The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-09-02


only if they both do justice to them
and rightly exact it from them.
Unless they do justice to rich men,
they put a premium upon injustice
and dishonesty among rich men.
Let us hold them to the strictest
accountability for any wrong doing,
but let us insist upon honesty in
our own ranks, no less than theirs;
let us war on crookedness of every
kind in the man of small means as
well as the man of large means. Let
us judge each man by his conduct.
and not by his social or financial
condition.
Employers Liability
Roosevelt's address at Kansas
City, Kan, was as follows:
More than once we have had to
investigate conditions in such bus
nesses as you have in this city. Al
ways when we have done so the
employer has explained to the wage
Garner that if the government was
successful in its exercise of con-
troll it would result in the cutting
down of wages. That is not so.
All we struggled to do was to Sc
cure better conditions of employ
ment and of living among the men
actually employed in industries.
Take such questions as what is
called the employers liability. 1
do not like that expression because
1 think the term should be "the
compensation of employees for in
juries''
I feel very strongly that in every
industry where there is the slight
est risk of life or liability. whether
on railroads or in any other in
dustry in the event of loss of life
or injury we should not leave it to
lawsuits to determine what shall
r be done, and least of all should we
allow the whole weight OF the bur-
den to fall upon the shoulders least
able to bear It,
If man is killed in an industry,
instead of leaving his widow and
children to bear the whole burden
l would have it distributed over the
whole industry by making the en-
ployer pay a certain amount of
compensation. 1t is not fair that
a man working on railway who
loses his arm should pay all the
penalty by being crippled all of his
life while the railway pays nothing.
1t is not fair that a girl working
In a factory which renders her
liable to suffer injury shall go on
in life MANNED and no one else
bear the burden for her. The bur-
den should be distributed when a
workingman is injured or killed in
his employment. There should be
no question of responsibility. He
should receive compensation for the
injury he has suffered, and if he
is killed his family should receive
such compensation.
IT SbOnld 10 tho dIIfW IF the gov
eminent to see that he is paid, too.
He should not be left to bring
lawsuit. There are admirable law
yers, but not many are found fol-
lowing the profession 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 it is
necessary to consider.
We should have the compensation
act so fixed that the wage workers
would get their share. And none of
it should so to a man who gets him
into the lawsuits in connection
with it.
1 do not want to penalize the cor
poration by making it pay an ex-
cessive amount. I want to see that
what is paid goes to the injured man
and to the injured mans family.
Therefore I want to eliminate the
lawyer totally from the transaction.
/ emphatically am for progressive
legislation as regards the control of
the corporations, as regards the. adj
justment of our relations with the
corporations. But, friends, do mot
forget that no legislation will ever
avail unless we have the righttype
~ man oDd xzy0rnao on ryboca hoho1P
the legislation is invoked.
/ distrust a man who talks about
how society should be reformed, but
who can not keep his wife and chill
dren out of the poorhouse by his
own efforts. 1t is well to think of
ones rights, but it is still more i'm
portant to think of ones duty. If
a man is a good father, If he is not
harsh, cruel, or violent in his deal
ings with those depending upon him,
If he is a good neighbor and a good
man to work beside. he is a good
citizen. If he falls short in this
respect he is bad man.
Tt is as 1t was In the civil war
What the man in blue wanted to
know about the comrade at his side
was not whether he was well off
or not well off, not whether he was
Il banker or a working man, but
whether if found in tight place
he would stay put. So 1T is with
civil life. What is indispensably
necessary for every mans success is
that he should have those qualities
that will inspire respect in whoever
happens to work beside him. 1t is
the man who does his daily work
we'll whip gains your. respect
Much can be done by the law.
much by the honest administration
of the law, but much depends upon
the character of the individual man
and the individual woman.
Do not misunderstood me- There
are plenty of people, plenty of
wealthy men, who will seize on what
I have said and say that is what 1
have told you-it depends upon the
individual"
But the law must not permit in
justice. 1t must prevent injustice.
We must constantly work to make
conditions better in order that each
man may show his best, IN order to
make the chances of success In life
better for the average man to lead
his life happily and well for him.
self, his wife and his children.
l hail tile success of the captain
of industry, provided only that his
success means decent treatment to
those under him, fair treatment to
those with whom he does his busi-
ness. I ask that the big business
man be fair to his employees and fair
to the people.
If he is that, / will do all I can
to help him. If he is not | will do
my best to see that he is.