The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-02-14
A FEW THOUGHTS
ON RECONSTRUCTION
Piedmont, Mo-, Feb. /, 1919.


The vanishing of the war clouds,
the returning of our young men from
the camps and foreign fields and the
work of the worlds peace congress
furnishes a great field for thought
and makes of this age the most epoch
al in the annals of history.
Each change in conditions brings
with it new and binding obligations
which should and must be met with
sanity and courage.
There is no history written Of any
nation in the past which responded to
the call of humanity as did our nation
when the iron hand of Germany
threatened an attack upon US, reck-
ing not of the billions, we move with
cyelonic force to the front and crushed
the enemy and brought peace to the
world and we are now laying the
foundation for lasting peace and a
world civilization.
During the war period there were
made colossal fortunes and that
could not be obviated, for the neces-
titles were too pressing to permit the
loss of time and the exercise of real
economy, but with profits abnormal
there came an increase in wages and
the necessities of life became very
high, and soon everything was walk
ing on stills, there being nothing nor
NAL.
OF necessity, when the armistice
was signed the war contracts were
cancelled and commerce began seek
ing a readjustment and return to
former lines of normal business.
There seemed to be no disposition
on the part of the producer to lower
his prices for the necessities Of life
and the laborer could not live under
those conditions and permit decrease
in wages and there comes the crucial
test of our ability to govern our own
selves properly.
1t is probably true that the demand
for iron, lead, zinc and copper is not
SO strong as it has been and also that
the prices are not so inviting as they
were during the war period.
1t is probably true that the return
to normal commercial conditions will
of itself bring down the scale of wages
for the laborer, but such should not be
demanded while the cost of living is
SO abnormal, for it would be manifest
~ unjust.
The pity and mistake of the large
employers of labor is in the methods
employed to bring about the desired
ends at this time. They are seeking
to do by indirection what cannot be
done by direction.
The withdrawal from operations and
the cutting down of hours is only
means to an end and that desired end
is to lower the scale Of wages and that
under the thumb screw of coming pow
erty, actual want and that in the very
face of the stupendous profits har-
vested by the employers.
have ever maintained that honestly
invested capital should be permitted
to make and retain good profits, but
] am equally earnest in my conviction
that labor should share in the resourc-
es of the nation to such an extent that
they may maintain good homes, have
good literature and educational ad-
vantages and an honest recognition
of the law Of supply and demand will
attain the just demands of both labor
and capital, and give strength and
safety to our nation.
We may legislate as much as we
please, but there remains a law that
declares that there is no good, except
the common good, and any selfishness
that comes counter to this law is bad
and should be swept away and will be.
There is nothing created by the ma
ton that cannot be controlled by the
nation and there is nothing created by
the state that Is not subservient to the
state, when the common good Of the
state demands it and these facts
should become recognized.
If the corporate, interests are act
ing together or separately for the
purpose of enforcing reduction Of
wages and not at the same time max.
ing an equal effort to bring down the
cost of living, then the state shoulc
institute searching investigation anc
learn the actual conditions and pre-
scribe equitable remedies for the exc
gencies existing. Then IL the holders
OF wealth refuse to equitably SHARE
the fortunes of the existing conditions
with labor the state should taxi
charge and open up the operation o.
the mines, mills and factories AM
give labor employment and give to tn
stockholders a fair profit on their in
vestments.
A desire for profits should never b,
permitted to be weighed in the bal
ances against actual hunger and wan
and If such policy be established
then danger turks within the midst o.
the body polite. =,
The need of this age is men of abil
ifv and candor, men who are actuatet
by the love Of humanity and not powel
or wealth, O. L. MUNGER.
The report now comes from Ger
u ~ n :f AZ, acnptro1liuo authori