Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-09-11
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
OBSERVING LABOR DAY
Published by request.

idsy. The 4th Of July commemorate
the means by which we gained our in
dependence as a nation. and labor day
Commentaries the means by which
we have made our nation the most
powerful the most progressive and the
most prosperous of any in the world.
Today brave hearts of every cline are
beating in unison, and millions of feet
are keeping step in the ONWARD, up.
ward march to industrial liberty.
The toilers are awakened, and con-
scious of the truth that suffering en-.
dured are but the labor pains that fore
tell the new democracy TO be born.
This is the most momentous day of
all the year to the workers of tue
world. In every civilized country
this is recognized as labor day,
thought waves are carrying around
the globe messages of love and en-
couragement.
The world is my country, man is my
brother, expresses the sublime senti.
ment of worldwide fraternity in
every land where men and women are
striving under the CALLING chains of op-
preston. This noble thought qulckeus
the soul and kindles the spark of hope
in the breast Of the heavy laden. Let
the American commoners arouse
themselves
They have always been the most loya al
and effective guards OF freedom in
every crisis of our history Let them
arouse themselves and with that peace.
full, but potent instrument, the ballot,
let them maintain those institutions
Of freedom which the fathers pur.
chased at ineffable cost Let them ex.
purgate from official circles, at least,
every vestige of irretentious sris-
tocracy Let them wipe from the
statute books every grant of special
privilege Let them own and operate
through their government, every vsri-
ETY. of pub lc utility In the nature Of
monopoly Let them decapitate the
lrust breeding bank trust, and am.
putate the robber tariff. But let us
cons der the doctrine of equality In
another relation.
The fathers pronounced for the
quail ty of citizenship in respect to
military service. They were opposed
to a separate military class in the
republic. They dreaded the establish.
ment of professional soldiery. They
knew from their reading and their ex-
perience what woes wait upon a
country where every adult civilian is
compelled to carry a soldier on his
back. They knew that a standing
army always finally means war; that
war means debt that debt means the
separation Of the people into bread
winners and bondholders; and that
tile equilibrium Of society once un-
settled by the erection of Il military
class tends towards further dislocs
tiOn.
Hence they were one and all, op.
posed TO standing armies 1t was
one Of the complaints against KiHg
George put into the Declaration of
Independence" that he maintained
standing armies among us Joseph
War en, the hero Of Bunker Hill,
thuudered against it IN an grafton, de.
livered in l772 N which with classic
force aud elegance he pointed out the
necessary aniagonism between mili-
tarism AID popular liberty. Josiah
Quincy in a mastery review Of the
subject, emitted, in l774 and in which
he brought der review the whole
history OF military nations, ancient
and modern. showed how inevitably
fixed military establishments ever
tend toward the ruin of both civic
freedom and moral civilization. Jeffer.
son opposed profess onal soldiery early
and late, and in many OF his letters
expressed his regret that al express
dec laration against standing armies
lad not been put into the Contstiu.
.ion, and Wash ngton after having
,peut eight years In the saddle as the
Of the American armies,
,nd another ielght years in the pres
ient's chair shaping the functions Of
,Dr new government. put into his
majestic fare ~ell address solemn I
against over growing mill .
airy establishment which" he said [
under any form Of government are
nAuspIcious TO liberty, and which
IRE to be regarded as particuiary hos /
le 10 republican liberty" franklin
vas opposed 70 standing army. John
Oickln,oO, Stephen Hopkins. Beuja-
min Rush. John Hancock. both Of the
Adams and indeed nearly every one
If the revolutionary leaders lifted their
70 ces to warn the rising generation Of
he evil Of war and bloodshed The
achievements Of slavery has in the
past been great IN their way.