The Topeka state journal., 1919-10-11
He SEES DANGERS
James NJ. Beck Told of Class
Menace ut C.. of c.
Soviet Tendencies of England
Threaten the q. S.

James NJ Beck, prominent New
York lawyer, and assistant attorney
general under Mckinley and Roose-
welt, spoke for half an hour at the
Chamber of Commerce noon luncheon
today and held a large audience at
attention while he brought home to
his listeners in a most graphic man
ner the great dangers which today
overshadow the United States and the
world in general.
Beck is in Topeka to talk against
certain phases of the League of Ma
tions. and will speak on that subject
tonight at the auditorium.
He declined to discuss the League
of Nations at the Chamber of Com
merce, however, and chose to devote
short time in warning those present
of the great dangers now threatening
mankind in which constitutional! gov
ernment by and for all the people is
threatened by class rule, whereby
large and powerful organized bodies
belonging to or representing 4 single
class of society can force direct action
in their own interests thru stopping
the wheels of industry and bringing
actual or feared suffering to large
masses of the people.
Conditions in England.
He told of being in England last
summer, when the British government
was compelled to yield to the demands
of a large body of radical London
working men and restore to them the
right to hold incendiary revolutionary
meetings in Albert Memorial hall un-
der pain of a strike which would
effectually tie up the water and light
ing service of London; also of the de-
mands of British labor that the gov
ernment nationalize the coal mines of
the country under a plan which is viz
tual confiscations of private property.
He gave it as his opinion that England
is on the verge of soviet govern
ment, which might sweep away all
that has been accomplished during the
last thousand years in the advance
ment of mankind.
The speakers address was scholarly
and impressive. In it was substantial
food for careful thought. He depre-
Gated any movement radical or other
wise that would substitute force or
power for our orderly government or
law and order; any political move
ment that would seek to substitute
power or position for the ballot, citing
the greatness of the American Consti-
tuition standing the test of 134 years,
model of its kind for all nations look
ing to liberal government by the con-
sent of the governed. He deplored any
force in any class that would thrust
itself above the government or put
aside the vote of every citizen as a
voice in political methods and as the
one determining factor that sets up a
government which must rule and must
prevail. and whose authority must be
respected.
Labor Has Rights.
He opposed any government by any
class, be that of employer or en-
ploye. He was careful to express his
thought that Labor had right to COM
bine. as had Capital; that Labor had
the right to strike to improve the con-
ditions under which it uses its facul-
ties. But repudiated the thought that
Labor or any class should attempt to
put it's hand about the throat of Nthe
great democratic form or method of
the government of this country. He
brought out the ennobling qualities of
Labor. 1t is good for man to work
Work is creative and the respecting
workman takes pride in his produc-
ton. He impressed upon his hearers
the all-important effort of preventing
the spread of the thought that labor
was in any sense a factor of servitude
Work is necessary to the happiness of
man. He must produce something and
when proper conditions exist, be proud
of the results of his labor. Labor
alone Is satisfying.
He urged the necessity of produc-
ton, greater production not less; not
This country with supreme natural
fertility, resources and advantages
should be a country of peace and
prosperity if the elements will all COM
bine to produce and enhance, not dis
| sipate themselves into class groups to
paralyze or prevent, but each recog-
| nizing the power and importance of
the other in the happiness and con-
tentment of ALL