The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1919-12-05
rest until constructive instrumentali-
ties are set up to stem that tide.
Labor Not Commodity"

ties are set up to stem that tide.
Labor Not Commodity"
Governments must recognize the
right of men collectively to bargain
for humane objects that have at their
base the mutual protection and well
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, pos
sessed Of deep yearnings and desires.
The business man gives the best
thought to the repair and replenish-
ment of his machinery, so that its USE
fulness will not be impaired and its
power to produce may always be at its
height and kept in full vigor and mo-
ton.
No less regard ought to be paid to
the human machine, which, after all,
propels the machinery of the world
and is the great dynamic force that
lies back of ell industry and progress.
Return to the old standard of wage
and industry in employment are un-
thinkable. The terrible tragedy of
war which has just ended and which
has brought the world to T. verge
Of chaos and disaster would be-. 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 ex-
ample of stand-pat-ism in these vital
human matters which America might
well accept as an example, not to be
followed but studiously 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 govern
ments and America should be the first
to lay the foundation tones upon which
Industrial peace shall be built.
Entitled to Reasonable Return.
Labor not only is entitled to an ade-
quate wage but capital should receive
| reasonable return upon it's invest
ment and is entitled to protection at
the hands Of the 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 which the
government must seek to expand to
safeguard at all cost.
Right To Strike InvioIate.
The right of individuals to strike is
inviolate and ought not to be inter-
fered with by any process of govern
| ment, but there is predominant
right, and that is the right of the gov
eminent to protect all of it's people
against the challenge of any class.
The government, when it asserts that
right, seeks not to antagonize class.
but simply to defend the right of the
| whole people as against the irrepar-
able harm and injury that might be
done by the attempt by class to
usurp power that only government
itself has right to exercise as a pro-
| lection to all.
In the matter of international dis
putes which have led to war, states
men have sought to set up a remedy
| arbitration for war. Does this not
point the way for the settlement of in
dustrial disputes, by the establishment
of tribunal, fair and just alike to all,
which will settle industrial disputes
| which in the past have led to war and
disaster? America, witnessing the
evil consequences which have fol-
lowed out of such disputes between
| tho din fnroQc of Init
itself impotent to deal with these mat
tiers by means of peaceful processes.
| Surely, there must be some method
| Of bringing together in a council of
peace and amity these two great in
terests, out of which will come a hap
pier day of peace and cooperation, a
day that will make for more comfort
and happiness in living and more
tolerable condition among all classes
of men. Certainly human intelligence
can devise some acceptable tribunal
for adjusting the differences between
capital and labor.
Hour Of Test and Trial.
This is the hour of test and trial for
America. BY her prowess and
strength, and the indomitable courage
of her soldiers, she demonstrated her
power to vindicate on foreign battle
fields her conception Of liberty and
| justice. Let not her influence as a
mediator between capital and labor be
weakened and her own failure to set
tie matters of purely domestic con-
Germ be proclaimed to the world.
| There are those in this country who
threaten direct action to force their
will upon a majority. Russia, today,
with its blood and terror, is painful
object lesson of the power Of minori-
ties.
1t makes little difference what mi
| nority it is, whether capital or labor,
| or any other class, no sort of privilege
will ever be permitted to dominate
this country. We are partnership
or nothing that is worth while. We
| are democracy, where the majority
are the masters, or all the hopes and
purposes Of the men who founded this
government have been defeated and
| forgotten. In America there is but
one way by which great reforms can
be accomplished and the relief sought
| by classes obtained, and that is
through the orderly processes of rep
resentative government. Those who
would propose any other method Of
reform are enemies of this country.
America will not be daunted by
threats nor lose her composure or
calmness in these distressing times.
We can afford, in the midst of this day
of passion and unrest, to be self con-