Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-06

considered Anything like leyity IN
provoking strike, on the one hand or
on the other, is certain more and
more to be resented by the public.
Strikes are sometimes necessary and
proper; sometimes they represent the
only way in which, after all other
methods have been exhausted. 1t Is
possible for the laboring man to stand
for his rights; but 1t must be clearly
understood that a strike is a matter
Of last resort, and Of course, violence,
lawlessness and mob rule must be
promptly and sternly death with, no
matter what the cause may be that
excites them.
Public sympathy and Strikes.
Our social organization is too cons
pick for us to fail quickly TO condemn
those who, with levity or in a spirit OF
wanton brutality. bring about far
reaching and disastrous interference
with its normal processes. The public
synnpathizes cordially with any nlove-
ment for good standard OF living and
for moderate hours of employment. q
personally, for instance, cordially be-
lieve in an eight-hour day, and in one
day In seven for complete rest.l
Where men and women are worked
under harsh and intolerable conditions,
and can secure no relief without
strike, or, indeed, where the strike Is
clearly undertaken for things which
are vitality necessary--and then only
as last resort-the public sympathy
vii, favor the wage workers; but It
will not favor them unless such condl-
,tions as these are fulfilled. Therefore
it is becoming more than ever import
ant that the labor movement should
combine steady, r-seeing leadership
3,,f tsv l{a
Dishonest leadership is curse any
where in American life, and nowhere Is
1t agreater curse than inlabor move
ment. If there Is one lesson which |
would rather teach to my fellow Amer
leans than any other, it is to hound
down the dishonest man--no matter
what his conditfon-and to brush aside
with impatient contempt the creature
who only denounces dishonesty when 1t
is found in some special social stratum.
There are dishonest capitalists, dis
honest labor leaders dishonest law
yers,, and dishonest business men;
dishonest men of great wealth and dis
honest poor men: and the man VINO IS
genuine reformer will decline to
single out any one type for exclusive
denunciation, but will fearlessly attack
the dishonest man as such, whenever
and wherever he is to be found.
All that can properly be done should
be done by all OF us to help upward
the standard of living and to- Improve
the ability Of the average man to reach
that standard. There are still in the
United States great masses of skilled
and unorganized labor, whose condi-
tions of work and living are harsh
and pitiable.
Protection for Workman.
; 1t is not merely the duty Of the
wage Garner, but it Is also the duty OF
the general public, to see that he has
safe and healthy conditions under
which to carry on his work. No worker
should be compelled, as condition OF
earning his daily bread, to risk his life
and limb, or be deprived of his health.
or have to workIunder dangerous and
bad surroundings. Society owes the
worker this because it owes as much
to itself He should not be compelled
to make this matter Of contract; he
ought not to-be left to fight alone for
decent conditions In this respect. His
protection in the place where networks
should be guaranteed by the law OF the
land In other words, he should be pro-
tec.ed sduring his working hours
against greed and carelessness on the
part Of INSCRIPTIONS and thOughtless
employers, just as outside Of those
working hours both he4and his en-
ployer are protected in their lives and
property against the murderer and
thief.
This opens a vitality important field
Of legislation to the national govern
ment and TOT the state alike.
Employers Liabiiit.y
In what Is called employers liabil-
ity's legislation other industrial coun-
tries have accepted the principle that
the Industry must bear the monetary
burden OF its human sacrifices. and
49, Ia fr TIT c1,ol1
have fixed and definite sum. The
United States still proceeds on an out
worn and curiously improper principle,
in accordance with which it has too
often been held by the courts that the
frightful burden of the accident shall be
borne in its entirety by the very per-
son least able to bear 1t. Fortunately,
in number of states-in Wisconsin
and in New York, for instance--these
defects in our industrial life are either
being remedied or else are being made
a subject of intelligent study with a
view to their remedy. In New York
bill embodying moderate compensa-
ton for accidents has already been
passed. Other states will undoubtedly
follow in the same path.
Women and Children.
Women and children should, beyond
all question. be protected; and in their
cases there can be no question that
the government should act. they
should be particular objects of our So
Iicitude: and they should be guarded in
an effective fashion against the de-
of a too greedy commercialisfl.
On my recent trip in the neighborhood
of Scranton and Wilkes Barre every
one I spoke to agreed as to the i'm
rnense Improvement that had been
by the effective enforcement
Of the laws prohibiting children under
the age of fourteen years from work
ing. and prohibiting women from
more than ten hours a day.
Personally. ] think ten hours too long,
but, be this as it may, ten hours a day
was a great advance.
Approves Labor Pianks.
Among the planks in the platform of
the American Federation of Labor
there are some to which l veryl
subscribe. They are:
H. Free schools; free textbooks, and
education.
O. A work day OF not more than
eight hours.
3. Release from employment one
day in seven.
i. The abolition of the sweat shop
system.
5. Sanitary inspection of factory,