The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-01-31

life, must agree One of these is,
that the final test of civilization
is the lot in life of the average man.
If any civilization cannot stand that
test, it has failed in the very pur-
pose of it's being So, while we may
differ as to means by which to
meet this test, so long as when
question is presented to us, we ask
ourselves, will the solution pro-
posed benefit humanity?-so long
as we can agree to that extent and
so long as we snail meet and dis
cuss great problems in that spirit,
we will continue to make progress
as the years shall come and go.
On the other hand, if society as
whole shall not move forward
do not mean to say that it can be
transformed in a moment, and
have no panacea by which all the
| ills of the world can be cured-if
we do not succeed and succeed very
considerably in improving the lot
in life of the average man and wo-
man, then the victory we have won
will become an empty victory.
I think we have all come, with
in the last two years, to have a
larger vision of what our country
means. believe that in the fiery
furnace of war a new brotherhood
has been forged and that a new
brotherhood will manifest itself in
these years of peace in all the ques-
lions which must arise from time to
! time in our industrial life. | do
| not mean to say that strikes Will
cease tomorrow. ! do not mean to
say that differences will not arise
| between the employer and his en-
yloyees. But, what | do mean to
say is this: that unless this war
| has been in vain, when these diff
/ IGIblCtS w dl 1876 tIC pti tlCc "
these differences will approach one
another in a different and better
mood and with some sort of feeling
of human brotherhood in their
hearts. And that, in itself, is a
long step toward industrial peace.
We were fighting for several
things in this war. We were fight
ing, among others, for the right of
man to rule himself. We we're
fighting against the doctrine that
human nature is so weak and so de-
fective that the Almighty ordain-
ed that a few thousands of men
should enjoy the fruits of the earth
and that the only use of the mil
lions was to minister their needs,
We were fighting that ancient dog
ma. We were fighting it with the
finest lot of young men that ever
went forth to battle.
We were fighting also for that
other thing-that when the people
themselves decreed a law, that law
Il is sacred and inviolate. Though we
were told that democracy, right
enough in times of peace, was un-
equal to meeting the shock of war,
we showed that the people who
made laws and loved orderly gov
eminent could also fight their foes,
if need be, to sustain the principle
of government of the people, by the
people and for the people.
Let us not do violence to that
thing for which our boys have died
on foreign battle-fields-the SUI
premacy and integrity of the law.
Whatever injustice society has
wrought (and society has not &C
complished all that any humane
man would wish it might have ac-
complished), let us not in any other
way than that which the constitu-
ton has pointed out, namely, by the
votes of our people and all our peo-
pie change that policy. | know that
in this | am echoing the thought
that has been more eloquently eX-
pressed by your leaders than | can
hope to express it.
There is one other thought which
| wish to express to you today, and
that is, that the world is a poor
place any way unless we develop
within ourselves some things of
which the law takes little note. 1t
is the spirit, the character of men,
which makes human friendship pos
sible, and human friendship of men.
If we can only maintain that spirit,
that sympathy with our fellowmen,
that ability to realize that human
ity has burdens enough to bear
without sustaining the inhumanity
of other men, and if, when we clash
on great questions of policy, we
shall only have the courage to face