The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-10-04

4 SATURDAY EVENING LETTER
(By Justice ]. 3. Robinson.)
October 4, 1919. Glad am ] that we
are soon to have an extra session Of
the legislature to correct and undo
several measures passed at the last
general session; also, to fix a schedule
Of the maximum and minimum prices,
to end or give check to profteerin5
and the high cost Of living. A good
statute to repeal is the one which i'll
vites picketing and striking, loafins
and idleness. Any party is free To
quit a job, unless when he Is bound by
contract, or when he has no regard fcr
his contract, but he is not legally free,
and the law cannot make him free,
to conspire with others to carry on a
kind of civil war against his employ
ers and their workmen. And if picket
ing and striking is to merit the az
proval of the lawmakers, why should
not the law give to pickets and strik-
ers their daily bread and butter, with
Il fair compensation for their time.
Then their would be less reason for a
resort to lawlessness. And, Of course,
the farmers should be treated in the
same manner, i'll case they determine
to strike and to grow only such food
as they need for themselves. For a
short time the state may give to every
man pension or permit the genera
looting of those who have laid up a
store against the lean years which are
sure to come. This they did in ancient
Rome, but soon the state became bank
rupt and went under. No country can
hope to succeed and prosper unless the
great majority Of the people are given
to habits of thrift and industry. Our
Indians were good Socialists; they had
all America before them and under
their control, and yet they roamed over
endless wealth, Living from hand to
mouth or starving because they knew
nothing of thrift and industry, and
because they knew not the means AMI
the benefits Of securing individual
titles to property. No man will SOW
that others may reap the harvest.
Were it not for4 the tiea of home aud
property, in one generation most Of The
humans would revert to the state nf
the American Indians. In the human
race, as in lower animals, it is much
easier to breed down than to build up.
Our statute on picketing and striking
is no compliment to the wage earners.
1t classes them down as infants by
permitting them to disregard their con-
tracts and to assume a state Of idle
ness and lawlessness, whereas the
power to make a valid and bind
ing contract is a blessing to ey-
cry honest, and intelligent per-
son. What if Jacob had not been
able to make binding contract to
work seven years for Rachel and then
seven years for her sister? Why, we
might never have heard Of the Jewish
race or Of Moses and the Prophets.
Yes, I'm glad we are soon to have
an extra session to make laws regulat
ing the state funds, state industries,
the appropriations and the taxes. To a
great extent Mr. Kositzky, the State
Auditor, is right in trying to show that
taxation and state expenses have been
running wild. In time ] purpose to
write that up and to give the exact
figures that no man can dispute, and to
do 1t specially for the good Of the
League, because the League cannot
Continued on Page Six
Eighty-seven per cent Of all the
i 4 = l. -