The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-03-25

NNM NNA AHt EINtlAlNr WGUn.- NUuH IN
lancr' ana ne should extend - ~
anl arol tratior as Substitute for
strikes Moreover. violence 1isorder.
ana COERCION. when committed N
connection With strike should be a.
promptly ana as sterniy represed IS
when committed "a any other connec-
lion, Bnf strikes themselves are.
and should be, recognized 70 be ems
TREY legal Combinations Of work.
ingnen have q peculiar reason for
tneir existence, The very wealthy lr-
dfRtaual employer, and still more the
very wealthy CORPORATION, stand a.
enormous advantage when compared
20 the individual wori1ingfnan: and
while there are many cases where &
may not be neeesary for laborers to
form 3 union, In many cases II Is inc
dispensable, for otherwise the thous-
ands OF small units, the thousands OF
individual woEkingmen, viii be left
helpless m their dealings with the one
big unit, the big Individual or Cor
porate employer.
Twenty-fwo years ago, by the act
of June z9' 1885,. trades unions were
recognized by law. and the right Of
laboring people TO combine for al
lawful purposes was formerly rec
ognized, this right including combin-
alton for mutual protection and bene-
fits the regulation of wages, hours,
and conditions Of labor, and the pro-
lection Of the individual rights OF the
wokmen in the prosecution Of their
trade or trades: and In the act OF
June l. 1898, strikes were recognized
as legal in the same provision that
forbade participation in or instlga-
tion of force or violence against per-
sons or property. or the attempt 70
prevent others from working, by Yio-
lence, threat. or Intimidation, The
business man must be protected IN
person and property, and 50 must the
farmer and wage-worker; ana as re-
CARDS all alike, the right of peaceful
combination for all lawful purposes
should be explicitly recognized
Unions Have Rights.
The right of employers to combine
and contract with one another and
with their employees should be ex-
plicitly recognized; and so should the
right of the employees to combine and
to contract with one another and with
the employers, and to seek peaceful
to persuade others to accept their.
views. and to strike for the purpose
of peaceably obtaining from employ
ers satisfactory terms for their labor.
Nothing should be done to legalize
would be Illegal at common law; this
being the type Of boycott defined and
condemned by the Anthracite Com
mission.
The question OF financial legislat-
ton Is now receiving such attention
In both Houses that we have a light
to expect action before the close of
the session. It Is urgently necessary
that there should be such action.
- II. Ia kalr -
establish postal savings banks. These
postal savings banks are imperatively
needed for the benefit Of the wage
workers and men of small means,
and will be q valuable adjunct to our
whole financial system.
Tariff Revision.
The time has come when we should
prepare for n revision of the tariff
This should be, and indeed must be,
preceded by careful investigation 1t
Is peculiarly the province OF the Con-
gress and not OF the President, and
/ indeed, peculiarly the province of the
House of Representatives, to origin
ate tariff bill and to determine up
on its terms: and this fully realize.
Yet 1T seems to me that before the
close of this session provision should
be made for collecting full material
which will enable the congress elect
ed next fall to act Immediately after
1t comes into existence. This would
necessitate some action by the Com
gress at Its present session, perhaps
in the shape of directing the proper
committee to gather the necessary
information. both sthrough the COM
mittee Itself and through Government
agents who should report to the
committee and should lay before II
the facts which would permit 1t to
act with, prompt and intelligent fair
ness. These Government agents, II 1t
is not deemed wise to appoint individ-
'uals from outside the public service
might with advantage be members of
the Executive Departments, designa-
ted by the President. on his own
motion or on the request OF the
committee. to act with 1t.
I am of the opinion, however. that
one change in the tariff could with
advantage be made forthwith. Our
forests need every protection, and
one method Of protecting them would
be to put upon the free list wood pulp
with a corresponding reduction upon
paper made from wood pulp. when
they come from any other country
that does not put an export duty up
on them. ,--..
Water Ways.
Ample provision should be made
for a permanent Waterways Commits
sion, with whatever power Is required
to make It effective. The reasonable
expectation OF the people will not be
met unless the Congress provides at
this session for the beginning and
prosecution of the actual work OF
waterway Improvement and control
The congress should recognize in full
est fashion the fact that the subject
OF the conservation of our natural
resources, with which this Commits
sion deals, is literally vital for the
future of the nation.
Numerous bills granting water
power rights on naVigable streams
have been introduced. None of them
give the government the right to
make a reasonable charge for the
valuable privileges so granted. IN
spite Of the fact that these water
power privileges are equivalent to
many thousands of acres Of the best
coal lands for their production OF
power. Nor Is any definite time limit
set. as should always he done In such
cases. ] shah be obliged hereafter,
IN accordance with the policy stated
In recent message, to veto any water
power bill which does not provide for
q time limit and for the right OF the
President or Of tna Secretary rnp