New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-11-24
ROOT CONDEMNS
GENERALIZATION
RINGING SPEECH TO
CIYIC FEDERATION.
GomPers Says No Las Is
Broken Until the Lazc is De-
fned-DiRHer Informal.

ringing appeal against Capitalization De-
fore 500 members and guests OF the Ma
tiOnaI Civic Federation. assembled AT the
tenth annual dinner i'm the new banquet
hall OF the Hotel Astor. last night.
The evening was filed with fine MKT
ure Of wit and logic. humOr and re-
view Of what was frequently referred to
as the crying problem Of the times.
namely. the question Of employers hs-
bility
Senator Root and John Mitchell ad-
vanced the opinion that the cost OF sup
port which is made necessary by the m
juries suffered in business lis Just az
much a part OF the cost OF the business
as the tools that are worn out and the
material that is consumed Mr.. M1tchet
made a distinct impression when he ds-
pIored the fact in the midst OF an elo-
quent address that twenty men engaged
in the coal mining industry in this coun-
try would die before another sun went
down. That is the average daily cost In
life he said.
Samuel Gompers. president OF ths
American Federation Of Labor. referred
indirectly TO his present difficulties with
the courts. and added: we protest
against the conception that a law 10
broken until II is finally decided what is
the law" a sentiment that caused hearty
applause.
"TAY PAY" CAUSES LAUGHTER
The HveIiness and general good fel-
Iowship that had marked all the pro-
ceedings OF the evening were enhanced
h.- ID NJ u tt-hr al
without notes, bur whose ability TO
make points extemporaneously was
shown by the almost continuous laugh
ter he inspired. He loved to meet his
countrymen. especially those who were
net born in Ireland. he said
Seth Low president OF the federation.
presided. and first introduced Darwin p.
Kingsley. president Of the New York
Life Insurance Company. who talked on
the moral responsibility of employers.
Al one Of the small tables near the i'm
prOvised rostrum, sat Isaac y Selig-
man. James Speyer. Allan Robinson.
William r. Wilcox and Archbishop Ire
land
Senator Root. after a genial and some
what light beginning. developed seri-
!
gers that he said lurked in the strong
/ tendencies toward Capitalization.
Are We to reform the ConstitutiOne''
he asked. IF we do IL as to insurance.
We must do II as 10 the hundred and
thousand other things-the interdepend-
ence of life. wiping out of state lines.
the passing to and fro of men and mer-
chandise. the intermingling of the peo-
pie of all sections of our country with
out regard to state lines. creating a situ-
alton in which from every quarter of the
horizon come cries for federal control
of business which is no longer confined
within the limits of separate states"
SENATOR ROOTS SPEECH.
Continuing. Senator Root said:
1 have a decree by the president Of tho
National civic Federation limiting my
hours OF labor on this day TO five minutes.
and a contract in violation of the Sherman
act 10 restrain my output. I have come
here welcoming the opportunity 70 express
my sympathy with the purposes and my
belief In the usefulness OF this organiza-
tiOn.
The essential process Of free governments
is free discussion. Discussion confined To
people of the same way OF thinking witir
the same interests, the same purposes and
pTeJudices. tends only to srengthen their
common difference from all others and 20
Increase the divergence between differen-
groups of our people. but discussion. infor-
nation, sincere and earnest attempts to
get at each others minds and to learn as
well as TO teach among people with differ
ent points OF view leads TO that common
public opinion whose expression in the end
comes the nearest TO being the voice OF
God that man has ever attained.
The essential quality OF that discussion
which makes a free people competent to
govern itself is self-restraint.
SYSTEM is BARBAROUs.
7 wish also to express my sympathy with
the prevailing opinion that perceive here
upon the specific subject OF your recent
discussion IL seems % me that our present
system Of dealing with ;nOse injuries that
come 10 the employees in our great indus
trial life Is foolish wastetuI. ineffective
and harbarOus-
To have a great enlightened nation isnor-
ing the fact that in all industries there are
accidents. that eVerV crushed foot. every
broken arm, every ruined life. Is expended
IN the business, u part OF the cost o.
doing the business. Is dtsCreditable. All
accidents. all injuries are subject TO the
law of average.
II ought TO be paid for 80 that the man
who has spent mis- life and ms strength
the business Will feel hat ne IL being paid
in "A way that preserves his rnarhOod in
stead OF being thrown upon charity IN a
way that destroys H.
Senator Root said that he could not
agrees with the view taken by Nr.
Kingsley as TO throwing the burden
Of dealing with insurance upon the ma
tiOnaI government He then went on 20
say:
II there We're no other question but The
one whether the national government or
the states governments should deal with
insurance might net be so important.
and I might feel willing 10 say, Mr..
Jefferson did. when he bought louisiana.
that the advocates OF his view OF cOnstitri-
tiOnal Interpretation ought 10 be willing
20 suspend their views for little while
for a particular and useful purpose
CONDEMNS GENERALIZATION
But YOU cannot confine the proposal To
insurance alone. The framework of our
government aimed TO preserve at once the
strength and protection OF great ma
freedom and the personal Independence OF
local self government. N aimed To DO
that BY preserving In the Consultation tho
sovereign powers OF the separate states.
Are we % reform our constitutional Sys-
tenn 50 a. 70 put In federal hands the con-
troll OF all the business that passes over
state lines 10 We do. where Is our local
self-gOvernment? II do. how Is tho
central government at Washington going
20 be able 10 DISCHARGE the duties that will
be imposed upon IL
Already the administration. already ths
judicial power. already the legislative
branches OF our government are driven 20
the limit OF their power 90 deal intellt-
gently with the subjects that are before
them.
This country Is too great its population
too numerous, its interests too vast ant
complicated already. % say nothing of th,
enormous Increases that we can see befors.
us In the future. 10 be governed as 20 ths