Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-06
HARDING OPPOSES
LABOR DOMINATION
Objects to Dictation in Business
or Government as He Would
by Any Other Class.
by Associated Press to Every Evening

by Associated Press 10 Every Evening
Marion, Ohio, Sept. 6.--Preaching a
gospel of understanding between en-
pIoyers and employees, Senator Harding
said in Labor Day speech here that al
though he believed in umIonlsm and coll
lective bargaining, he opposed labor S
domination of business or government,
as determinedly as he would oppose
domination by any other class.
Voluntary arbitration was declared by
he Republican nominee TO be the ideal
solution of labor troubles and he advocat-
ed Joint committees of employers and
employees mot to run the business but
To- promote mutual understanding. He
asserted that no one could deny laborer
the right To quit his employment, but
that adjustment of labor problems should
be on the basis of justice TO everyone.
Senator Harding also endorsed the
Cummins-Eschbillr restoring the railways to
private operation, and said he could not
approve OF the Socialist plan" which
proposed that the properties be placed
under the control of the employees.
Citing his own experiences as an en-
plover, the candidate said he never had
any trouble with his employees In his
newspaper establishment, and added that
although print paper prices had increased
his expenses by an amount equal to $500
for each worker in his plant, none of them
had suffered financially on account of 1t.
In the course of his speech he also
aSsailed prohteering declaring that. stag
assaults withoutaction had discredited the
policy of the Democratic administration
toward the profiteer.
II have not come to you today with
speech of promises, said Senator Hard
ing. II do not pledge you the impossible
and | do not mean to suggest the i'm
practicable, can only preach the gospel
of understanding practically applied.
Il believe in unionism. ! believe in col
lective bargaining, | believe the two have
combined to speed labor toward its Just
rewards. But | do not believe in labor's
domination Of business or government any
more than | believe that capital shall
dominate. We do not want TO substitute
one class for another, We want to put an
end to classes.
we live in an era of collective en-
deavor. Capital led the way and labor's
organization was not only natural, but
Necessary. 1t has done more than serve its
membership, il has rivetcd the thoughtful
attention of America to social justice
and brought the fruits thereof On this
always significant holiday | preferred to
talk TO INV fellow townsmen. You sec
have been a dweller among YOU for IS
wears. Part of that time | was a wage
Garner myself-all the time | have been
laborer- for more than 80 Years
have been an employer rs well as laborer.
and man can't preach one doctrine and
practice another.
Let me renew that public utterance in
which | spoke of high wages and. said
wished the existing high scale to remain,
on one explicit condition-that for the
high wage the American workman shall
give TO his task the highest degree of
efficiency. | am not advocating the driv-
ing, slavish period of toll, which saps
men s energies, but hold that the Stacker,
the loafer on the Job, is not only the great
est obstacle to labor's advancement, but
he is cheating his fellows more than he
does his employers.
1T is utterly false to assume that
labor and capital are in deadly conflict.
1t is not important TO establish which
element comes first. since each is neces-
sary to the other. We do know that labor,
the human element, Is of deepest public
concern.
II am sorry the old, intimate contact
between employer and employe is gone
| wish we could have the intimacy re-
stored not in the old way but through