The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-04-29

To the Editor of the Labor World:
Dear Sir: I have enough Of faitl;
in your spirit of fairness to believe
that II you had listened to my speech
In Superior that the editorial in re-
ference to 1t would not have been
written.
A partial, off-hand report was made
T understand, though I have not seen
it. But to take one part of the speech
without it's various connections would
hardly be fair treatment of the
speech as a whole. Every individual
who listened to that speech will tell
you that I said the things that you
seem to think I should have said. 7
deprecated the idea Of q business
mans administration solely, but adj
vocated a businesslike and expert ad-
1ninistration of affairs; and stated dis
tinctly and emphatically that the dry
goods man might know the price Of
cotton and calico; that the lumber
man might know the value of stump
age and lumber; that the hardware
man might know the price of pig
iron and nails; that the coal man and
the groceryman and other successful
businessmen might be similarly in
formed, but that would be no rea-
son to suppose that they had any ex-
pert knowledge that would enable
them to serve as competent public
officials
have said time and time again,
publicly and privately, that the ave-
rage. intelligent craftsman, through
reading and studying mis- periodicals
and being more familiar with human
motives and necessity was better in
formed as to matters of political eco
nomy and governmental conduct than
the average businessman who only
was informed as to the market re-
ports. I think I used, as remember,
these very words. I stated that the
man VINO ran the city's government
should be chosen because of the
knowledge that he possessed for the
particular position that lie might oc-
cupy; that he might come from the
laboring classes or any other class;
that If men could not be chosen be-
cause of their expert knowledge, then
men should be promoted from the
ranks of the city officials and the
council, who come more nearly know
Ing the workings of municipal af-
fairs.
l stated distinctly that no man
should be allowed to legislate for the
people VINO had any selfish interest
IN such legislation; that the lawyer
should not be allowed to legislate for
his clients; the heavy businessman
or contractor for a thing that might
affect his business; or the tradesman
who might through necessity be in
clined to support the interests of
MS patrons as against the public good:
TINS applied to one as we'll as the
other: And In support of that I con-
tended that men who were appointed
to manage the city's affairs should
have no connection with any business
that might be affected by his official
salary to enable them to give their
whole time to the affairs of the city:
that because of these small salaries
men were recruited from the crafts
and smaller tradesmen, and that spe-
c1al Interests began immediately to
place them under obligations which
might In time out weigh their ob1f-
cations to the city. This I regarded
as a natural outcome. The ref1ec-
tlon was as much against the busi-
ness man as against the laboring man
never In my life, either privately
or publicly, have I made anv s,1cl.
re1lectlons against the mechanic. In
TACT, l have been, I think, more than
lair In every particular. mvse,f
nave never been anything else but
mechanlc-first farmer, then
printer, then stone cutter. then a
mechanical dentist. I regard myself
as good but no better than this class
OF men. TO define my attitude in
any other manner is unfair; and I
rely upon your love of fair play to
correct any such impressions.
Yours,
M. B. CULLUM.