The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-19

found social truth when in answering
objections to our departing from the
policies Of our fathers he stated, MT
Jefferson was q good man. but he
lived before the days of open plumb
ing.
THE constitution must be treated az
q living instrument to help us toward
wise growth. not az a dead hand to
prevent all growth: and there must be
the fullest and frankest acceptance OF
the new needs created by the new con-
ditiOns. For The first time, the pOpu-
lation of the country is nearly evenly
balanced between those who earn their
living either directly or indirectly
through agriculture. and those who
earn their living through manufac-
lures. This balance in numbers will
make 1t harder than ever to deal with
the tariff along the lines hitherto fol-
lowed. and recently followed both In
the present Wilson tariff bill and in
the Payne-Aldrfch bill. Only a COM
mission such as we Progressives advo-
cate can in wise fashion safeguard the
interests OF wage-worker and soil
tiller alike.
Army Of Wage Farmers.
I'm the same way we must realize
both the absolute need that business
shall prosper. and the absolute need
that the laborer shall have his share in
this prosperity. There is in this coun-
try at the present time q great popula-
ton living near enough to want 80
that illness, unemployment, or q death
in the family. may involve not merely
hardship or grief, but veritable calam-
ity for all its members. AS late as a
quarter Of a century ago only a fourth
OF the people engaged in gainful Occu-
pations were employees. whereas now
nearly half of these persons work for
salary or for wages. Aside from the
great body of men who work for
wages. there are now some two million
49,
women, who are wage workers.
II do not intend at this time to in
dictate in detail all the types of govern
mental. and of individual or collective
but nongovernmental activity which 1
think it will be necessary for us to
organize in order ultimately to meet
both the economic and the social
sides Of this problem so vitality impOr-
tant alike to the business man and to
the wage Garner. We are striving to
work for the greatest industrial sue
cess. and therefore to put a premium
upon the honest activity OF honest
business men; and we believe that on
the one hand this means the fullest
recognition of the right Of capital to
an adequate return, and of the highest
type Of management to an adequate
reward, and on the other hand the
fullest recognition of the right of the
wage worker to his share in prosperity.
Our people must realize that the
| IdOOI pIOOlGI Is uOt OI1y q 4uCStAOH
of distribution, but inevitably and pri-
marily also a question of production.
We cannot have the things we are
after unless there is q great stimulus
in and an increase of production
Every movement to restrict efficiency
is fundamentally a movement against
labor. even although to meet fancied
or mOmentary needs some labOring
men may advocate such a movement.
There must be in any successful bust
hit act tuna <>P off io{ In.
GLIDING economy, or. else it is impos-
sible permanently to give capital the
reward without which 1t will not be in
vested. to give adequate payment to
interest OF all in the business to have
manage the business. to give good
wages to efficient and Industrious
wage workers, and also to serve the
needs Of the general public. Only by
increased efficiency can these several
needs of the capitalist. the manager.
the wage worker and the consumer
all = be met. Nothing but damage
comes from the endeavor to meet one
at the expense Of the others. OF
imposition on business of payment for
services that have not really been rem
dered, as. for example, payment on
watered stock. is detrimental to every
eliminated it is necessary that we
should recognize the indispensable
need that the reward for the efficiency
should be fairly distributed among
those responsible for 1t. among those
who ought to profit by 1t. II the net
results Of the business activity is to be
in the public interests.
Elevation of Labor.
ultimately 1 hope we shall by de-
grees be able to make the wage
worker, the tool-user, more and more
the capitalist. the tool-owner. Every
efficient movement in this direction,
educational or governmental, I shall
favor. But in addition to keeping in
mind the goal which we hope in the
end to reach. we must also fix our
eyes on the immediate needs; and the
needs Of the man with the wife and
children today and tomorrow can be
met only if we face the fact that he
usually supports his wife and children
by his wages. or by some business in
which his earnings partly represent
his savings in the form of capital. 4
There must be full participation in
industry of the three big factors
adequate capital, successful manage
ment and highly paid and highly eff
ficient labor. There must be full and
ungrudging recognition of labor's
rights in industry, and on the other
it's responsibility as to output and its
share in the responsibility to the pub
lie for stability and peace in industry.
Campaign Of Education.
Not only must we now insist on GER
tain types Of legislation. but we must
take the lead in educating the public.
in educating our people az q whole,
because there can be no legislation
until we have an intelligent and
aroused public opinion. Often the
difficulties come not SO much from a
ri 81