The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-02

public sympathy which is after all the
strongest backing of strike. But here
again the condemnation i'll compares
with the very general approval OF war as
divinely appointed instrument Tor the
extension Of civilization and the spread
OF Christianity. Strikes are industrial
war; and their destructive incidents,
which as deeply execrate as anyone
can, show white against things lately
done in international wars by the fore
most nations of the earth
| This to the contrary, however, J con
tend that property must be held sacred.
! 1t must be protected. But manhood and
womanhood and childhood must also be
] held sacred. and whea one must choose
between the protection Of property and
the protection Of humanity, humanity
must have the benefit Of the doubt. IT
certainly needs to be said, however, with
| tremendous emphasis, that there Is q
spirit of lawlessness and violence abroad
| in some circles Of American workingInen
| that not only seriously threatens, but is
materially iniuring the prosperity OF the
! country. This element is almost entirely
outside the American Federation OF La
Dor. Nobody will lose so much by law.
! lessness as the laborer The rigid en-
forcement of the law is the poor mans
surest safeguard Let the law be brok-
en- with impunity and the weakest will
90 to the wall under the hand of the
stronger, either because Of wealth OF
education ] believe that capitalists are
under obligation to obey the Golden Rnit
inStheir treatment of employees, but the
same rule is OF equal application to the
workingman Workingmen are all toe
ready to see their own oppression at the
hands of capital and to note the faults
and follies of capitalists-and the Lore
knows these are numerous enough
There is another side however, and thu
workingman needs to understand thai
he is under just as rigid obligation T.
/ render full time and skill in his work al
his employer is 10 pay for such time ant
skill. Most employers recognize ant
compensate such conduct on the part o
| their employees. II the workman need
lessly wastes or destroys the materia
/ that his employer furnishes in his work
he il taking money wrongly from M
r employer and shodld not be upheld II
such conduct by his fellow workmen. |
J ployer would not approve, he is injurinI
5 his employer, but quite as often injure
, himself in the end
/ This contest betweef labor and cap
| ital is not like a jug -handle-all on on
side. There are duties and obligation
r on both sides, and the ideal American
d whether capitalist or laborer-will rec
ognize and meet these fairly and square
1 IN. The ideal American citizen is simpl.
s the ideal man, He is the ideal manu-
: facturer, the ideal merchant, the idea
minister, the ideal granite cutter, and 5
4 forth-not as manufacturer, merchant
; minister or granite cdSter, but as ma
n plus the faithful and complete perform
{ ance of duties whatever these may b.
5 What is Americanismf 1t is the pei
D sonifcation of liberty, liberty to kno'
1 and to act liberty to live according t
i, our knowledge; liberty with law an
law with liberty Amerieanism is rea
!. and tangible, and is our right either b
1 birth or adoption. II is our citizenship