The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-09-24
REPUBLICANS
AND LABOR
Equality of Opportunity Secured
for Wage Farmers.
Vwilham H.sTaft in his speech ofsas.
ceptsnce.)


ceptsnce.)
We come now to ehe question of la.
Dor. One important phase of the poll
cies of the present Administration has
been an anxiety to secure for the wage
Garner an equality of opportunity and
such positive statutory protection as
shall place him on a level in dealing
with his employer
The Republican party has passed an
employers liability act for interstate
railroads, and has established an eight
hour law for government employees and
on government construction. The es-
sence of the'reform Effected by the for
mer, is the abolition of the fellow SER
want rule and the introductiorAof the
comparative negligence theory by
which an employe injured in the service
Of his employer does not lose all his
right to recover because OF slight negli-
gence on his part.
Then there is the act providing for
compensation for injury to government
employees, together with the various
statutes requiring safety appliances
upon interstate commerce railroads for
the protection of. their employees and
limiting the hours,of their employment
These are all Instances of the desire
Of the Republicanrparty to do justice to
the wage-earners.
Doubtless more comprehensive
measure for compensation Of govern
ment employees will be adopted in the
future; the principle In such cases has
been recognized and in the necessarily
somewhat slow course of legislation
will be more fully embodied in definite
statutes.
The interests-of the employer and the
employe never differ except when A..
comes to a division of the joint profit
OF labor and capital into dividends and
wages. This must be q constant source
Of periodical discussion between the
employer and the employe, as indeed
are the other terms of the employment
To give to employees their proper po-
sition in such "a controversy, to enable
them to maintain themselves against
employers having great capital, they
may well unite, because in union there
Ia strength, and without 1t, each indi-
vidual laborer and employe would be
helpless. Tie promotion of the indus
trial peace Though the fundamentally
Of the trade agreement is often one of
the results Of such union when intelli-
gently conducted.
There is u large body of laborers,
however, skilled and unskilled, who are
not organized into unions. Their rights
before the law are exactly the same as
those Of the union men, and are to be
protected with the same care and
watchfulness
in order to, induce their employer
into a compliance with their request
for changed terms of employment,
workrnen have the right to strike in q
body.
They have a right to use such per-
suasfon as they may, provided 1t docs
not reach the point Of dursss, to lead
heir reluctant colaborers to Soin them
in their union against their employer,
and they have a right, IL thsy choose,
to accumulate funds to support those
engaged In a strike, to delegate to Of
icers the power to direct the action of
the union, and to withdraw themselves
and their associates fraD dealings with
or giving custom to those with whom
they are In controversy