The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-09-08

ClN, liz aliANOu lhoN SNOh
ing and spent the night here, was the
chief speaker today at the Labor Day
exercises. He was listened to with
interest and respect by q great crowd,
and his uttsrances frequently elected
hearty applause. In his address he
said:
Today-e0 LAher Day. speak in one
sense especially 10 those personally and
vitality interested In the labor struggle;
and yet l speak Of this primarily AZ one
aspect Of the larger social struggle grew
Ing out Of the attempts to readjust social
conditions and make them more equitable.
The nineteenth century was distinctly
one OF economic ACCOMPLISHMENTS in
the domain OF production, including trans
pOrtatiOn and the mechanics OF exchange.
The marvellous progress made in these
respects multiplied mans productive
power to an almost inconCeivable degree.
In the matter Of the production OF wealth,
as much progress was made during the
nineteenth century as during 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 preceding thousands of years; and
these very changes and this material
progress have thrust upon US social and
political problems OF the first magnitude.
The triumph OF the physical sciences In
the nineteenth century represented prog
ress primarily in the material elements OF
civilization. The most pressing problems
that confront the present century are not
concerned with the material production
of wealth, but with it's distribution. The
demands Of progress now deal not 80
much with the material as with the
moral and ethical factors of civilization.
Our basic problem is TO see that the mar
velously augmented powers OF production
bequeathed to US by the nineteenth CEN
fury shall in the twentieth be made to ad-
minister to the needs of the many rather
than be exploited for the profit of the few.
The American wage-earner faces this
larger social problem in a dual capacity;
FIRST, as a citizen Of the Republic charged
with the full duty of citizenship; and next
as a wage-earner-as a wage-worSer-
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.
Must Depend on Our Own Efforts.
II is true Of wage-workers, as OF all
other citizens. that most Of their progress
must depend upon their own initiative
and their own Efforts. Nevertheless, theirs
are three different factors In this prog
ress. There 10. hrst, the share which the
mans own individual qualities must de-
termins. This IL the most important OF
all for nothing can supply the place or
Individual capacity. Yet there are two
other factors also Of prime Importance;
namely, what can he done by the wage
workers In cooperation with one another;
and what can be done by government
that Is. by the instrument through which
all the people work collectively. wages
ard other most important conditions OF
employment must remain largely outside
Of pNyprpvOpnt control. must be lRft Tor
adjustment by free contract between en-
plOyers and Wage-earners. But to attempt
to leave this merely to Individual action
means the absolute destruction Of indivi-
dualism: for where the individual Is 80
weak that he, perforce, has 10 accept
whatever a strongly organized body
chooses 10 give him, his individual liberty
becomes a mere sham and mocIery. II
is indispeusably necessary, IN order 10
preserve to the largest degree our sys-
tenn Of indivldualism. that there should
be effective and organized collective &C
ton. The wage-earners must act joint
", through the process Of collective bar
gaining. in great industrial enterprises.
Only thus can they be put upon a plane
of economic equality with their corporate
employers. Only thus Is freedom OF con-
tract made a real thing and not a mere
legal fiction. There are occasional occu-
pations where this is not necessary; but,
speaking broadly. II is necessary through
Clf the great WOTd u OIkoIlEco iluor-
try. believe this practise of collective
bargaining. effective only through such
oryanizstions IS the trades unions, to
have been one of tho most potent factors
in the past century in promoting the
progress OF the wage-earners and in Sc
curing larger social progress for human
fly. I believe in tho principle Of organ
fzed labor and In the practise Of collec-
tive bargaining. not merely as 4 dssir-
able thing for the wage-earners, but as
something which has been demonstrated
y to be essential In the long run 10 their
permanent progress.
This does not mean that I uneQuivo-
cally indorse any or all practises that
labor organizations may happen 10 adopt,
or any or all principles that they may
choose to enunciate. Labor organizations
have the weaknesses and defects common
TO all other forms OF human organtxs-
tons. Sometimss they act very well, and
sometimes they act very badly; and l
am for than when they act well, and I
am against them when they act badly. I
believe that their existence u q necessity;
I believe that their aims and purposes are
eensrally good: and l believe that all OF
them have occasionally made mistakes.
and that some Of them have been guilty
OF ~wrong-doins. Just In 10 far as they
are strong and effective they tempt de-
SHINING men who seek to control them
for their own interests. and stimulate the
desires Of ambitious leaders who may be
clever, crooked mon. or who may be hon
est but visionary and foolish. In other
words, In treating Of labor unions, as In
treating of corporations, or Of humanity
generally, we will do we'll to remember
Abraham Iincoln's saying that there Is
deal Of human nature In mankind"
Whether In q man or In an organised
body Of mon, the power to do good means
that such power may be twisted into evil;
and in proportion AZ the power grows, 50
IL becomes steadily mers Important that
Il should be handled Alright. Just in pro-
portion as in It's proper function power
is important to social progress, so In Its
inpropsr function Il become fraught with
social disaster.
Ivy H=cYTsss T. Sss=- UTisaEss~e~s~fs 80
Outside critics should appreciate tho
peoeesity Of organized labor, and under
stand and sympsthise with what IA good
in n. instead OF eonaemninz II indiscr.m-
tnatsiy. On the other hand. those within
it's ranks should fearlessly snalyze the
\ criticisms directed against II and ruthless
ly eliminate from. the praetiseE cI HA.Sr
TaifzaffoI those Things which justify such
J cr4sfcA,In aiId attxck. This IL the path.
not only OF right, but of wisdom and
zltA- Ia the TTnifAI