Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-09-03
BULL MOOSE is A
PIEBLD ANIMAL,
DECLARES WILSON
Continued from Page IL

Continued from Page IL
general taxpayer and put into the
pocket Of particular classes of protected
manufacturers, but that his concern is
that so little of this money gets into
the pockets of the employees. I have
searched his program very thoroughly
for an indication of what he expects to
see to II that a larger proportion Of this
prize money gets into the pay envelope.
and I have found only one suggestion.
There is a plank in the program
which speaks OF establishing minimum
or living, wages for woman workers. and
suppose that we may assume that the
principle is not in the long run meant to
be confined to women only. Perhaps we
are justified in assuming that the third
party looks forward to the general estab-
lishment by law Of a minimum wage. It
Is very likely, I take ii for granted. that
If minimum wage were established by
law, the great majority Of employers
would take occasion to bring their wage
scale as nearly as might be down to
the level of that minimum and It would
be very awkward for the worlxingnan
to resist that process successfully be-
cause it would be dangerous to strike
against the authority of the federal gov
eminent.
any rate practically all of the most
powerful Of his employers. would be
wards and proteges of that very govern
ment which is the master of us all
The government Is to set up a commits
sion whose duty IL viii be, not to check
or defeat IT, but merely to regulate il
under rules which it is itself to frame
and develop. So that the chief employ
ers will have this tremendous authorI-
| ~ hab do Fl,ax
will have the license Of the federal gov
eminent to do, including the right to
pay the wages approved by the gov
eminent.
And it is worth the while of the
working men of the country to recall
what the attitude toward organized Ia.
Dor has been of the masters Of consol-
idated interests whom the federal gov.
eminent is to take under its patrona ge
as well as under its control. They
have always been the stout opponents
of organized labor and they have uiec
to undermine it in great many ways
Some of the ways they have adopted
have worn the guise of philanthropy
and good will, and have no doubt been
used, for all I know, in perfect good
faith Some of them have set up sys-
TENS of profit-sharing. of compensat ton
for injuries and of bonuses and even
pensions. but every one of these plans
has rarely bound their working men
more tightly to themselves. Their
rights under these various arrange
ments are not legal rights. They are
mereS privileges which they enjoy so
long as they remain in the employment
and observe the rules of the great in
dustry which employs them. If they
refuse to be weaned away from their
indenendence. they cannot continue to
eniov the benefits extended to them.
LEGALIzES MONOPOLIES.
when you have thought the whole
thing out therefore, you. will md that
the program of the new party legalizes
r,ononoIies and systematically subordi-
mates workingmen to them and TO pans
made by the government both with re-
gard TO employment and with regard to
wages. BY what means, except upon
revolt. could we ever break the crust or
our life again and become freemen'
breathing an air of our own choosing
and living that wrought out for our
selves? Perhaps this new and all-con-
ouering combination between money and
government would be benevolent to us;
perhaps it would carry out the noble
program of social betterment which so
MANY credulously expect of 1t; but who
can assure us of that? Who will give
bond that it will be general and gracious
and pitiful and righteous? What man or
set of men can make US secure under It
by theiH empty promise and assurance
that it will take care of US and he good
ut Is like coming out of close and
sitting air into the open, where We can
breathe fully again and see the free
spaces of the heavens above us. to turn
away from such a program, the Identical
program suggested to committees of con-
gress by Mr.. Gary and Mr.. Perkins.
- Fro, anu
plan to legalize monopoly and give fed
eral commission leave to say how much
of 1t there should be, because they know
exactly what that would mean. What
they purpose is the restoration of free
dom. What we need is the regulation OF
competition and the prosecution of what
has created monopoly. When you have
regulated it, you have in effect restored
it."