El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-05


ness men: dishonest men of great
wealth and dishonest poor men; and the
man who is a genuine reformer will
decline to single out any ore type for
exclusive denuncination, but will fear
lesSly attack the dishonest man as such,
whenever and wherever he is to be
found. But no moven1ent-no leader
ship-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.
The Stay-at-Homes.
IF the best man in a labor union
leaves its management and control to
men Of a poorer type. the effect will
be just as disastrous as when good CIT
liens in city follow the same course
as regards city government. The stay
at-home man in a union is just as much
responsible for the sins of omission
and commission of his organization as
the stay-at-home man in a city is for
civic conditions under which he suffers
and about which he complains.
''All that can properly be done should
be done by us all to help upward the
standard of living. 1t is a shocking in
dictment of our industrial condition to
be told in a matter of course way in
workers in this country are compelled
to toll every day in &he week without
one day rest, for wage Of S45 month.
Such condition is bad for them, and
in the end bad for all of us.
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
he n
his daily bread, to risk his life and
limb or be deprived of his health, or
have to work under dangerous and
bad surroundings. Society owes the
worker this because it owes as much
to itself He should be protected dur
ing his working hours against greed
and carelessness on the part of unscru-
pulous and thoughtless employers, just
as outside of those working hours both
he and his employer are protected in
their lives and property against the
murderer and thief.
Protective Laws.
In what is called employers Habil-
ity legislation, other Industrial coun-
tries have accepted the principle that
the industry must bear The monetary
burden Of its human sacrifices and that
the employe who is injured shall have
a fixed and definite sum. The United
States still proceeds on an Outworn and
curiously improper principle in accord
ance 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 num-
Der of states-in Wisconsin and in New
ork, for lnStance-theSe defects in our
life are either being remedied
or else are being made subject OF ins
telligent study with a view to their
remedy.
~ omen and children should, beyond
all question, be protected; and in their
cases there can be no question that the
government should act. On my recent
trip in the neighbOThOOd of Scranton
and WilkeSbarre every one l spoke 10
greed as to the immense Improvements
that had been wrought by the effective
of the laws prohibiting
children under the age OF IA years from
working, and prohibiting women from
more than ten hours day
1 think ten hours TOO long;
but be this as it may, ten hours day
was great advance.
Labor Pianks Endorsed.
Among the planks in the platform OF
the American Federation OF Labor there
are some to which L very strongly sub
scribe. They are:
Il Free schools; free text books and
compulsory education
eight hours.
g. Release from employment one day
in seven.
Il. The abolition of the sweat-shop
system.
.. Sanitary inspection of factory.
workshop, mine and home.
20. Liability of employers for injury
TO body or loss of life. Il regard the
demand in this form as inadequate.
need is an automatically fixed
ton for ali injuries re-
;eived by the employe in the course of
lis duty, this being infinitely better
or the employe and more just to the
employer The only sufferers will be
aWyers of that undesirable class which
Exists chiefly by carrying on lawsuits
II this nature.)
- The passage and enforcement of
-igid anti-child labor laws which will
,over every portion of this country.
Fairgrounds For Children.
IS. Suitable and plentiful play
grounds for children in all the cities. !
nasmuch as prevention IS always best, |
especial attention should be paid to the |
prevention of Industrial accidents by !
passing laws requiring the use of safe /
Y devices. At present the loss of life |
ND limo among the industrial workers |
# the United States is simply appall- |
ng, and every year equals in magni- |
ude the killed and wounded in a fair |
lied war. Most of these casualties are |
'reventable; and our legislative policy |
Mould be shaped accordingly. 1t would |
re a good idea to establish in every city I
museum of safety device, from which |
he workers could get drawings of them
nd information as TO how they could
e' obtained and used.
Compensation for Injuries.
'9The matter of compensation for inju-
les to employees is, perhaps, more i'm,
nediately vital than any other. This /
would be measure of justice in itself
nd would do away with a fruitful |
oarce Of antagOnism between employ
T and employed.
Our ideal should be a rate of wages
efficiently high to enable wOrkmen to
we in manner comfortable TO Amer
IAN ideals and standards, to educate
heir children and to provide for sick
ess and old age; the abolition OF child
abor; safety device legislation to pref
accidents; and automat-
; compensation for losses caused by |
nese industrial accidents"
ROOSEVELT IS FOR