New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-11
Labor of America Is Becoming
UnprofitabIe Under Present
Regulation" Said Demo-
cratic Candidate.
"MAY COST ECONOMIC LEAD"
Representative Hill, of Connect.
cut, Quotes from Sermon De-
livered by Woodrow Will !,
son to Princeton Grad s.
ating Glass of '09. "A
From The Tribune Bureau ]

in the House to-day the Republican at
tack on the vulnerable attitude Of the
Democratic candidate on labor, the tariff
and other economic problems.
Mr. Hill, who spoke during the con-
sideration of the bill to create depart
ment of labor, predicted the triumphant
election Of President Taft on the prin-
ciples Of protection as opposed to the
Democratic doctrine Of free trade. He
aroused Democratic protests when he
said:
"Tammany Hall will sell you out as
you have been sold before. II makes no
difference how many tickets you have in
the field, Taft will be elected
Mr.. Hill referred to the visit Of Presi-i
dent Samuel Gompers OF the Americanl
Federation Of Labor to Sea Grit
Il would like to know If Mr.. Gompers
and the other labor leaders asked Cow
ernor Wilson TO explain his sermon Of
only three years ago" said Mr.. Hill. II
quote from a sermon Mr.. Wilson de-
| livered TO the Princeton students on June
| 13. 1909, when he took the text, We Are
| Improbable Servants. We Have Not
Done That Which Was Our Duty to Do
| in referring to those identified with or
ganized labor"
Governor Wilson on Union Labor.
The utterances Of Governor Wilson on
that occasion as quoted by Mr.. Hill were:
| You know what the usual stand Of the
l l.. De 70 f-tNr
| little as he may for his wages. Labor 's
standardized by the trade unions, and
this is the standard TO which 1t is made
| to conform.
No one is suffered TO do more than the
average workman can do. In some
trades and handicrafts no one is suffered
to do more than the least skilful of his
fellows can do within the hours allotted
to days labor. and no one may work
off hours at all or volunteer anything
beyond the minimum.
l need not point out how disastrous
such a regulation of labor Is. 1t is so
! unprofta BILE to the employer that in some
| trades IL will presently not be worth
his while to attempt anything at all. He
had better stop altogether than operate
at an inevitable and invariable loss.
The labor OF America is rapidly becom-
ing Improbable under its present regu-
| ldtlOn Dy those VINO nave determined 10
reduce IL to a minimum
| Our economic supremacy may be lost
because the cCAntry grows more and
more full Of improbable servants.
Wonders What Was Said to Gompe-s.
Representative Hill recalled that he
had sought recently to have inserted in
the Record" tariff speech delivered by
| L. A,ta
There was Democratic objection to
| that request" continued Mr.. Hill, -the
excuse being that IL was delivered more
| than twenty years ago. What have
Democrats to say OF this utterance OF
their candidate regarding labor unions?
| II was made as recently as 1909.
II wonder II Governor Wilson satis-
factorlly explained this matter to Mr..
Gompers and other labor leaders who
went to Sea Girt to see him. sincerely
trust the president Of the American
Federation learned from the Democratic
nominee whether he intends TO hold TO
these views regarding organized labor.
There is no gainsaying the directness OF
his remarks in this sermon to the
Princeton graduates. He declares labor
unions make improbable servants out
Of workingmen, limiting their activities.
Il do not agree with Mr.. Wilson
cannot understand what course of
thought could have led him to the be-
lief that the great, self-respecting labor
organizations. containing men whom we
know TO be the finest in the country, are
the means by which ''unprofitable ser
wants are created and employers are
driven to ruin"
Democratic members squirmed as Mr..
Hill emphasized the anti-labor attitude
Of their party nominee. Finally Rep
resentative Garner a Texas Democrat,
sought to change the subject by asking
Mr.. Hill II he honestly believed Presi-
dent Taft would be reelected"
II do honestly believe It," retorted Mr..
Hill, "and I will tell you why. I have
been through this sort of thing before. I
was a Liberal Republican in 1872.
trusted the promises Of the Democrats
and voted for Horace Greeley. The
New-York Tribune had been the political
bible of my father and my family.
was brought up on II, and when Greeley
was nominated by the Liberal Repub-
licans and indorsed-as thought hon.
estly then-by your people 1 thought he
was right, and stood with him.
Expects Democrats to Back Out.
I'VE swept this country up to the first
Monday In October, but on the first
Tuesday In November we were thrashed
out Of sight
You fellows. Democrats, stayed at
home and did not vote You will do II
again. and. besides, Tammany will sell
you out. You indorsed Greeley and then
stayed at home. going back on your
pledges. This year the regular Republi-
can nominee will be elected; 1t makes
no difference whether there are three
four or FIVE tickets IN the field.
You were beaten at Baltimore from
the day 1t appeared that the hand was
the hand OF Esau and the voice. the voice
of Jacob-Bryan.
Mr.. Hill favored the bill for the crea-
ton of a Department OF Labor, with .
Cabinet officer at It's head, and In sup
nortinr the measure reminded the DEM
ocrats that the utterances OF the party
nominee regarding labor did not sibe
with the evident effort Of the House
ma torfty to court the labor vote In aas
ticipation Of tho approaching campaign