Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-03

Des Moines, March Crime pow
erty. efficiency-these formed the
theme OF a discourse by Attorney Cen
eral George Cosson today before the
Business Mems League of St. Louis,
where he spoke by invitation.
Mr.. Cosson presented to the people
Of st. Louis his views, fairly we'll
known in Iowa, on matters affecting
these three things. He referred to the
estimate of $1,000 separate state or
federal statutes enacted in the past
four years and the result of these
miscellaneous, ill-considered, carelessly
drawn statutory laws has caused US
10 realize that 1t is not SO much ad
oitiOnal legislation that we need as Il
IS wholesome respect for law and
wise, fearless, judicious enforcement
Of law" Statistics regarding lynch
ings and crimes were given and COM
parison with the European countries
20 their favor. The enormous cost of
crime was pointed out, and the great
need Of law enforcement, and as to the
latter:
1T means all this but in addition it
means the highest degree of :ndivid-
ual civil liberty where each man is a
sovereign unto himself and his home
is his castle. 1t means the doctrine
OF equality, not physical or mental
equality, but an equal right 10 worship
God according to the dictates of ones
OWL conscience and an equal right to
live out ones life in his own way, and
equal opportunity to engage IN any
activity or enterprise without artif-
cial barriers or interference. 1t means
a combining of the theory Of individual
liberty which we borrowed from the
common law and English institutions
with the doctrine of equality which we
borrowed from France as an outgrowth
Of the French revolution. with that idea
of perfection Of the whole social sys-
tenn which has made such wonderful
progress in Germany during the last
thirty years.
Duty to Abolish Poverty.
After presenting his views on law
enforcement, the new legislation to
secure social justice, court reform.
penal reform, the social evil, and re-
form in police methods, Mr.. Cosson
continued:
TT is not only the business Of our
people to abolish crime in SO far as
possible but to abolish poverty. Pow
erty is national evil. While Of course
to some extent il is an individual
problem it is much more of a social
problem. There Is no place in America
FOR SUM district. The slums Of Lon
don can not be found in Berlin. Ger
many has demonstrated that poverty is
a social institution. In land Of bound
less resources with the latest improved
machinery of production, in a country
where we are capable Of producing
many times more than enough to COM
fortably clothe, feed and house our en-
tire population, poverty IS All indict
ment of the intelligence Of the Ameri-
can people.
IF we have immense granaries Of
wheat, oats, corn and other provisions.
why should we have empty stomachs
If We have hundreds Of thousands OF
bales OF cotton waiting for a market
and thousands of wooden shirts and
woolen blankets, why should We have
bare backs and insufficient clothing?
If our output Of coal and other fuel
is far in excess Of the demand, why
should women and children freeze TO
death for the lack Of fuel? If we have
great abundance OF cement and Iun-
Der why SNUUIu peCpiS 20 WITHOUT al
! least decent house in which 10 live?
Soup houses. charity and philanthropy
/ do not solve the problem. We must
deal in fundamentals: justice and not
| philanthropy is the cry Of the age.
lnhuman Industry.
Industrial statistics show that in
the United States we kill outright
every year 10000 workmen, cripple
$4,000 and injure more or less seriously
| over two million. How Low gill this
sacrifice OF human life continue? We
not only want TO hunanize all industry
| by requiring sanitation and labor saw
ing machinery but we want to look
1 after the injured employe and the
members Of his family in case Of death
by a well worked out system of com
pensation. Iowa joined the ranks OF
the states with workmen's com
jensation act at her last session.
! Along with our child labor laws AM
the limiting hours Of labor for womer
we want 70 establish modern system
Of industrial education 10 the end tina
I our boys may be fitted for the duties o
life. Whatever cause has produced tn
acute stage of the unemployed is no
an acute or accidental cause but
chronic one; the present symptom
simply show great aggravation. Tn
value of any system in dealing wit
the subject depends upon the car
with which the system is worked on