Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1910-10-13
ROOSEVELT TALKS
TO WAGE-EARNERs
Labor Day Address Delivered at
Fargo Is Well Received.
JOINT ACTION A NECESSITY
Trades Unions Commended, But Some
Of Their Acts critlcised--AmerL
can Federation PIanks APP
proved by Speaker.

L
Fargo, N. d.. Sept 5.-The union
labor forces of Fargo and thousands
OF other persons had treat today
when Theodore Roosevelt delivered
the Labor Day address. He spoke
with great seriousness and with frank
ness. and his speech was well re-
ceived by the big crowd that heard II.
Colonel Roosevelt's address was as
follows:
Today-on Labor Day. speak in one
sense especially TO those personally and
vitality interested In the labor struggle:
and yet speak Of this primarily as one
aspect OF the larger social struggle grow
ing out Of the attempts 10 readjust social
conditions and make thsm more equitable.
The nineteenth century was distinctly
one OF economic ACCOMPLISHMENTS In
tn domain OF production. including trans
pertation and the mechanics OF exchange.
The marvellous progress made In these
respects multiplied mans productive
power to an almost inconceivable degree.
In the matter OF the production OF wealth.
- much progress was made during the
| nineteenth century as during all previous
periods since history dawned: that II. the
changes brought In q single century
through machinery and steam have been
ersater than the sum total Of the changes
Of the preceding thousands OF years; and
these very changes and ttis material
progress have thrust upon us social and
Political problems Of the first magnitude.
fhs triumph Of the physical sciences In
o. ndneteenth century represented prog
res primarily In the material elements OF
civilization The most pressing problems
mat confront the pressnt century are not
concerned with the material production
q wealth. but with It's distribution. The
demands Of progress now deal not 20
much with the material a. with the
moral and ethical factors OF civilization.
Our beS1c problem n 90 see that the mar
veiousiy susneotsx powers Of production
beQuesthed 70 N b. the nineteenth cen
fury shall In the twentieth be made TO ad-
minister 70 ths needs OF the many rather
than bs sxpiofted for the profit Of the few.
Ths American wAss-carner faces this
larger social prooien In . dual capacity;
arst. a. cstissn Of the Republic charged
vfth ths full duty q eisissnship; and n~xt
~ q waEo-eayner-as q wags-workeF-
WHO. together with his fss,sw- workers. N
vftstiy concsynsa n the question Of wages
and ssnsrai ss.1Ptfo.e Of employment.
wtioh AFFECT net ssfy No wefl- being ana
that Of his v4fs ana shf,dyen. bot the
opportunities - an we.kess fss higher
osvefopmsst
Mvsa Dspsne % o~r Own Effe~ts.
n n tree q vss>-workers. - q an
ether eftissns. thsa most % thar proErcss
and thsw evp eforts. Ncveythsbess. thers
are thres tfRsrent n.otors In tbfs pvss-
49, rhsrs Ia nrs4 the share which the
mans swn Individual qualities mast 81
eeruisA fnfs 10 o. nnost Important q
ali. tov nsskins o. supply the place q
l.dSvtAssi sAssefu. Yet thsrs sss I've
.S.. 49, -. &C. -. ., - ,% *: ..s
vssksrs /. es-sSssstson Win sDs Asothsr;
I'D what can Be Aoes ~ government
EAat n. ~ ths instrument through which
IN ths people wort collectively. Wares
ana Other Rest important conditions Of
s<npsoyme.t must rstnain largely outside
- govesnnezt control: must be LEFT for
adjustment BY frcs contract between en-
p,oysrs ana w~xs-s&rnsrs. But 10 attempt
| - leave a. merely Ito individual action
.sans tfs sAssfuts destruction Of indfvi-
esansm: fos vhere the individual II %
wsak that - psrforos has TO accept
whatever . styoosty oreaptsed body
shoosss - ~ him his individual liberty
beeomss . new sham and mocksry. n
fndispensaefy necessary. In .orAsr 70
p~eservs 30 the largest degree our sys-
tsm Of indfvtduahsm. that there should
~ effective and organised collective 90
sen- The wase-esrnses must act Joint
b. through the process OF collective bar
~.
Only thus can they be put upon a plane
u economic equality with their corporate
employers. Only thus In freedom Of con-
tract made . real thing and not mare
legal acton. There are occasional occu-
pstices where this y not necessary; but.
speaking broadly n h necessary through
cot the great world OF organised indus
try. I believe this practise Of collective
eargafhing. effective only through such
organisations as the trades unions. to
have been one OF the most potent factors
IN the past century In promoting the
progress OF the wage-earners and in Sc
curing larger social progress for humans
tty believe In the principle OF organ
led labor and In the practise OF collec-
tive bargaining. net merely - desir-
able thing for the wage-earners. but an
something which has been demonstrated
to be essential In the long run to their
permanent pDgrecs.
This D. not mean that I uneduivo-
caiiy ind Sc any OF all practises that
labor organisations may happen 90 adopt.
or any OF all principles that they may
choose TO enunciate Labor organizations
have the weaknesses and defects common
70 all other forms OF human organiza-
tons. Sometimes they act very well, and
sometimes they act very badly; and
am for them when they act WELL and
am against them when they act badly.
believe that their existence In "a necessity;
7 believe that their aims and purposes are
generally good; and ] believe that all OF
them have occasionally made mistakes,
and that some OF them have been guilty
OF wrong doing. Just In so far as they
are strong and effective they tempt de-
signing men who seek to control them
for their own interests. and stimulate the
desires OF ambitious leaders who may be
clever crooked men. or who may be hon
est hat visionary and foolish. In other
words. In treating of labor unions. as In
treating % corporations, or 81 humanity
generally we will do well to remember
Abraham IIncoin's saying that there is
deal OF human nature In mankind"
" neither In n man or In an organised
body of men. the power to DO good means
that such power may be twisted Into evil;
and in proportion as the power grows. 90
II becomes steadily more important That
n should be handled artsht. Just In pro-
portion az In tie proper function power
Is important TO social progress. 30 In its
Improper function n becomes fraugft with
social disaster.
Wlse Course Por Original Labor.
Outside critics should appreciate the
Aeaasitv NJ orra nj pNd laboF and undAr