Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-05-28
Questions OF Labor,

hE pueSllon "nlCn stands at the
front OF all others in every country
amidst the present great Weakening
Is the question Of labor; and perhaps
can speak of it with as great ad-
vantage while engrossed in the con .
sideration Of interests which affect
all countries alike as l could at home
and amidst the interests which nat
nrally most affect my thoughts, be-
cause they are the interests Of my
own people.
BY the question of labor | DO not
mean the question of efficient indus
trial production, the question OF how
labor is to be obtained and made
effective in the great process OF sus-
tanning populations and winning sue
cess amidst commercial and indus
trial rlyalries. mean that much
greater and more vital question, how
are the men and women who do the
daily labor Of the world to obtain
progressive Improvement in the con-
ditions of their labor, to be made
happier, and to be served better bv
the communities and the industries
which their labor sustains and ad-
vances? How are they to be given
their right advantages as citizens
and human beings?
Industrial Peace.
We cannot 90 any further in our
present direction. We have already
gone too far. We cannot live our
right life as a nation, or achieve our
proper success as an industrial com
munity If capital and labor are to
continue to he antagonistic instead
Of being partners; If they are to con
tinuc to distrust one another and to
contrive how they are to get me bet
ter Of one another. Or, what perhaps
amounts to the same thing, calculate
by what form and degree Of coercion
they can manage to eXtort on the
one hand work enough to make en-
terprisc profitable, on the other JUS
tice and fair treatment enough ia
mako life tOlerablc The bad road
has tLrned out Il blind alley. 1t is
no thoroughfarc to real prosperity
We mus, find another, leading in
another direction. and TO Il very diff
ierent destination. 1t must lead not
only to accommodation. hut also a
genuine cooperation and partner
ship. based upon real community
OF interest and participation in con
troll.
There is now in fact Il real com
munity Of interest between capital
and labor. but it has never been made
evident in action. II can be made
operative and manifest only in a
new organization Of industry. The
genius of our business men and the
sound, practical sense Of our work
ers can certainly work such a part
nership out when once they realize
just exactly what 1t is that they seek
and sincerely adopt common pur-
pose with regard to it.
>h1thS WIN tIic otttcS.
Labor legislation lies, OF course,
chiefly with the States; but the new
spirit and method Of organization
which must be effected are not to be
brought about by legislation so much
as by common counsel and voluntary
cooperation Of capitalist or mana
ger and wOrkmen. Legislation can
go only a very little way in COM
manding what shall be done. The
organizatio Of industry is a matter
Of corporate and individual initia-
tive and Of practical business ar
rangcment. Those who really desire
a new relationship between capital
and labor can readily find way to
bring it about; and perhaps Federal
'"pislation can help more than State
Legislation could
Industrial Democracy.
The object Of all reforms in this
essential matter must be the geunine
characterization Of industry. based
upon a full recognition of the right
OF those who work. in whatever
rank. to participate in some organic
way in every decision which directly
affects their welfare or the part they
are to play in industry. Some posi-
tive legislation is practicable. The
Congress has already shown the way
to one reform, which should hc
Worldwide, by establishing the
cight-hour day as the standard day
in every field Of labor over which it
can exercise control. il has sought