The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-08-07

ve1opment would be slow. All of this
 growth goes on under the protection 1
 of and with the encouragement of i,
 government. The least therefore, that |
 might be rendered unto government
 for this continuous service is a policy i
 of fair-dealing. Too often the genius Ieof man prompts him to play for gov
 ernmenta1 advantage, and the suc- l
 cess which has been achieved in this l
 particular, has led to the formation 1 of groups which seek this very ad- l
 vantage. We are busy people, pre- occupied in too large degree with purely commercial considerations, and we have not recognized as we should, that the failure of government to prevent inequalities has made it pos sib1e for mischievous spirits to de- velop prejudice against the institu- 1 tions of government, rather than 1 against administrative policy. There
 is a very important difference here. l This difference bears directly on profiteering, which is today the most 1 sinister influence in American life. It is not new thing in America The tribe of profiteers has simply multi ] piled under the favoring circun- 1 stances of war. For years, large
 contributions have been made to the Republican campaign fund for no l purpose except to buy a government U
 as the result of preference. Such l 1argesses are today a greater menace l to our contentment and our institu- ! t1ons than the countless temporary l prof1teers who are making a mockery
 1 Of honest business, but who can live ! and fatten only in time of disturbed
 prices. If I am called to service as
 president means will be found, if they
 do not already exist, for compelling
 ! these eXcenti0nS fn
 of square dealing American business
 men, to use the same yardstick of
 honesty that governs most of us in
 our dealings with our fel1owmen, or
 in language that they may under
 stan, to suffer the penalty of criminal
 law.
 There is another reason for the
 fabulous contributions to the present , 1 Republican campaign fund Much money, of course, has been sub
 scribed in proper partisan zeal, but the great bulk has been given with the definite idea of gaining service in
 return. Many captains of industry, guided by most dangerous indus , trial philosophy, believe that in con troversy between employer and em- ploye their will should be enforced even at the point of the bayonet. l
 speak knowingly. I have passed , through many serious industrial . troubles. I know something of their psychology, the stages through which
 they pass, and the dangerous at tempts that are sometimes made to
 end them. Disputes between labor and capital are inevitable. The dis position to gain the best bargain pos ; sible characterizes the whole field ot exchange, whether it be product for
 product, or labor for money. Ii strikes are prolonged public opinion always settles them. Public opinion should determine results in America : Public opinion is the most interesting l characteristic of a democracy, and ; it is the real safety valve to the in- stitutfons of free government Ii ! may, at times, be necessary for gov ernment to inquire into the facts of 8 tie-up, but facts and not conclu- l sions should be submitted. The de 5 termtning form of unprejudice6 thought will do the rest. During this process experimental agencies mus : give vigilant eye to the protection d of life and property, and maintain firmness but absolute impartiality = This is always the real test, but if of s hcia1 conduct combines courage ant e fairness, our governmental institu t hons come out of these affairs un. = tarnished by distrust. This is not ar l. academic observation. It is the mere = recital of experience. Unrest ha, d been reinforced in no small degree b. t the great mass of unassimilatet - aliens. Attracted by an unprecedent d ed demand for labor, they have com, v to our shores by the thousands. A n they have become acquainted witt = the customs and opportunities O e American life, %thousands of then l. have become citizens and are owner l. of their own homes. However, tn d work of assimilation too long wa e merely automatic. One million si, IT hundred thousand foreign born il d this country cannot read or write ou x language. Our interest in them il n the main has been simply as laborers assembled in the great trade centers a to meet the demand of the hour Without home or community ties II many have been more or less no :. madic, creating the problem of ex . cessive turnover, which has per =. plexed manufacturing plants. Bu . this has not been the worst phase o q the situation. Unfamiliar with law = having no understanding of the prin = cfples of our government, they hay
 | fallen an easy prey to unpatrioti = and designing persons. Public opinio has had no influence upon then '' because they have been isolated fror ID the currents of opinion, all due t their not being able to read or writ
 our language. It is the duty of tn federal government to stimulate tn D. work of Americanization on the par " of church, school, community agen 1 cies, state governments and industr lo itself. In the past, many industrie le that have suffered from chronic rest ID lessn ess have been the chief con IT tributors to their own troubles. Th l. foreigner with European standard IS of living was welcomed, but too ofte Tn no attempt was made to educat SC him to domestic ideals, for the simpl as reason that it adversely affected tn n- ledger. It has been my observatio In that the man who learns our lar y. guage, yields to a controlling publi ss opinion and respects our laws; fe lg sides, in proportion as his devotio " to American life develops, his inter ry est in the impulsive processes ( to revolution dindinishes We must h