Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-09-06

labor, requiring of them perspiration
as the price of eXistense. Thus came
human chattel slavery and later the
iron law of the wage system admins
tered by autocracy, self-established in
industry and fortified in government.
Thus work or starve" which is the
mandate Of justice when made by the
community of humanity upon all its
! members, becomes the veritable lash
of slavery when any man or class.
proposing neither to work nor starve
asserts the claim to present that al
tentative to others; demanding the
fruits Of others labor without render
ing any form of service. Society
cannot exist without peace and Or
der, which means organization, d1rec-
ton, government. There must be as
ISOLATION of effort for the common
good. for defense against the common
enemy, and for the administration of
common justice among the common
members. The natural law of any
true brotherhood is fellowservice. It's
government is construed and admin
istered for that end. 1t serves rath-
err than rules. Its ideal is Zone for
all; all for one" or as Lincoln put 1t
government of the people, by the
people, for the people," This is de-
mocracy-the only safe and just plan
of human association and govern
ment.
Our of the perversions of the basic
law of labor and of life arose an In
verted order of government without
which they could not long exist. The
social compact could not endure with
classes of non-workers supported by
the larger classes of workers unless
the few could rule the many. Thus
came autocracy. 1t is founded upon
the false doctrine that people exist
for the purpose of being governed
Democracy proclaims that govern
ment exists for the service OF the
people. Autocracy rules-democracy
always serves.
Whatever else may be involved in
he mighty conflict into which Am"ri
ca is throwing her all. it is certain
that the cause of justice to labor is
bound up with democracy.
Democracy has not yet fully
achieved justice for labor-in Ameri-
ca or elsewhere, but it offers the only
open door, the only safe road. Au-
tocracy cannot grant justice to labor
nay, justice can never be granted,
it must be won over autocracy and
established by democracy.
Justice to labor means immeasura-
bly, more than contest between
"those who have" and chose who
have not" 1t is not a mere conflict
between capital and labor for that
which is mine" as against that which
is thine" Larger wages, less hours
of labor, labor conditions made more
safe and healthful, industrial insur-
ance, prevention of child labor. spe-
cial protection of women workers.
minimum wage legislation-great as
are these progressive achievements
they are but details Of necessary sur
face treatment, ameliorating the ef-
fects of a deeper source of injustice.
Recognition of the rights of organiza-
ton and of collective bargaining with
compensation standards based on sup
plying all the life needs. comforts.
family and public obligations of the
worker, in sickness as we'll as in
health. with protection for periods OF
unemployment and old age - these
are some of the more substantial
land marks of justice to labor, posi-
BILE to gain and to retain only under
Of a.
bly, the high mark of democratic
achievement in justice to labor is that
declaration which opens and justi-
fies the great section six Of the Clay
ton antitrust law enacted in 1914,
THAT the labor of the human being is
not a commodity or article of COM
MERGE" Never since the barred gates
of Eden and the open opportunities
of earth has the God-given law of hu-
man labor and human compensation
been so strongly supported and
guarded from perversion as in this
American achievement. 1t brings hui
mainly back to the common endow-
ment Of mother earth and renews our
hopes for the worlds work. When
indeed no man shall profit from an
others labor. but all workers shall
receive their full reward and the com.
munity be benefited and served by
the varied labor of all. then will the
ideal of justice be attained in fellow
service.
More than any previous Labor day,
this of 1918 must surely be the day
of new dedication and larger meaning
for the plural pronoun. Patriotism is
always plural: selfishness is first per-
son, singular and places. the empha-
sis on the possesstve case. Surely. in
this crisis period when democracy
stands confronted on the battlefield