The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-04-15

Progress ~ ~ true that he sees IN
raw material, machinery and labor a
mere collection OF commodities OF
which he is tho master and manager
and so the dignity and rights of labor
are oftimes leveiled to a mere com
modify. True there is oftimes no con-
tact between employer and workman.
This results in neither knowing and
understanding each other. and yet |
feel that there is a deep human in
torest In the heart of the employer
for his workman. The workman, at
| least here i'm Marion, will acknowledge
the truth of this statement in the gen.
erous provision that Is made for those
| who are crippled or manned at work.
| find instances In our country where
disabled worlSmen receive n recom-
rense four times as high as that given
| Under Eur 2pean state Insurance. Those
who are injured In the service OF the
| Carnegie steel company are sent to a
! hospital at once where the best med
ical attention is given for which the
company pays. The family is taken
care of during the enforced idleness
of the father, and In case a man is
rendered UNIT for his usual occupa-
tion, something suitable to his physi-
ca, condition Is found for him. Where
the accident results fatally the family
receives a generous pension. I believe
that this is the attitude Of your local
manufactures in case of accident or
death. This is an open-handed benev-
olence that Is a surer friend to labor
than all the remedies that either the
law or Socialism can hold out to the
V orkman The great pity is that 1t
is not appreciated.
Again the employer Is n part OF
vast system. He Is not free. He
must accept the competitive system
about him or surrender. If he pays
higher wages than others or intro
duces profit sharing Ne only weakens
himself ANA falls out of the class OF
employers 1 have in mind. He must
watch his competitor lest he defeat
him. He must guard against the great
trusts lest they swallow his business
In fact he must always be adding to
his capital and increasing his risks
IN the face of decreasing profits All
this develops an Individuality which
makes him tower over the world Of
an independence which prompts him
tu rese1t any interference on the part
of the public authorities He claims
n right to manage his own business,
and fllleI with the sense of his own
responsibility and the power that is
bis by individual exertion, he is easily
lead to look upon himself as a bene.
factor to the public, overestimate his
own services and underestimate the
value of labor in social progress.
This development of self-importance
often leads him to love power more
than money, and his aim will be to
control the market or be the victor In
competition. and though he may con-
tribute millions 10 libraries. church
organs or public charities, he never
suTrenders his power. Some time we
see him reaching out into the political
Geld and Is only content when he con-
trolls a national convention or has a
seat in the senate. ISL,
one striking characteristic OF the
employer Is that he never has any
thing To say about religion. whilst the
laborer Is constantly telling us what
he thinks OF It through the columns
of their papers. This in brief Is a
rough outline of the employer. He
belongs TO a class. able and progress
sive. and accustomed to Judge life
from a business point of view; 1t a.
not surprising to find him blind to all
others.
In the issues OF the day organized
labor comes in conflict with the em-
ployer. 1t demands the right to die
tate to him the amount of wages time
and manner Of enjoyment: whom he
shall hice and whom he shall dismiss.
Yes, and organized labor claims
right to go into the establishment OF
the employer where all goes well and
urge the workmen there engaged to go
on a strike in sympathy with others
now on strike, and finally to organize
unions and demand the recognition
of the union by the employer.
The employer believes that he alone !
sustains industry; that his services
are fne-, higher and more necessary !
than those Of the workman, whereas |
the workman believes that he alone !
produces wealth. and should have a |
greater share in the product shan he
now receives, and must he made the !
equal of the employer. The employer. |
however, thinks that the wages are /,
fixed by the law Of supply and de-
mand. but this, according to labor's !
view. degrades the workman ITO the I,
level OF mere commodity and falls !
to recognize his dignity as a man.
1t will help us to understand the |
employer to keep I'm mind that he !
generally aims at large profits and
success in business. Here we see him |
In a keen competitive struggle. II !
profits fail, he must cut down costs OF /
material, machinery or labor to raise
the price. He cannot change the price
of iron or coal as these are in the con-
troll OF men as active and alert as
himself, and as labor Is weakest. II |
feels every danger that threatens the !
employer, and reductions OF 1 per /
cent are not uncommon. The work
man meets this reduction with MUIR
nIuring discomfort but the fact that
thousands of men in other branches
of service work away year after year |
without raising any question makes
the employer feel that he Is justified |
in refusing 10 listen to or grant their :
requests
No matter what the attitude OF the
employer may be. at no time Is there |