Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-07-23

VIII ucCiuc our future efnlncHCc III INC
world. More than these, this republic,
under constitutional liberties. has CIV
en- to mankind the most fortunate con-
ditions for human activity and attain
ment the world has ever noted, and we
are today the worlds reserve force in
the great contest for liberty through
security, and maintained equality OF
opportunity and it's righteous rewards.
Must Recognize the Facts
1t is folly to close our eyes to out
standing facts. Humanity is restive
much OF the world is in revolution, the
agents Of discord and destruction have
Russia, have lighted their torches
among other peoples, and hope to see
America as part of the great Red
conflagration. Ours is the temple Of
liberty under the law, and it il ours to
call the Sons Of Opportunity to its de-
Tense. America must not Sonly save
herself, but ours must be the appeal
Ing voice to sober the world.
More than all else the rresent-day
world needs understanding. There
can be no peace save through COM
posed differences, and the submission
of the individual to the will and veal
anarchy and its rule of force.
1t must be unders TODD that toll alone
makes for accomplishment and ad-
vancement. and righteous possession
is the reward of toll, and its incentive.
There is no progress except in the
stimulus of competition. When COM
petition-natural, fair. impelling COM
petition-is suppressed, whether by
law. compact or conspiracy, we halt
the march of progress, silence the
voice OF aspiration, and paralyze the
will for achievement. These are but
common sense truths Of human de-
velopment.
The chief trouble today is that
the world war wrought the destruc-
ton Of healthful competition, let
our storehouses empty, and there is
minimum production when our
need is maximum. Maximums, not
minimums, Is the call of America It
isn't new story, Because war never
fails to leave depleted storehouses
and always impairs the efficiency of
production. War also establishes its
higher standards for wages, and they
abide. I wish the higher wage to
abide, on one explicit condition
that the wage-earner will give full
return for the wage received. 1t is
the best assurance we can have for
q reduced cost Of living. Mark you,
1 am ready to acclaim the highest
standard of pay but would be blind
to the responsibilities that mark this
fateful hour il did not caution the
wage-earners of America that
mounting wages and decreased pro-
duction can lead only to industrial
and economicfruin.
I want, somehow, to appeal to the
sons and daughters Of the republic,
to every producer. to join hand and
brain in production, more produce
ton, honest production, patriotic
production, because patriotic pro-
duction is no less defense Of our
best civilization than that Of armed
force. Profiteering is a crime of
commission, under reproduction is a
crime Of omission. We must work
our most and best. else the destruc-
tive reaction will come. We must
stabilize and strive for normally,
else the inevitable reaction will
bring its train of sufferings, dis
appointments and reversals We
want to forestall such reaction, we
want to hold all advanced ground,
and fortify it with general good
fortune.
No Real Conflict Of Interest
Let us return for a moment to
the necessity for understanding, par
ticularly that understanding which
concerns ourselves at home. decline
to recognize any conflict of interest
among the participants in industry.
The destruction of one is the ruin
of the other, the suspicion or rebel
lion of one unavoidably involves the
other. In conflict is disaster in I'M
derstanding there is triumph. There
is no issue relating to the founda-
ton on which industry is builded,
because industry is bigger than any
element in it's modern making. But
the insistent call is for labor, man.
agement and capital to reach under
standing
The human element comes first,
and want the employers in industry
to understand the aspirations, the
convictions, the yearnings of the
mlttllons Of American wage-earners,
ana 10 want the wage to
understand the problems. the ankle
ties, the obligations of management
and capital, and all of them must
understand their relationship to the
people and their obligation to the
republic. Out of this understanding
will come the unanimous committal
to economic justice, and in economic
justice lies that social justice which
is the highest essential to human
happiness.
l am speaking as one who has
counted the contents of the pay en-
velope from the viewpoint of the
Garner as we'll as the employer. No
one pretends to deny the inequalities
which are manifest in modern in
dustriai life. They are less in fact
than they were before organization
and grouping on either side revealed
the inequalities, and conscience has
wrought more justice than statutes
the world rivets our thoughts on the
necessity of progressive solution,
else our generation will suffer the
experiment which means chaos for
our day to reestablish Gods plan for
the great tomorrow
Respect Of Law Avoids Chaos
Speaking our sympathies, uttering
the conscience of all the people.
mindful Of our right to dwell amid
the good fortunes of rational,