Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-18
The Dinner to Labor.

As the President last night was seeking
light on the labor question it is to be
hoped he was rewarded. The guests were
we'll chosen. as respects both labor and
other Interests. High officials of the three
great departments of the government-the
executive. the legislative and the judicial
gathered with representatives of the
hosts who work with their hands. and
while the function forbade detailed re-
port of what passed. it is known that the
evening was a pleasant one. and this
should be assurance that benefit will
come of it
For some years after the war between
the north and the south had closed, much
bitterness existed in both sections. Dis
cusson continued to turn on the issues
that had brought the great conflict.
Each section insisted that the other was
responsible for the losses that both had
incurred Professional politicians. for po-
litical purposes. whooped up the bad feel
ing There we're few conferences as to
present duty.
At last as recovery slowly progressed,
there were exchanges of visits and of
calmer opinions. Northern men went
south and southern men went north, and
the travellers returned home with a new
and enlarged and improved point of view.
Both sides discovered that instead of
working at enmity and cross-purposes,
they should work together; that their
common interests demanded not warfare,
but cooperation. The United States was
a nation. and neither section could hope
to prosper at the expense of the other.
Each was necessary to the other. and to-
gether they were invincible. Upon this
new basis much has been accomplished;
and while all sectional feeling has not
entirely disappeared. and evil still pro-
caeds from what remains. we have an
order of things in every way an improve
ment on what existed thirty years ago.
Applying this illustration, it may be
said that capital and labor do not meet
each other often enough in the discussion
of their difficulties. The old warfare is
over. But too much bitterness remains.
Ii is not compatible with the interests of
either. Both capital and labor are or
ganized as never before. This, however,
should not be for warfare. but for CO.
operation. Oppression by either side is
certain to react on the other
There should be more visiting so to
say. Each side should know the other
better. Each Is too much inclined to be
suspicious and distrustful of the other be-
cause of lack of frst-hand knowledge
about the other. Each should in some
things revise and enlarge its point of
view. The problem is far and away the
most important before the people. going,
as it does, to the very soul and center of
things in our form of government.
Mr.. Roosevelt retires from Office i'll
March, and Congress at the coming short
session will have its hands full of routine
business. 1t may be, therefore, that legis-
lation as important this desired by
labor will have to wait until the new
Congress meets in regular session a year
hence. But the new President is as much
interested In the subject as Mr.. Roosevelt
has at least four years of Office before
him, and we shall probably see him adj
dress himself to 1t with the full power of
his office and the full earnestness of his
nature. And there need be no fear that
the new Congress will neglect matter Of
such wide consequence.