Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-19

Is solving the problems that arose
had grown rapidly. In addition,
there never was a time when such
things as wage dividends. bonuses.
welfare work. industrial pensions.
social advancement, improved work
ing conditions, employees clubs. in
dustrfal insurance. mutual benefit
funds, etc, We're encouraged and
fostered among large employees of
! labor. But since the war, all such
movements have grown apace, so
that not the leaders only, but the
rank and file in both capital and
labor are joining hands as never
before in a common purpose and
/ for azcommon cause.
THE simple fact is that among the
great changes that have come in the
industrial and commercial world,
has been the shifting from the old
basis of narrow individualistic self
interest to the basis of a mutual
helpfulness and common coopera-
ton. This is the most hopeful sign
for the future of American indus
try
The great need of the hour is
for more light and less heat, more
of the light of reason and mutual
understanding and less of the heat
of bitterness, of termination and
| determination There are two kinds
| of criticism. constructive and de-
structive; the first is always need
full, always helpful, always condu-
Give to progress; the second is al
ways harmful and deadly to prog
I In tho 10 CT favy fhnrn
/ has been altogether too much of the
destructive type of criticism. 1t
| has been directed towards captains
J of industry, business men and peo-
/ pie everywhere who were really
trying TO do things. Today we are
/ learning the folly of such policy.
There are many problems to be
solved; many wrongs to be righted,
; as between capital and labor; en-
ployer and employe; but we realize
at last that these problems will
only be solved by mutual sympathy,
mutual effort and mutual coopera-
/ ton; and that the only critic who
! has right to be heard or who de-
| serves our respect is the one whose
| criticism is constructive and in the
| spirit of good will. For such there
| Is always the widest hearing. But
| there is no longer any place in
| America for the professional agi-
| tator, who seeks to stir up dissatis-
| faction or create dissension be-
| tween employer and employee, sim
| ply for his own selfish ends. He is
an anachronism in this age, and
| has no place in a democracy where
all are striving together for the
best good Of all.
at is in this spirit that the
national industrial conservation
movement is seeking to spread the
/ gospel of cooperation. 1t recog-
nizes that there are three indis-
pensable factors in all industry
the employer, the employe and the
! consuming public; that their inter
ests are one, their responsibility is
one, and that the highest results
can only be attained when all three
I become possessed of the loyal spirit
of cooperation for the sake of all.
I'VE are contending to make the
world safe for democracy, and it
/ can only be done by destroying all
forms of autocracy wherever they
exist. At the bottom, the root out
of which &his autocracy springs, is
simply the spirit of selfishness, the
spirit that holds aloof and refuses
to cooperate, the spirit that takes
all the good things of life in this
i country, but fails to feel any sort
of responsibility in giving back to
| life and country the best one has to
offer
"The world win never be made
safe for democracy and the country
we love can never lead the way to-
wards that coming world democ-
racy until selfishness shall be re-
placed in the life of every man,
! woman and child by the spirit of
cooperation and service"