Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1919-12-04
production and a greater prosperity to

ndemands of labor is to admit the JUS
tice of their complaint in many mat
ters that lie at their basis. The work
man demands an adequate wage, suf-
ficient to permit him to live in COM
fort, unhampered by the fear OF pow
erty and want in his old age. He de-
mands the right to live and the right
to work amidst sanitary surroundings,
both in home and in work shop, sur
roundings that develop and do not re-
tard his own health and well-being,
and the right to provide for his chill
dren's wants in the matter of health
and education. In other words, it is
his desire to make the conditions OF
bis life and the lives Of those dear to
him tolerable and easy to bear.
The establishment of the principles
regarding labor laid down in the cove
Eant of the league of nations offers
us the way to industrial peace, and
Cancellation. No other road lies open
to us. Not to pursue this one is long
err to invite enmities, bitterness and
antagonisms which in the end only
lead to industrial and social disaster.
The unwilling worker is not a prof
liable servant. An employe whose in
dustrial life is hedged about by hard
and unjust conditions, which he did
not create and over which he has no
control, lacks that fine spirit OF en-
thusiasm and volunteer effort which
are the necessary ingredients of a
great producing entity. Let us be
frank about this solemn matter. The
evidences Of worldwide unrest which
manifest themselves in violence
throughout the world bid us pause and
consider the means to be found to stop
the spread of this contagious thing
before it saps the very vitality OF the
nation itself.
Do we gain strength by withhold
ing the remedy? Or it is not the bust
ness of statesmen to treat these mani
festations of unrest which meet us
on every hand as evidences of an eco
nomic disorder and to apply construc-
tive remedies wherever necessary,
being sure that in the application of
the remedy we touch not the vital It's
sues of our industrial and economic
life? There can be no recessatiOn Of
the tide of unrest until constructive
instrumentalities are set up to stem
that tide.
Collective Bargaining Right.
Governments must recognize the
right of men collectively to bargain
for humane objects that have at their
base the mutual protection and vel
fare of those engaged in all industries.
Labor must not be longer treated as a
commodity. 1t must be regarded as
the activity of human beings, possess,
ed of deep warnings and desires. The
business man gives his best thought
to the repair and replenishment of his
machinery, so that its usefulness will
not be impaired and it's power to pro.
duce may always be at its height and
kept in full vigor and motion. No
less regard ought to be paid to the
human machine, which after all pro
pels the machinery of the world and is
the great dynamic force that lies back
of all industry and progress. Return
to the old standards of wage and in
dustry in employment are unthinkable
The terrible tragedy of war which has
just ended and which has brought the
world to the verge Of chaos and dis
aster would be in vain If there should
ensue a return to the conditions OF
| the past.
Europe itself, whence has come the
unrest which now holds the world at
bay, is an example Of standpatism in
these vital human matters which
America might well accept as an ex
ample, not to be followed but stu
diously to be avoided. Europe made
labor the differential, and the price OF
it all is enmity and antagonism and
Frustrated industry. The right Of labor
to live in peace and comfort must be
recognized by governments, and Amer
lea should be the first to lay the
foundation stones upon which indus
trial peace shall be built.
Labor is not only entitled to an ade
quate wage, but capital should receive
a reasonable return upon its invest
ment and is entitled to protection at
she hands Of government in every
emergency No government worthy Of
the name can play" these elements
against each other, for there is a mu
tuality of interest between them which
the government must seek to express
and to safeguard OF all cost.
The right Of individuals to strike is
/ inviOlate and ought not to be inter
ferred with by any process of govern
ment, but there is a predominant right
and that is the right Of the govern
ment to protect all Of its people and
/ to assert its power and majesty
against the challenge Of any class
| The government when il asserts that
right seeks not to antagonize class
/ but simply to defend the right Of tbs
whole people as against the irrepaIa
bic harm and injury that mi7ht be
done by the attempt by any class tc