Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-09-05
ROOSEVELT Talks
y 70 Wage Farmers
FORMER PRESIDENT DELIVERS
LABOR DAY ADDRESS At FARGO
AND IS WELL RECEIVED.
TRADES UNIONS COMMENDED
AND ALSO CRITICIZED
Roosevelt Favors Eieht-'Hour Work
Day, Abolition of sweat-shop sys'
tenn, Sanitary Inspection Of Shops
: and Mines, and Enforcement Of Anti
Child Labor Laws.

Child Labor Laws.
Fargo, N. D., Sept. 6.-The union
labor forces Of Fargo and thousands
Of other persons had a treat today
when Theodore Roosevelt delivered
the Labor Day address. He spoke
With great sertousness and with frank
ness, and his speech was we'll re-
ceived by the big crowd that heard 1t.
Colonel Roosevelt's address was 40
follows:
Today-on Labor Day. speak in one
sense especially to those personally ana
vitality interested in the labor struggle:
ana yet speak Of this primarily as one
aspect Of the larger social struggle grow
ing out Of the attempts to readjust social
conditions and mako them moro equitable.
The nineteenth century was distinctly
one OF economic triumphs-triumphs In
the domain Of production. including trans
portation and the mechanics OF exchange.
Tho marvellous progress made In these
respects multiplied mans productive
power to an almost uncomfortable 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 ID, the
changes brought in single century
through machinery and steam have been
greater than the sum total OF the changes
of tho preceding thousands OF years: and
these very changes and this material
progrSss have thrust upon US social and
political problems Of the first magnitude
Tho triumph Of the physical sciences In
the nineteenth century represented prog
ross primarily in the material elements OF
civilization. The most pressing problems
that confront the present century arc not
concerned with the material producdon
Of wealth, but with its distribution. Tho
demands Of progress now deal not so
much with the material as with the
moral and ethical factors OF civilization.
Our basic problem IL to see that the mar
velously augmented powers OF production
beousathed to US by the nineteenth CEN
fury shall in the twentieth be made to ad-
minister to the needs Of the many rather
than be exploited for the profit Of tho Few
The American wage-earner races TINS
larger social problem in dual capacity;
first, as . citizen Of tho Republic charged
With the full duty Of citizenship; and next
rs wage-earncr-as a wa9e-worKef-
who, together with his fellcw-worksrs, 10
vitality concerned in the question Of wages
and general conditions Of employment
which AFFECT not only his well-beins and
that Of his wife and children. but tho
opportunities Of all workers for higher
development.
Must Depend on Our Own Efforts.
/ It is true Of wage-workers. as Of all
other citizens. that most Of their progress
must depend upon their own initiative
and their own efforts. Nevertheless, there
are three different factors in this prog
ress. There 10. frst, tho share which the
mans own individual qualities must de-
tsrmine. This IL the most important OF
all, for nothing can supply the place OF
Individual capacity. Yet there arc two
other factors also Of prime Importance:
namely. what can be done BY the wage
workers in cooperation with one another;
and what can be done by government
that is, by the instrument through when
all the people work collectively. wages
and other most important conditions OF
employment must remain largely OUTSIDE
Of government control; must be left Or
adjustment by free contract between EN-
oloyers ana ware-earners. But to attempt
to leave this merely to Individual action
means the absolute destruction OF indivi-
dualism for where the individual 10 80
weak that he. perforce. has to accept
whatever strongly organized BODY
cho ,ses to give him. his individual liberty
becomes . mere sham and mockery. II
II indispensahly necessary, in order to
preserve to the largest degree our sys.
tenn Of individualism, that there should
be effective and organized collective &C
ton. Tho wage-earners must act joint
~, through the process OF collective bar
raining in great industrial enterprises.
Only thus can they be put upon pi"ne
of economic equality with their corporate
employers, Only thus is freedom OF con-
tract made a real thing end not mere
legal fiction. There are occasional occu-
pations where this II not necessary; but,
speaking broadly, It is necessary through
out the great world OF organized INDUS
try, I believe this practise OF collective
bargaining effective only through such
organizations 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 human
Ny believe in the principle OF organ
ICED labor and in the practise OF collec-
tive bargaining, not merely as q desir-
able thing for the waGe-earnere, but as
something which has been demonstrated
to be essential in the long run to their
permanent progress.
This dc-e not mean that unequfvo-
cally indo rse any or all practises that
labor organizations may happen to adopt,
or any or all principles that they may
choose 20 enuneiate. Labor organisations
have the weaknesses ana defects common
TO all other forms OF human organiza-
ions Sometimes they act very well. and
sometimes they act very badly; ana I
am against them whom they act badly I
believe that their existence 10 necessity;
I believe that their alIns and purposes are
generally good; and believe that all OF
them have oCCoNOneNy mace nDtakeS,
ana that some Of them have been guilty
Of wrong-doing. Just in 50 far az 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 but visionary and foolish. In other
words, in treating Of labor unions. as in
5 treating Of corporations, or OF humanity
generally. we will do well to remember
Abraham Lincoln's saying that there 10
10 deal Of human nature In mankind. !"
whether In man or IN an organised
body Of men, tho power to do good means
that such power may be twisted into evil:
and in proportion as the power grows. so
lit becomes steadily moro important that
1T should be handled Alright. Just IN pro-
portion ~ in its proper function power
lis importan. to social progress, SO In its
Improper function It becomes fraught with
social disaster.
4 Wise Course For Original Labor.
Outside critics should appreciate the
necessity Of organised labor. and under
stand and sympathize with what IL sood
In it. instead Of condemnins 1t indiserinl-
tinateiy. On the other hand, those within
lts ranks should fearlessly analyse tho
cgiticisuas directed against 1t and ruthless
- eliminate from ne practices Of its Or
fhnuA %tAy,U Vuhart, Ans such