The Gem worker and the Idaho labor herald. (Boise, Idaho) 1914-1917, 1916-08-31

than merely eStaDHSn opportunity. II
must secure legislation regulating
conditions of employment
The record of the legislative
achievements of the labor movement
since 1906 when the non-pdrtisan po-
litical party was inaugurated is one
of splendid Victories. The two most
important are the Seamen's Act and
the labor section of the Clayton An
ti-trust law. The greatest thing in
both of these acts is the advancement
OF human freedom.
The problem of human freedom was
not endede by the work of Lincoln.
There still remained a class bound
to involuntary servitude, the seamen.
rhe Seamen's Act brings freedom to
these workers. 1t makes America
soil sacred to freedom, country up
on which bondman may not step with
out losing his legal letters. Freed
and given an opportunity to protect
them selves. the seamen are pressing
their demands for higher wages and
better conditions. Section 9 of the
Clayton Antitrust Act contains the
most advanced concept of freedom.
The labor of human being is not
commodity or article of commerce"
According to old time philosophy,
political economy. and legal thought,
labor power was a commodity and ar
ticle Of commerce in no way different
from coal, potatoes, and iron. Un-
der this concept the most recent at
tempts have been made to hold work
ers i'll oppression and under the domi-
nation of employers, but the power
to produce commodities is something
different from. the commodities them
selves. 1t is Personal human, part
of life itself. Under the concept that
labor was commodity. and therefore
property, employers have tried to re-
press efforts of workers for progress
and for larger liberty by furnishing
these efforts under antitrust legisla-
tion and by attempting to restrain
them through the injunctive process.
1t was to protect the workers against
these abuses and to establish recog-
milton of the concept that the work
ers and all of their attributes were
human, that the labor sections of the
Clayton Act were enacted. In addi-
ton to these big achievements, many
other important humanitarian laws
have been enacted by Congress in
creasing in number with every session
Of Congress since the 59th session.
As Labor Day 1916 comes in one
of the most critical political cam
paigns since the Civil War period it
is we'll to call attention to the big
issue of the campaign which has a
national, as we'll as an international
relation. The issue is the attitude of
the political parties toward questions
of humanity and human welfare. The
party now in power has in its legisla
tive achievements placed the highest
valuation upon human life and hui
man attributes that has ever been de-
clared and enacted by any political
party in power.
The question that concerns the
workers is how to hold their present
advantages and how to secure from
political parties still greater opportu-
mites for freedom. The thing which
is fundamental is Section OF the
4 human being is not a commodity or
human bein gis not acommodity or
article of commerce. The represen-
tatives of the American Federation Of
Labor went to the political parties
and asked them to declare themselves
upon this principle. The answers
that the political parties gave are in
their platforms where all may read.
The Democratic Party openly and
favorably declared and emphasized its
position. The Republican Party took
no notice of Labor's request that they
declare themselves upon that which
the workers considered of greatest
importance to them.
The international issue that now
comes closest to the labor movement
is the policy of our government to-
ward Mexico The cause of humanit,
is in the balance in Mexito. The peo.
pie there are trying to work our their
own problems and to establish their
own ideals of political, social and eco
nomic justice. The labor movement
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