The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1910-09-09
RooSEvElTTAlK
TO LABOR WORLD
His Best Friends Numbered
Among Union Organizations.
DISHONEST LEADER CURSE.

Standard of Living at Fargo, N. D.
In Long Address-Dsais With En-.
pIoysrs' LiabiIity-Favors Paanks It
Federation of Labor.
Fargo, N. D., Sept. 5.-Today, on
Labor day, I speak in one sense espe-
,cially to those personally and Wstally
interested in the tabor struggle, and
yet 1 speak Of this primarily as one
aspect of the larger social struggle
growing out of the attempts 10 read
just social conditions and make them
more equitable.
The nineteenth century was dis
tinctly one of economic ;triumphs-tri-
umphs in the domain of production,
including transportation and the me
.chanics of exchange. The marvellous
progress made in these respects multi
piled mans productive power to am
almost ~inconceivabie degree.
In the matter of the production OF
wealth as much progress was made
during the nineteenth century as DUR
ing all previous periods since history
.dawned-that is, the changes brought
in a single century through machinery
and steam have been greater than the
sum total Of the changes of the pre-
.ceding thousands of years, and these
very changes and this material lyrog-
!ress have thrust upon us social II
political problems of the first nsagni-
:tude.
The American wage Garner faces
this larger social slroblem in 4 dual
capacity-first as "a citizen of b re-
public charged With the full duty of
citizenship and next as a wage earn
er-as a wagewurker who. together
with his fellow workers. is vitality
concerned In the question of wages
and general conditions of employment.
which affect not only his well being
and that of his wife and children. but
the opportunities OF all workers for a
higher development.
Three Dieferent Factors.
1t is true of w.ageworkers. as of all
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.ress must depend upon their OWE mi
.tiative and their own efforts. Never
.theless there are three different fac
tors in this progress. There is, first,
the share which the mans own indi-
vidual qualities must determine. This
Ifs the most important of all. for moth
ing can supply the ,place of individual
capacity.
Yet there are W. other factors also
;of prime importance-namely. what
can be done by the wageworkers in Co
operation with u another, and what
can be done by government-that Is,
by the instrument Through which aid
the people work collectively.
Wages and other most important
conditions Of employment must re-
main largely outside of government
control; must be left for adjustment
by free contract between employers
and wage arner But to attempt to
leave this merely to individual action
means the absolute destruction of indi-
vidualism; for where the individual in
so weak that he perforce has to accept
whatever a strongly organized body
chooses ito give him, his individual lib
erty becomes a mere sham and mock
cry.
Itis indispensably necessary. in order
to preserve to the largest degree our
system of individualisn. that there
should be effective aud organized col
lectiYe action. The wage earners must
act Jointly. through tue PROCESS of col
lect1xe bargaining. IN great industrial
~euterprises. Only thus can they be put
UPON 4 plane Of economic equality with
their corporate employers.
Only thus il freedom OF contract
made a real thing and not a mere legal
fiction. There are occasional 0ccupa-
tons wisere this is not necessary: but.
speaking broadly. 1t is necessary
throughout the great world of organ
lied industry.
believe this practice Of collective
bargaining. effective only through such
organizations AZ the trades unions. to
have been one of the most potent
forces in the past century in promot~
ing the progress Of the wage earners
and in securing larger social progress
for humanity. l believe in the prin-
ctple Of organized labor and in the
practice of collective bargaining. not
merely as u desirable thing for the
wage earners. but US something which
has been demonstrated to be essential
in the long run to their permanent
progress.
Weaknesses and Defects.
This does not NEAR that ! uneinir""
cally indorse any or all practices that
labor. organizations may happen to
adopt or any or all principles that they
may choose to enunciate. Labor or.
%panizations have the weaknesses and
defects common to all other forms Of
human organizations. Sometimes they
net very well, and sometimes they act
very badly. And l am for them when
they act well. and I am against them
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