The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-11-23


crease and decrease with railroad earn
ings We're advocated last night by Pres
ident Fairfax Harrison OF the Monon
al the business mems dinner OF the an (
nual state convention of Young Mems
Christian associations in this city Four
hundred business men and association 4
delegates were present.
F. G. Eberhardt OF Msshawaka pre-
sided. After an address by DR. Peter
Roberts. immigration secretary, on
practical Work for Foreigners" State
Secretary stacy gave illustrated
talk on the record breaking association
growth in Indiana
President Harrison closed the speak
ing with the following address
/. The Industrial Conflict.
Conflict seems to be necessary to the
human animal with red blood in the
veins. It keeps him from stagnation, II
develops him mentally and physically,
stimulates him to invention and sus
tanned efrort; in a word, it creates in
him ambition Our whole social system
and. indeed, many of our laws. have
been built upon the recognition of con
hlct as a natural reEulative force. TO
illustrate from contemporary politics.
we insist upon industrial competition
and prohibit monopoly; the law pre-
scribes war not peace For this reason
the social theories and experiments,
which have rested without qualification
upon the principle that all men are
equal have failed: equality before the
law is a great and enduring achieve
ment Of our ancestors, but equality OF
career is almost contradiction in
terms: the right to fight for such re-
ward as his Individual equipment and
industry may earn, 10 take his chance
OF success or failure is as much as
virile man ever asks, but he does ask
that It was the assertion of this right
which precipitated the conflict. now a
century old. IN which our American
railroad industry IS still engaged. but
under conditions almost reversed It Is
the conflict between capital and labor
which has been waged since the organ
tzation of modern industrial society,
and II represents the most important
pbase of the railroad question today
more important than what freight rates
are or are to be more important than
car supply and the volume of traffic
more important than the relation OF
public opinion 70 the railroads II is
the vital question. and on the proper
solution Of it. which means the substi-
tuition for the existing civil strife OF
some other and more economic conflict
with a common competitor. depends the
future Of the American railway indus
try.
Abuse It's Power.
At the beginning OF the Nineteenth
Century capital was au-powerful and
soon abused Its power. 1t controlled
the machinery of government and it
made public opinion. The economic
literature OF the day was all capitalistic
and some Of its conclusions are as re-
voting TO us. who are engaged in in
dustry today. are the other ex-
tremes of the contemporary syndical
lists. The pendulum soon began to
swing. To secure just recognition OF
its rights. but as human beings and
with respect to it's contribution to the
success OF industry labor found and
put to its service the principle of col
lective bargaining. 1t was an effective
weapon With its aid the labor unions
grew in power until the conflict became
an equal one Occasionally war was
necessary, but usually diplomacy was
sufficient the parties grew to re
spect one another. and a that moment
substantial justice was probably done
by both. The next stage marked q
change in the balance OF power, and to-
day the condition Of the railway indus
try in the United States illustrates q
OF the parties who was at first abused
He who was despised now despises
We are living in the midst of a process:
of steadily increasing transfer of Tho
fruits of the railway industry from
capital. which once enjoyed them to la
Dor: not to all labor engaged in ths
industry IL may be noted, but to Ger
tain powerful classes of labor. Thu
honors of war may be said to be even
there are those on both sides who have
suffered. and both parties are today
faced by a common risk. It behoove!
both capital and labor. therefore, to FIND
p new vent for the human appetite fo
conflict and to join forces for their com
mon good
II. The Evil Consequences to Industr.
of the Existing Conflict.
Perhaps the greatest evil OF this con
nict is visited actually or potential,
upon the public. which is entitled to
uniform and uninterrupted conduct o
the transportation facilities on whic
it depends more and more every year
but it is not proposed to go into tina
important phase Of the question here
our subject is the effect upon the par
ties to the conflict.
There are three recognizable conse
quences OF this conflict which have ha
an evil effect upon the capital investe
in railroads and many of injuriou
effect upon labor. Let US examine Their
in turn.
Not the least element Of the GROWN
strength of labor in this conflict is tina
labor is today popular. in the sense i
which control Of political policy is &C
comnlished in a progressive democra
cy by what is popular 1t represent
votes and is needed by legislatures. IT
attitude OF conflict with the manage
ment Of the railways. which represer
the capital invested in them. nc
the cause Of the assumption Of the pow
er Of regulation Of the railways BY gov
eminent; the managers themselves al
responsible for that, but. since reguls