as fol-
.. "The issues of the next campaign
are to turn on the achievements of the
Mckinley and Roosevelt adminlstra,
lions which still remain the subject
for discussion between US and oul
: Democratic friends. or rather between
us and the gentleman who still seems
to have the power of leading the
Democrat party against its will. We
are to accept not what the Democra
party, as it used to be. thinks on any
issue, but what Mr.. Bryan thinks or
every issue, as the real basis of the
national campaign to be ended by thu
election in November next Because
2 Mr.. Bryan still keeps alive aontrover
: sizes which many Democrats are con
! tent to regard as settled. we have tt
, go back and rediscuss matters which
- Of Of
t preted, ought long ago to have ended
{ at is true that free silver and fit,