The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1919-05-21
First Presidential Message
Ever Sent by Cable to Congress

SleaIei ana 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 hap
pier, and to be served better by the
communities and the industries which
their labor sustains and advances &?
How are they to be given their right
advantages as citizens and human
beings?
Industrial Peace.
eve cannot go 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
munlty if capital and labor are to
continue to be antagonistic instead of
being partners; if they are to continue
to dlstrust one another and cortriye
how they can get the better 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 enterprise pro-
ftable, on the other justice and fair
treatment enough to make life toler
able. The bad road has turned out a
blind alley. 1t is no thoroughfare
to real prosperity. We must find
another, leading in another direction
and to very different destination.
1t must lead not merely to accom-
modation and partnership based upon
real community Of interest and par
ticipation in control.
There is now in fact a real COM
munity Of interest between capital
and labor, but it has never been made
evident in action. 1t can be made
operative and manifest only in new
organization Of industry. The genius
of our business men and the sound
practical sense of our workers can
certainly work such partnership
out when once the; realize Just ex-
actly what it is that they seek and
sincerely adopt common purpose
Win regard 70 II.
Chiefly With the States.
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 the common counsel and volun-
tary cooperation Of capitalist or
manager and workmen. Legislation
can 60 only very little way in COM
manding what shall be done. The
organization Of industry is a matter
of corporate and individual intiat-
i've and Of practical business ar
ranEement. Those who really desire
new relationship between capital
and labor can readily find way to
bring it about; and perhaps federal
legislation can help more than state
Legislation could.
Industrial Democracy.
The object Of all reforms in this es-
sential matter must be the genuine
democratization 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 positive legis-
lation is practicable The Congress
has already shown the way to one
reform, which should be Worldwide,
by establishing the eight-hour day as
the standard day in every field Of la
Dor over which it can exercise control.
1t has sought to find the way to pre-
vent child labor and win, hope and
believe, presently find it. II has scrv-
ed the whole country by leading the
way in developing the means Of pre-
serving and safeguarding life and
health in dangerous industries 1t can
now help in the difficult task Of giving
a new form and spirit to industrial
organization by Cancellation and ad-
justment which have been brought
into existence by the difficulties and
policies of the present man
agement Of industry, and by setting
up and developing new federal agen-
cies of advice and information which
may serve as clearing house for the
best experiments and the best thought
on this great matter, upon which
every thinking man must be aware
Il.