The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-09-07

in some special social stratum. There
are dishonest capitalists, dishonest
labor leaders, dishonest lawyers. and
dishonest business men; dishonest
poor men; and the man who is a gen.
uine reformer will decline to single
out any one type for exclusive denun-
citation. but will fearlessly attack the
dishonest man as SUCH whatever and
wherever he is to be found.
Admirable Men.
For many years I have been more
or less closely associated with repre-
sentative leaders of labor unions.
Some of these men are among my
close friends, whom l respect and adj
mire as heartily as I do any man in
America. There are some of them
to whom I go as freely for assistance
and guidance, for aid and help, in
making up my mind how to deal with
our social problems, as l go to the
leaders of any business or profession.
I cannot pay too high tribute to the
worth and integrity of these men-to
their sincerity and good judgment as
leaders. But no movement-no lead
ership-however earnest and honest
can endure unless the rank and file
live up to their duties, and search for
such leadership. and support it when
they find it. If the best men in a
labor union leave it's management
and control to men of a poorer type,
the effect will be just as disastrous
as when good citizens in a city follow
the same course as regards city gov
eminent The stay-at-home man in a
the sins of omission and commission
of his organization as the stay-at
home man in city is for the civic
conditions under which he suffers and
about which he complains.
All that can properly he 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 la
Dor, whose conditions of work and
living are harsh and pitiable. 1t is
a shocking indictment Of our indus
trial condition to be told in mat
ter-of-course way in a government
report that thousands of workers re-
toll every day in the week, without
one day rest, for a wage of As a
month Such a condition is bad for
them. and. in the end, bad for all Of
us. Our commercial development
should be heartily encouraged; but it
must not be allowed to commercialize
our morals.
Duty to Workers.
1t is not merely the duty of the
wage Garner, but it js also the duty
of the general pubic, to see that he
has safe and healthy conditions I'M
der which to carry on his work. No
worker should be compelled, as a.
condition of earning his daily bread,
to risk his life and limb, or be de-
prived of his health, or have to work
under dangerous and bad surround
ings. 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 Cor decent con-
dtions in this rescept. His protec-
| ton in the place where he works
should be guaranteed by the law of
the land. In other words, he should
| be protected during his working
hours against greed and carelessness
on the part of INSCRIPTIONS and
thoughtless employers, Just as outside
of those working hours both he and
his employer are projected in their
| lives and property against the muir
derer and thief.
This opens vitality important field
| of legislation to the national govern
| ment and to the state alike. 1t is hui
initiating to think how far we of this
| country are behind most of the other
countries in such matters. Practically
all civilized countries have, for more
than decade, prohibited by the
strictest regulations the poisonous
match industry; yet we had not done
anything at all until very recently to
protect the laborers against the hor-
rible danger. The national govern
ment made an investigation a year
ago into this industry, which showed
condition of things unspeakably
shocking and revolving. Legislation
to prevent these abuses was intro
duced in congress, which was not
passed. Since then the companies in
fault have ostentatiously announced
that they have done away with the
| Objectionable conditions. 1 hope so;
but whether they have or not, law
should be passed in stringent form to
prevent any possible backsliding.
Employers Liability.
| So it is in the matter of injuries to
employees. In what is called "em-
ployer's liability legislation other in
duStrial countries have accented the
principle that the industry must bear
the monetary burden of it's human
sacrifices, and that the employee who
is injured shall have a fixed and def
mite sum. The United States still pro-
ceeds on an outworn 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 person
| least able to bear it. Fortunately, in
a number of states-in Wisconsin and
in New York, for instance-these de-
| fects 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
compensation for accidents has al
ready been passed. Other states will
undoubtedly follow in the same path.
The federal government has, so far
, as it's own employees are concerned,
been the first to recognize and put
into shape this principle. However
this pioneer law was not made COM
prehensive enough; it does not cover