The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-10-08
The Norton Speech,

Norton, Kan, Oct. S.-GOVernor
Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey open
this morning, when he spoke to a
crowd at the Rock Island depot. His
speech. which was delivered shortly
after 6 o'clock this morning, was
Rock Island train. From Norton the
Wilson party was taken to Phillips
burg, where a special train was pro-
vfded for the trip to Topeka.
In the Wilson party are d. F. Ma
lone. private secretary TO the Demo
cratic presidential nominee: Hender-
son Martin, chairman of the Kansas
Democratic committee: a number of
Kansas and Colorado politicians. Will
son, in his Norton speech, discussed
the presidential situation in this
That the very men who have been
most successful in building up the
trusts are also the men who have
been most successful in preventing the
organization of labor was the con-
tention of Governor Woodrow Wilson
in an address here today devoted
largely to what he characterized as
the pervasive power of the great
interests which now dominate our de-
velopment."
Don't you know he asked, that
one of the objects of their combina-
ton is to control the labor market?
And do you imagine that they have
ever set deliberate plans for giving
the Workingman anything compar-
able in the way of wages to the pro-
portion of the profits which they
themselves pocket? They do not have
to give the laboring man any more
than he can get in the competition of
the market. And they do not give
him any more. AS a matter of fact,
some of the most highly productive
industries in this country pay very
much lower wages than the unpro-
ind nj
most highly protected industries paw
wages that are below the living scale,
at the same time that the prices they
are making are so great that they can
build new factories out of their sur
plus every second year
1T is one of the grandest pieces of
bluff and humbug that has ever been
known in the history of political de-
ception.
Would Widen the Market.
ST want to widen the market for
American labor. I want to see condl-
lions exist in which men will compete
for American labor. I want again
to see a time come when we shall
realize that the highest priced labor
in the world is the cheapest labor in
the world. that what is produced by
brains and intelligence and skillfGl
touch in a great deal cheaper than
what is produced by stupidity and
dullness and the whip of the master.
tell you I01S, IhdL american Id
Dor UP to date, is the cheapest in the
world, 1 can prove it. American
manufacturers compete in foreign
markets in the scale of goods manu-
featured in those markets, near those
markets, by labor that receives only
one-third the remuneration of Aneri-
can labor. Now, what does that
mean? It means they can afford to
pay American workingmen three
times as much and still undersetl
their competitors in the foreign mar
kets, and yet the American working
man is told that the amount of his
wages depends upon the protective
tariff 1t doesn't. 1t depends upon
him. It depends upon what is inside
of his thinking box. And when you
once get to a system of regulated
then you get to a system of
controlled labor, don't forget that
Marrow the lines of competition |
and you Stiffen the lines of labor |
control. You have not now a free |
market for your labor any more than |
you have a free market for your COM !
modities; for under this system of |
regulated or unregulated, |
the monopolist can determine the /,
amount of goods to be produced, and /
therefore determine the amount Of /
laborers to be employed and the |
prices that the goods are to bring.
First Step to Free Government.
How are you going to get a free /
government? That is the point. The