The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-09-05

nope again that you VIII HoC
consider me a mere fault-inder or
an unpatriotic citizen when say
that in these reforms our country
is behind some other countries. II
the labor laws of Germany could
be sent to every legislator in this
land of ours it would be well for Ia
Dor. / say this not because / am
of that nationality but because 1t is
the truth.
System of Taxation.
f'Another thing. l believe that the
system OF, taxation in this coun-
try in some respects is radically
wrong. According to our system
men who are earning large sal
aries are exempt from the burdens
of state, while the household fur
niture and humble house of a Ia
boring man is never exempted from
this burden. 1t is dead wrong.
Household furniture and the home
stead are unproductive, and it is
not right to tax them. | do not
believe in taxing the nuptial bed
or the cradle or the roof that pro-
tects the abode of children. 1t only
needs little more education, es-
pecially of the heart, and this sys-
tenn will change.
II believe that the innocent pleas
ures of the workingman should be
increased. Public parks, public en-
tertainments and clubs are some Of
the means to give innocent enjoy
ment to the one who tolls. My
friends, I wonder now if you real
ize the noble work you did when
you built the Loyola club house.
wonder if you realize what power
fol good is this club house in which
all classes mingle and commingle,
this club house which provides so
much innocent enjoyment to so many
that toll and work, this club house
which is a school in which you all
learn to know one another better and
to respect and honor one another.
I say to you out of the full convic-
ton of my heart that as long as
it's walls. will stand, it will no a
great power for good, great help
towards, true education, strong in.
centive for the highest morality. All!
If we had this country but covered
with such clubs what an improve
ment we would have. Sitting in it
and reading Pope Leo's great En-.
cyclical, one becomes overwhelmed
with the conviction that the same
church that commenced the true civ
ilization of the world nineteen cen.
turtles ago is today as then the true
exponent of social principles and as
the truths it then taught conquered
the world, the same truths taught
by it still are the refuge and the
rock of mankind in, = the tremendous
social unrest of the present day.
"My friends, / believe in organize
ton, in association. l uphold and
feel grateful to every organization
that has at heart the true interest
of labor But we must all condemn
those societies who believe in the
argument of dynamite, the education
of force, and the elevation of crime
The Siren Tongue.
There are today in this country
and in other countries men who with
siren tongue would convince labor
that in order to receive justice il
must tear down the existing fabric
of civilization and society, and thai
from the chaos. somehow labor viii
rise. glorified4 and exalted. These
men are the greatest enemies thai
labor has today. They arr no; o.
labor, they do not come from its
ranks. They are not for labor fol
it is not their object to benefit labor
or to fight for those just measures
which labor demands. They are mo-
/ with labor for the object they have
in view is. far different than the
! benefits of labor. Admittedly they
are only using labor to advance
their own ends. .r
"These men do not believe il
moral education for they despise the
foundation of all morality. They d.
not believe in the happiness of tn,
working man for they try to de
stroy that upon which it is based
Why does that man out there in tn,
street toiling in the dirt and dust
with the sun beating down upol
! him, smile with contentment? Be
cause heaais thinking of those h,
loves, because he works for wifi
and child, because there is in hi
heart song of home. Take from
him that love of home, take from
him the, sanctity, holiness and hap
piness of the family and you will
change him as by magic and befor
you is a being filled with bitterness
You have put upon him again tn
chains of servitude and have turne,
him into a drudge, serf, slave
"These false leaders are wroni
because they attempt to array elias
against class, filling every one witt
| bitterness and the spirit of oppos
ton. Who are they? They do no
! till the soil, but enjoy natures bes
products They do not weave o
spin and yet are clothed luxuriously
They do not labor and yet have il
abundance labor's fruits. / tell yo
that these false leaders with thei
false doctrines are the greatest enc
mics that labor has ever had an
ever will have; and they are toda
the greatest obstacles in. the path Q
labor. But let us not be discouraged