The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-09-05

Fargo. 8. D.. Sept. IDeclaring the
problem OF the twentieth century To
be not the production but the distribu.
ton OF wealth. Theodore Roosevelt In
Q Labor Day address here today at
tackod the present state Of industrial
affairs. 1T 10 q shocking indictment
OF our industrial conditions" he said,
ito be told In . matter OF course way
In government reports that thousands
VI workers In this country are com.
PEELED to toll every day In the week
without a day Of rest. for forty.five
dollars q month"
His address follows: To-day on
Labor day, ! speak In one sense espe-
ciaily to those personally and vitality
interested IN the labor struggle. and
yet speak Of this primarily ~ one
aspect Of the larger social struggle
growing out OF the attempts to read
Just 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 multi
piled mans productive power to an
almost Uncomfortable degree.
In tbs matter Of the production of
wealth ~ much progress was made
during the nineteenth century ~ dur
ing all previe-ss periods since history
dawned-that 10. the changes brought
in single century through machinery
and steam have been greatef than the
sum total Of the changes Of the pre-
ccding Thousands Of years. and these
very changes and this material prog
ress have thrust upon N social and
political problems Of the drst magni-
tuds.
The American, wage Garner faces
this larger social problem In Q dual
capacity-dest - q citizen Of the re-
public charged with the full duty of
citisenship and next ~ Q wage earn.
er-as Q wageworker who, together
with his fellow workers. In vitality
concerned IN ~ question Of wages
and gcneeat cea1tdsas Of employment.
which AFFECT nee emily his well being
and that ef hi wife and children, but
The opportunities Of alh@orkers for q
higher development
Thses DiMsss0t Factors.
It = trus SeAWaeswefkers, a. Of al
Othse citiasog 'thAss0est Of their prog.
rsss must depend upon their own ini-
tiativo and their ewA efforts. Never.
thslosD thsee are three different fac.
torn In thlD progress. There u, 6rst,
the share which the mans own 1nd1-
vidual qualities must determine. This
= the most important Of al, for moth
ing can supply tho place OF individual
capacity.
Yet thses are two other factors also
of prime 1npogtance-nameay. what
can ~ doos b. tho wagswoskses IN Co
operation with oAe another. and what
can b do1s b. govsrnmsat-that u.
BY the instruments through which all
the people work collectively.
Wages and other mort important
conditions Of smp)pymeat must ~
main largely outside Of government
control: nuot b left for adjustment
By Csc contract between employers
and wage saTncs2 But to attempe to
leave this merely 70 individual action
means tho.absolute destruction cs indi-
vidualism. foe where the individual II
20 weak that b perforcs has 10 accept
whatever Q strongly organized body
chooses TO give him, his individual LID
erty becomes . mere sham and mock
cry.
II h indispensabiy necessary. In order
70 pFsssrvs to tho largest degree our
system Of stnAsvidualissn. that there
should - elective and organised col.
lectivs aetna. The wage earnsFs must
act Jointly. through the process Of col
lective barenlhhgs IN great industrial
entsEprissA oaiy thus can they Be put
upon a,DeaaoefSeeenomic equality with
their ceeUesass employers.
Only thus y freedom OF contract
made . yeal'thing and not nero legal
fiction. There are occasional occupa.
tions who're Shis = not necessary: but,
speaking broadly. k 10 necessary
thyvushouk the great world Of organ.
issd Industry.
believe this practice OF collective