The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-09-06

ed Into evil And in proportion as the 1 power grows so it becomes steadily
 more important that it should be han l died alright. Just in proportion as in | its proper function power is important 1 to social progress, so in it's improper l function 1t becomes fraught with so- 1 .cial disaster.
 Outside critics should appreciate the
 necessity of organized labor and under stand and sympathize with what Is good in it, instead of condemning 1t fndiscriminately. On the other hand, those within it's ranks should fearless ly analyze the criticisms directed against it and ruthlessly eliminate from the practices of its organization those things which justify such crit icism and attack. This is the path, not only of right. but of wisdom and safety. Public opinion in the United States is daily becoming more alert and more intelligent and more forceful. and no organization. whether trades union or corporation, whether industrial or non industrial, can endure or permanently
 amount to a social force if it does not
 harmonize with a wise and en1ight-
 ened- public opinion.
 Hitherto we Americans have been
 overoccupied with material things and
 have neglected to watch the play of
 the social forces about us. But now
 we are awakening from that indiffer-
 ence; and every form of organization
 representing an important economic,
 political or social force must under
 go a closer scrutiny than ever before.
 Contest of Employer and Employee.
 I think that the next quarter of a
 century will be important politically
 in many ways; and in none more so than in the labor movement. Not only are the benefits of labor organizations more clearly understood than ever be- fore, but any shortcoming or vice dis played in connection herewith is also more clearly understood and more quickly resented.
 The public is growing more and more to understand that, in a contest between employer and employees corporation and a trades union-not only the interests of the contestants, but the interests of the third party the pub1ic-nust be considered.
 Anything like levity in provoking a strike on the one hand or on the oth- CT is certain more and more to be re- scented by the public. Strikes are sometimes necessary and proper; some times they represent the only way in which, after all other methods have been exhausted, it is possible for the laboring man to stand for his rights, but it must be clearly understood that a strike is a matter of last resort.
 Our social organization is too com plex for us to fail quickly to condemn those who, with 1evity or in a spirit of wanton brutality, bring about far reaching and disastrous interference with it's normal processes. The public 1 mpathizes cordially with any move ment for a good standard of living l and for moderate hours of employ l ment. q personally, for instance, cor dially believe in an eight hour day | and in one day in seven for complete l rest.) Where men and women are | worked under harsh and fntolerable 1 conditions and can secure no relief | without strike or, indeed, where the | strike is clearly undertaken for things ! which are vitally necessary-and then l only as a last resort-the public sym | pathy will favor the wageworkers, ] but it will not favor them unless such | conditions as these are fulfilled.
 Therefore it is becoming more than | ever important that the labor move ment should combine steady, farsee- ing leadership with discipline and con- tro1 in it's ranks.
 Curse of Dishonest leaders.
 Dishonest leadership is a curse any where in American life, and nowhere is it a greater curse than in the labor movement. If there is one lesson | which I would rather teach to my fel- low Americans than any other it is to hound down the dishonest man, no matter what his condition, and to | brush aside with impatient contempt the creature who only denounces dis honesty when it is found in some spe- cial social stratum.
 There are dishonest capitalists, dis honest labor leaders, dishonest law yers and dishonest business men. dis honest men of great wealth and dis honest poor men. and the man who is a genuine reformer will decline to sin gle out any one type for exclusive denunciation, but will fearlessly at tack the dishonest man as such when ever and wherever he is to be found.
 For many years I have been more or less closely associated with represent at1ve leaders of labor unions Some of these men are among my close friends, whom l respect and admire as heart l fly as do any men in America There are some or them to whom I go as freely for assistance and guidance, for aid and help, in making up my mind now to deal with our social problems 1 as I go to the leaders of any business or profession.
 cannot pay too high a tribute to the worth and integrity of these men-to their sincerity and good judgment as leaders. But no movement-no leader ship-however earnest and honest can endure unless the rank and file l1ve up to their duties. and search for such leadership, and support it when they find it.
 The stay at home man in a union is