The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-09-24

10 law, aad the operators admit that
ICY are now saving money under the
w. At the same time they have the
,nscious thought OF contributing u
|stinct service TO humanity by re
ncing the awful waste Of human life
nd promoting Industrial content.
ent. Let me submit the following
ON Chief Justice Winslow Of tho
ipreme court OF Wisconsin, as II
,uches the very heart Of the whole
ibject:
Law Responds to Popular VIII.
att Is matter OF common
knowledge that this law forms the
legislative response to an en.
phatic, IL not peremptory, public
demand. It was admitted by law.
yers as well as laymen that the
personal injury action brought by
the employe against his employer
to recover damages for injuries
sustained by reason of the negli.
gence of the employer had wholly
failed to meet or remedy a great
economic and social problem
which modern industrialism has
forced upon us. namely, the prob
lem Of who shall make pecuniary
recompense for the toll Of suffer.
ing and death which that indus
trialism levies and must continue
to levy upon the civilized world.
The problem 10 distincly a mod
srn problem. In the days Of man.
uAl labor, the small shop with
few employees and the stage coach,
there was no such problem, or II
there was, 1t was almost negligl-
BILE. Accidents there were in those
days, and distressing ones. but
they were relatively few, and the
employee who exercised any rea.
sonable degree of care was com.
paratively secure from injury.
There was no army Of injured and
dying with constantly swelling
ranks marching with halting step
and dimming eyes to the great
hereafter. This is what we have
with us now, thanks to the great
material progress of our age, and
this is what we shall have with
us for many day to come. Leg
islate as we may I'm the line OF
stringent requirements for safety
devices or the abolition of tie
employers common law de-
fenses, the army Of the injured
will still increase, the price of our
manufacturing greatness will still
have to be paid in human blood
and tears. To speak Of the COM
mon law personal injury action as
q remedy for this problem Is to
Jest with serious subjects, to give
stone to one who asks for bread.
The terrible economic waste, the
overwhelming temptation to the
commission Of perjury and the
relatively small proportions Of the
sums recovered which comes to
the injured parties In such &C.
tions, condemn them as wholly In
adequate to meet the difficulty.'
A Progressive Defined.
"There are those profiting by III
fair preference and advantage Owe
heir fellows who with purse an
voice always resist the regulatio c
business, and the progressive pr
gram, certain to be adopted in Ohlt
IN time, will inspire their propagand
Of alarm.
"They represent one extreme typ
In our political and industrial life an
believe that property is entitled to tn
same exemption from legal contrC
that 1t previously enjoyed before HI
man rights became involved by a vas
with property right
Then there is the other extreme typ
that looks upon property, even thoug
honestly attained, with prejudice an
These two classes are q
far apart as the poles and. left {
their own devices, always will be. B,
tween them there would be an inte
minable dispute, disquieting to OF
society and creative of class hatre'
Between these extreme types no
the true progressive with til
common sense idea of moderation, HI
manity and compromise. Instead {
him being the radical he is the re;
BY surrounding 81
ciety with wholesome conditions yo
build human character. II you su
round business with wholesome CO!
dltions you build more endurin
prosperity.
when the railway rate bill wa
passed by congress the railroads ella
sifed 1t as an insolent intrusion b
into the domain Of pro
erty rights. II you were to sugge'
going back to the old order Of thing
and abolishing the interstate cor
merce commission, the first objectoI
would be the railroads. whose who
standard Of business ethics hs
been raised, with resulting prospe
ity more stable than before. The pu|
lie utilities bill In Ohio, which pr
vents stock watering and insures
more permanent success for honei