Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-09-08

ship. It has worked wonders in the
past and its work Is only commenced.
The labor organization helps those
! outside of it as its members because
! the increased wages and improved
| conditions are shared by non union
men as well as by union men
Do not understand me to say that
a labor organization is perfect; the
king can do no wrong" can no more
be spoken of group than of indi-
viduals. The labor organization is COM
posed of men; its affairs are CON
trolled by human beings, and human
beings are not perfect An that man
touches is stained with mans imper
fections, and his frailty can be traced
through all his works But. fortu-
nately for the laboriug man, the judg-
ment pronounced against his mistakes
must be tempered by the fact that
those with whom the laborng man
comes into contact are also likely to
err. When the empIoye deal with
the employer. he is dealing with one of
like passions with himself. Each is
likely 10 be- nsistrnt upon what he
~ III - ~ ~ 10 ~ anu Ni'' 'iSi'''N'
of each, as to what is right, is likely
to be colored By selfish interests and
affected hy incomplete information as
to the facts If the employe has
sometimes resorted to violence to en-
force mis- wishes, the employer ha2
sometimes employed his position to
secure an unfair share Of the joint
product 1t is the province of the
law to place limitations upon both
and the security of our government isI
found i'm the fact that both employer
and employc, in their calmer mo-
ments, win Join in the enactment Of
laws which viii restrain them in mo-
ments Of temptation. Some assume
that labor is laWlesS and that to set
tie the labor question permanently we
need only enforce the law vigorously
yield to none in insistence upon
obedience to the law. Law is neces-
sary in human society, and its en-
forcement is essential to peace ana
order. but we must remedy abuses by
law If We whould insure respect FOR,
and obedience to, law.
The important lesson to be learned
by the citizen in a government like
ours is that the ballot is both shield
and sword-it protects him from in
jury and enforces his rights.
The first thing that is needed for
a better understanding of labor ques-
tions is the recognition of the equal /
rights of all, and, second, more in !
innate acquaintance. We have rights (
that may be called natural rights they
are inherent; we have them because
We are human beings. The govern |
ment did not bestoW them upon US
the government cannot rightfully
withdraw them from as We all come
into the world without our yolitioni /
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 he supplied, We re |
quire food, clothing shelter, compan-
ionship. We have our domestic ties, |
and the tenderness Of these ties is notI
measured BY wealth or position in So
ciety. Man has used petty dlstin.-
tions to separate society into differ
ent classes, but these distinctions are
when compared with the
great similarities that unite US in a
common destiny and impel us toward
a common end.
On this day it is well to emphasize
the tact that We are linked together
bv bonds which we could not break II
we would and should not weaken If
we could 1t ought to be easy to learn
this lesson in the United States, for
here. more than anywhere else, peo-
pie feel their interdependence. we
have no law of primogeniture to sepa-
rate the Oldest son from his brothers
ana sisters. and We have no law OF
entail to prevent the alienation OF an
estate. There is no aristocracy rest
ing upon birth or iHnSly favor; ana
if the people perform then ciVl'
duties. there win be no plutocracy rul-
ing in the name Of the dollar Here
the road to advancement is pubic
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 rcach "t the
voter or beyond the influence OF pub
lie opinion. Under our constitution
some branches of the government are
more responsive than others to the
public will, but our government can
be controlled by the people, from the
organic law which We call the con
stitution to the statute and the courts
decree.
A long step toward the elevation OF
labor to it's proper position IN the ma
tons deliberations is to be- t"uhH IN
the establishment of a department OF
abor. with cabinet officer at It's
head. The wage-earners deserve TINS
recognition, and the executive Is en-
titled to the assistance which such an
official could render him. regard
the inauguration of this reform as th'
opening of new era in which those
who toll will have "A voice in the de-
liberations of the presidents council
chamber.
The labor organization has he'n
seriously Handicapped by the iact that
il has been-and I am not sure that
il has not been done unwitunsly-