The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-02

course of retaliation and repression. The seed of revolution is repression. The remedy for these things must not be negative in character. It must be constructive. It must comprehend the general interest. The real antidote for the unrest which manifests itself is not suppression, but deep considera- tion of the wrongs that beset our national life and the application of a remedy.
 Congress has already shown its will hngness to deal with these industrial wrongs by establishing the eight hour day as the standard in every field of
 uabor. It has sought to find a way to
 prevent child labor. It has served the
 whole country by leading the way in developing the means of preserving and safeguarding the lives and health in dangerous industries. It must now help in the difficult task of finding a
 method that will bring about a gem
 uine characterization of industry, based on the full recognition of the right of those who work, in whatever rank, to participate in some organic way in every decision which directly affects their welfare. It is with this purpose in mond that I called a con- ference to meet in Washington on December l to consider these prob
 
 the idea of bringing about a better understanding between these two in tcreSts.
 The great unrest throughout the world out of which has emerged a demand for an immediate considera- ton of the difficulties between capi- tai and labor, bids us put our own house in order. Frankly there can be no permanent and lasting settle ments between capital and labor which do not recognize the funda- mental concepts for which labor has been struggling through the years. | The whole world gave it's recognition and endorsement to these fundamen' tai purposes in the League of Nations. l The statesmen gathered at Versailles recognized the fact that world stabiI- i ity could not be had by reverting to l industrial standards and conditions against which the average workman of the world had revoIted.
 It is, therefore, the task of the statesmen of this new day of change and rcadjustment to recognize world conditions that will mean the ending of age-long antagonisn1s between cap ital and labor and that will hopefully lead to the building up of a cOmrade- ship which will result not only in greater contentment among the mass of wOrkmen but also bring about a greater production and a greater pros perity to business itself.
 To anaiize the particulars in the de- | mands of labor is to admit the justice | of their complaint in many matters that lie at their basis. The workman 1 demands an adequate wage, sufficient to permit him to live in comfort, un- ] T,, ] want in his old age. He demands ; the right to live and the right to work ! amidst sanitary surroundings, both in 1 home and workshop, surroundings ! that develop and do not retard his 1 own health and well being; and the l right to provide for his children's 1 wants in the matter of health and ! education. In other words, it is his ! desire to make the conditions of his i life and the lives of those dear to him i tolerable and easy to bear.
 l The establishment of the principles l regarding labor laid down in the ! covenant of the League of Nations i offers us the way to industrial peace
 and conciliation. No other road lies 1 open to us. Not to pursue this one | is longer to invite enmities, bitter
 ness and antagonisms which in the end only lead to industrial and social disaster. The unwilling workman is
 not a profitable servant. An empIoye
 whose industrial life is hedged about
 by hard and unjust conditions. which he did not create and over which he l has no control, lacks that fine spirit
 of enthusiasm and volunteer effort which are the necessary ingredients of great producing entity.
 1 Let us be frank about this solemn matter. The evidences of worldwide unrest which manifest themselves in 1 violence throughout the world bid us
 pause and consider the means to be 1 found to stop the spread of this con-
 tagious thing before it saps the very 1 vitality of the nation itself. Do we
 gain strength by within oIding the
 remedy or is it not the business of
 statesmen to treat these manifesto i tions of unrest which meet us or 1 every hand as evidences of an eco-
 homie disorder and to apply con- ! structive remedies wherever neces-