The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-14
BRANDEIS DIGS DOWN DEEP INTO SOCIAL UNREST Peoples Lawyer Sees Some Encouragement In Judge
 Gary'S Speech BUT STEEL MAGNATE
 ERRED IN HIS ADVICE Should Substitute Industrial Liberty For Benevolent
 DeSpOtiSm
Especial from United Fress.)

Boston, Feb. 14-Louis D. Rrandeis, lawyer of the people," student of sociology and recognized as deep student of the all-engrossing toplC, Big business vs. the masses,'' sees an element of encouragement in the re- cent speech of Judge E. H. Gary, chairman of the steel trust board, re- garding the attitude of capital to- wards labor. Attorney Brandeis, how ever. digs deeper and, in a. statement given exclusively to the United Press, today, declares Judge Gary erred m urging his associates to be ''benevo- lent despots, not harsh despots,' when he should have prevailed upon them to renounce despotism altogether and substitute industrial liberty. Attor- ney Brandeis' statement follows:
 CBy Louis D. Brandeis)
 The statement of Judge E. H. Gary of the United States Steel Corpora tion reported by the press to have been made at a recent dinner of the Lehigh club, has in it an element of encoura cement. It shows that Judge community which flow from the abus- es incident to the concentrated cap italistic power.
 He frankly says: Men of great have not all of us done the fair thing. It is imperative that some thing be done to improve the condI- tion of mankind-unlesS capitalists. corporations. rich men. powerful men themselves, take a leading part in trying to improve the condition of humanity great changes will come and they will come mighty quickly and the mob will bring them I appeal to you that, in your dealings with men under you, you take care to be sure by them"
 
 ger and his declared purpose of doing the square thing is encouraging, but the social unrest which has developed cannot be allayed without removing g The immediate cause is doubtless the denial to the workers of social jus tice but social injustice exists because the worker is denied industrial fiber ty. Judge Gary's appeal to his as- sOciate ought not to be merely "to be sure that you are doing the square thing, by your employees It ought to be put your company and your employees into such a position that the employees may be able to prevent you doing that which is not the square thing" In other words, we can attain social justice only through in dustrial liberty. Judge Gary appears to be urging his associates to be bene- volent despots. not harsh despotS If he hopes to avert the dangers which threaten us he must prevail upon them to renounce deSpotiSm altogether and substitute industrial liberty That involves, in the first place, recognition that his employees must have the right to combine in unions so as to secure by collective bargaining their right to proper wages, proper working hours and proper working conditions And unless all employees of the steel cor poration and others similarly situat. ed are put into the position where they may so assert their rights there can be no protection against the con- tfnuance or recurrence of such inhu. man conditions as compelling men to a week in the steel industry; workins too. at an hourly rate so low that the common labOrers in Pittsburgh would not earn the minimum found by the Associated Charities to be necessary for the support of a man, wife and three children, even if he worked 1a hours a day, S65 days a year.
 In spite of this condition of the steel corporation employees Judge Gary said, recently:
 T believe, taking everything into account, that the treatment accorded by our corporation to it's employes compares favorably with that of any line of industry in this country or any other country at the present time or any period in the history of the world.''
 Can anything show more clearly than this statement of Judge Gary dustrial condition in which the man. aging of a great industry may deter mine with the absolutism Of an Orfen- tai despot the conditions under which a large body of American citizens must work?