Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-09-29

members held conference in which they
determined to put no obstacle in the way
of the passage of the bill Now this was
because the proposal was reasonable and
was based upon right.
But, ladies and gentlemen. that is not
the end Of the story. This thing ought to
have been done. and it had to be done at
the time that it was done, so as to bring
about a reasonable trial of the eight-hour
day and careful examination of the re-
suits Of the eight-hour day But that does
not finish the matter. Let me call your
attention to what believe we ought all to
be thinking about so as to set the stage
for this and all similar cases.
There are some things in which society
is SO profoundly interested that its inter-
ests take precedence of the interests of
any group of men whatever. One of these
things is the supply Of the absolute neces-
saries Of life. 1t would be intolerable if at
any time any group of men by any pro-
cess should be suffered to cut society off
from the necessary supplies which sustain
life.
But these supplies are of no use unless
they can be distributed, and in the matter
Of the distribution of goods, particularly
OF the goods that sustain life and industry,
the interest of society is paramount to
every other interest: and the difficulty
about all situations like that which we
have just passed through is this, that the
main partner is left out of the reckoning.
These men were dealing with one another
as If the only thing to settle was between
themselves, whereas the real thing to set
tie was what rights had the hundred mil
lion people Of the United States.
THE business of government is to see
that no other organization is as strong as
itself, to see that no body or group Of men,
no matter what their private interests are,
may come into competition with the au-
thority of society; and the problem which
Congress, because of the lateness of the
session, has for months postponed, is this
problem By what means are we going to
oblige persons who come to a controversy
like this to admit the public into the part
nership by which the thing is discussed
and decidedY That is not an easy problem.
great many different methods have been
proposed, and one of the reasons why Con-
gress thought it necessary to postpone the
decision for few months was that there
were so many honest differences of opin-
ion, not as to the object, but as to the
method
"ohh W ouB6Cot " gOu a tICduS vi
testing your fellow men as to whether they
know what they are talking about or not.
1t is not necessary for a man TO come and
argue with me an obvious moral principle,
but am very much interested when he
comes and argues with me how he is going
to make 1t work. And when men say we
must not permit any organization to neg
lect the interests Of society, | say amen;
but what ! want to sit down and discuss
with you is how are we going to prevent
it?
The only thing worth talking about in
politics or any other sphere is the con-
structive idea How are you going to do
itY We all know. or at any rate we pre-
tend to know. what we ought to do, but
we do not all know how to do it, and the
very difficult question which the American
people is now face to face with, and which
they are Going to settle, is this: How are
we going to organize our participation as
a partner in the settlement of disputes
between capital and labor which interrupt
the life of the nation ? invite all sub
scribers to suggest a method.
THE question is apt to be Obscured in
some quarters, as If we were saying that
it was the right of the Government or of
organized society. which is another term
for the same thing, to say to a man. You
must work whether you want to or not,
America is never going to say to any indi-
vidual: You must work whether you want
to or not But it is privileged to say to an
organization Of persons You must not in
terrupt the national life without consult
ing u.s.
ut is not a question of obliging indi-
vlduals; It is question of enforcing
partnership and seeing to it that no Or
ganization is stronger than that organiza-
ton which we all belong TO and support
and call and love by the name of our own
Government
so laid program before Congress by
which, at any rate, beginning might be
made in that direction, and that program
is going to be proceeded with.
1T is no fun talking unless you can ex-
pect to do something. The only zest that
ever comes into affairs for man with red
blood in his veins is the zest that comes
when he is put to ii to think out difficult
thing and do il; and for my part con-
graduate the business men of America
that some Of their difficulties have been
removed by legislation, that they have
been fortified against certain forms Of
control which must have been intolerable
commercial strength put at their service
by such acts as the Federal Reserve act,
for example, and that now. if they think
they can conquer the world it is up to
them to do 1t and that nobody is going
to assist them. because ii is thing in
which they cannot be assisted by anything
but their own brain. We are now out in
the open, competitors for the confidence of
the world, and there is only one way to get
it and that is to earn it.
81 cannot imagine anything more in
spring than to be put on your mettle,
after legislation has taken the shackles off
you and appraised you. You know that
you are no mans servant. Reaction in
this matter would shut us up like a prov
ince. To turn back upon any portion Of the
road we have travelled would be craven.
TO pretend that we are able to compete
with the world and then crinee at the op-
portunity would not be worthy of any of the
traditions OF America, and so for my part,
am particularly proud to be supported by
the business opinion OF American men be-
cause know myself to have a great en-
thusiasm for the triumphant development
OF American enterprise throughout the
world"