Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-07-06

Meanwhile the republican leaders
at Washington have failed utterly TO
propose one single measure to make
rural life more tolerable. They have
signalized their Is months of con-
gressional power by urging schemes
which would strip the farms of labor
by assailng the principles of the farm
loan system and seeking to impair its
efficiency; by covertly attempting to
destroy the great nitrogen plant at
I Muscle Shoals upon which the govern
ment has expended $70,000.000 to
supply American farmers with fertil-
izers at reasonable cost; by ruthlessly
Gripping nearly every branch of agri
cultural endeavor, literally Gripping
the productive medium through which
the people must be fed.
We favor such legislation as will
confirm to the primary producers Of
the nation the right of collective bar
gaining and the right of cooperative
handling and marketing of the pro-
duets of the workshop and the farm
and such legislation as will facilitate
the expectation of our farm products
LABOR AND INDUSTRY.
The democratic party is now, as
ever the firm friend of honest labor
and the promoter of progressive III
dustry. Ii established the department
Of labor at Washington and demo-
cratic president called to his official
council board the first practical work
ingman who ever held cabinet port
folio. Under this administration have
: been established employment bureaus
| to bring the man and the job togeth-
, ha lotn u
5 many bitter disputes between capital
: and labor; were passed the child labor
Lact, the wOrkingman's compensation
, act (the extension of which we advo-
cate so as to include laborers engaged
in loading and unloading ships and in
interstate cOmmerce); the eight hour
law, the act for vocational training
and a code of other wholesome laws
affecting the liberties and lettering
the conditions of the laboring classes
In the department of labor the demo
cratic administration established a
woman's bureau which republican
!, congress destroyed by withholding ap-
preparations.
;, Labor is not a commodity; it Is
human. Those who labor have rights
and the national security and safety
depend upon just recognition of
those rights and the conservation of
. the strength of the workers and their
q families in the interest of sound
headed men, women and children
n Laws regulating hours of labor and
!, conditions under which labor is per-
. formed, when passed in recognition Of
. the conditions under which life must
be lived to attain the highest develop.
ment and happiness. are just asser-
tons of the national interest in the
9 welfare of the people.
= At the same time the nation de-
I ponds upon the products of labor; a
: cessation of production means loss,
and, If long continued, disaster. The
: whole people, therefore. have right
;, to insist that justice shall be done to
- those Who work, and in turn that
: those whose labor creates he necessi.
:, les upon which he life Of the nation
a depends must recognize the recipro-
: cal obligation between the worker and
the state. They should participate in
the formulation of sound laws and
regulations governing the conditions
e under which labor is performed, rec
Q ognize and obey the laws SO formu
q lated, and see to their amendment
) when necessary by the processes ordi-
narily addressed to the laws and reg
ulations affecting tho other relations
of life.
Labor, as well as capital, is entitled
to adequate compensation. Each has
the indefeasible right of organization.
of collective bargaining, and of speak
!. ing through representatives Of their
, own selection. Neither class, how
> ever, should at any time. nor in any
l<{r nCt Tab
. put in jeopardy the public welfare.
!. Resort to strikes and lockouts which
= endanger the health or lives OF the
:. people is an unsatisfactory device for
. determining disputes, and the demo
cratic party pledges itself to contrive,
If possible, and put into effective OPP
y Grafton fair and comprehensive
. method of composing differences of
)! this nature.
,. ;. In private industrial disputes we
J, are opposed to compulsory arbitration
. as method plausible in theory but a
) failure in fact. With respect to gov
y eminent service, we hold distinctly
:, that the rights of the people are par
. amount to the right to strike. How
:, ever, we profess scrupulOus regard
;. for the conditions of public employ
u ment and pledge the democratic party
: to instant inquiry into the pay of gov
eminent employees and equally speedy
: regulations designed to bring salaries
: to just and proper level.
s. WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE.
= We indorse the proposed 10Th
:, amendment of the Constitution of the
l. United States. granting equal suffrage
e to women. We congratulate the leg
g iS1aurpS Of az StataS which hava
: already ratified said amendment and
I we urge the democratic governors and
Il legislatures of Tennessee, North Caro-.
7 lima and Florida and such states as
q have not yet ratified the federal suf-
Y frage amendment to unite in an effort
8 to complete the process of ratification
. and secure the 36th state in time for
all the women of the United States
Y to m rticinata In tho fall alection Wo