The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-01
Col. Roosevelt Would Eliminate
the Ambulance Chasers.
FavOrs "The Compensation OF
Employees for Injuries"
MAKE 1T COMPULSORY
And without the Necessity Oh a
Suit at Law.
Legislation Helps But Does MOI
Alone Bring Success.

11arsas Citv. Kan, Sept. 1.-Speak-
ing to an audience composed emery
of working men in this city COL
Theodore Roosevelt today heartny en-
dorsed the passage or ieuu.
vorkingman's compensation act ms
is one of the chief planks Oh tne ha
sas state platform recently aoopleo'
Speaking without notes IN the au
ditoriurn here, Col. Roosevelt was ire
ouently cheered to the echo. he was
introduced by ex-Mayor Guyer' pr0-
gressive Republican. who has peeh re-
garded as one of the strongest sup
norters of Col. Roosevelt In Kansas.
II nresenting Col. Roosevelt, he char
ac+erized him as zone of the foremost
men of all the world
more than once we have had 10 III
Vestfgate conditions in such businesses
as you have in this city, sala Col-
Roosevelt in beginning his ADDRESS.
ALWAYS when we have done so the
emplover has explained to the wage
Garner that if the government was
successful in its exercise or It's cohtros
IT would result in the cutting down OF
wages. That is not so. All we strug-
gled to do was to secure better condl-
tions of employment and of living
among the men actually employed IN
industries.
Doesn't Like the Term.
''Take such questions as what is call
ed the employers liability. L DO not
like that expression because L thlnk
the term should be the compensation
of employees for injuries 1 feel very
strongly that in every industry where
there is the slightest risk OF lie OF
limb, whether on railways or in any
other industry, that in the event ot
loss of life or injury we should not
leave it to lawsuits to determine what
shall be done and least of all should
we allow the whole weight of the bur
den to fall upon shoulders least able
to bear it. If a man is killed in an in
dustry, instead of leaving his widow
and children to carry the whole bur-
den, 1 would have it distributed over
the whole industry by making the en-
ployer pay certain amount OF COM
pensation. It is not fair that a man
working on a railway, who loses his
arm, should pay all the penalty by
being crippled all of his life while the
railway pays nothing.
''It is not fair that girl working in
a factory which renders her liable to
suffer injury, shall go on in life maim-
ed and no one else bear the burden
for her. The burden should be dis
tributed when a working man is in
jured or killed in his employment.
There should be no question of respon-
sibility. He should receive compensa-
tfon for the injury he has suffered and
If he is Killed MS family SnOulQ re-
ceive such compensation.
Eliminate the Lawyers.
"It should be the duty of the govern
ment to see that he is paid too. He
should not be left to bring a lawsuit.
There are admirable lawyers but not
many are found following the profess
sion of ambulance chasers The lawyer
who makes his living by hunting up
accidents and by carrying on lawsuits
which may be justifiable or unjustifiable
is not as a rule one whose interests
1t is necessary to consider.
I'VE should have the compensation
act SO fixed that the wage worker
would get his share. And none of it
should go to a man who gets him into
the lawsuits in connection with it.
Il do not want to penalize the cor
poration by making it pay an excessive
amount. 1 want to see that what is
paid goes to the injured man and to the
injured mans family. Therefore L want
to eliminate the lawyer totally from the
transaction.
legislation as regards the control of the
corporations as regards the adjustment
of our relations with the corporation
But friends do not forget that no leg
islation will ever avail unless we have
the right type of men and women on
whose behalf the legislation is invok-
ed
THAT is the keynote" shouted a
man in the rear of the auditorium.
Yes. that is the KEYNOTE" continued
Colonel Roosevelt. I'VE must have
good laws, we must have laws that
will prevent men depressing others or
taking an improper share of what is
gained through the exercise of their
joint energies. But the law is only a
help. If the man has not the right
stuff in him, nothing can be done for
him. And if any man thinks the law
alone or the exertion of anybody but
himself will enable him to make a sue
cess in life, then that man may make
up his mind that he is due to failure
from the outset.
Law Only a Help.
do not trust any man who tells you
that any change in the law will bring
about the millennium. That is some
distance off yet. Do not trust him if
he tells you that any system of law will
serve as a substitute for both men and
women doing their duty in the posi-
tion which they occupy
IF the man has noe got foresight
thrltt, and power to work hard, he is
not going to make a success You
can not make any corporation employ
him permanently if he is not worth
employing.
Men Who Will Stay Put.
so it is with the woman. I want
to see the woman's burdens Iightened
as far as possible. 1 have no sym
pathy for the man who is always com
planning about the social injustice to
winch he is exposed and at the same
time is in idleness while his wife
takes in washing
Il think all know certain men to he
found about the corner grocery and
in saloons, who declaim on the in
Justice OF our present civilization. hut
somehow leave their wives to do ali
the work for that particular working
man.
Il distrust man who talks about
now society should be reformed, but
who can not keep his wife and chill.