The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-09-05

Two Factors By Which Desired
Ends May Be Accomplished
Effort Through Cooperation
and Effort Of Government
Encouragement, Warning and
Advice Given WOrkingmen

In his speech today at Island Park
Col. Theodore Roosevelt spoke as fol-
lows:
"Today-on Labor Day. speak in
one sense especially to those person
ally and vitality interested in the labor
struggle; and yet / speak of this pri-
marily as one aspect Of the larger
social struggle growing out of the at
tempts to readjust 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 null
tiplied 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 prev
ious periods since history dawned-that
| is, the changes brought in single CEN
fury through machinery and steam
have been greater than the sum total
| Of the changes of the preceding thou
sands of years; and these very changes
and this material progress have thrust
upon us social and political problems
of the first magnitude.
THE triumphs of the physical sci
ences in the nineteenth century repre-
sented progress primarily in the mate
rial 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 so much with
the material as with the moral and
ethical factors of civilization. Our
base problem is to see that the mar
Velously augmented powers of pro-
duction bequeathed to us by the nine
teenth century shall in the twentieth
be made to administer to the needs of
the many rather than be exploited for
the profit of the few.
Laborers Dual Capacity.
''The American wage-earner faces
this larger social problem in a dual ca
pacity; first, as citizen of the repub-
lie charged with the full duty of cfti-
zenship; and next as a wage Garner
as -worker-who, together with
his fellow workers, is vitality concern
ed in the question of wages and gen.
eral conditions of employment, which
affect not only his well-being and that
of his wife and children, but the OBJ
portunities of all workers for a higher
development.
1T is true of wage-workers, as of all
other citizens, that most of their pro-
gress must depend upon their own ini-
tiattve 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-
vldual qualities must determine This
is the most important of ALL for moth
ing can supply the place of Individual
capacity.
Yet there are two other factors also
of prime importance; namely. what
can be 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 and other most important
conditions Of employment must remain |
largely outside of government control:
must be left for adjustment by free |
contract between employers and wage
subject to legislation which |
viii prevent conditions which will com |
pei man, or woman, to accept wages
less than will insure de- |
cent living. But to attempt to leave |
this merely to individual action means |
the absolute destruction of Individual |
ISM; for where the individual is SO |
weak that he, perforce, has to accept |
strongly organized body |
chooses to give him, his individual lib
erty becomes a mere sham and mock
cry. 1t is indispensably necessary. in,
order to preserve to the largest de-
gree our system of inaividualism. that
here should be effective and organized ]
collective action.
The wage earners must act Jointly.
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 free
iom of contract made real. thing and Ii
lot mere legal fiction. There are oc-
occupations where this is not +
necessary; but, speaking broadly, it is i
necessary throughout the great world l.
u organized industry. / believe this |,
Practice of collective bargaining, eff
ective only through such organiza- Il
ions as the trade unions, to have been
me Of the most potent forces in the
'ast century in promoting the progress
# the wage earners and in securing
anger social progress for humanity, II
there Is organized capital on
considerable scale
'elieves in Principle of Organization.
I believe in the principle of organ
zed labor and In the practice of coll
ective bargaining, not merely as a de-
irable thing for the wage earners, but
3 something which has been demon
trated to be essential in the long run
their permanent progress.
This does not mean that / unequiv-
cally indorse any or all practices that
abor organizations may happen to 4
I opt, or any or all principles that |
hey may choose to enunciate. Labor |
rganizations have the weaknesses and Il
Effects common to all other forms of
uman organizations Some times they i
let very well, and sometimes they I
ct very badly. and r arm for thar, /