The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-06
TUEsDAY-THE ROCK ISLAND ARGUs-DECEMBER s. 1921.

classes in the community. But even
that divergence has now come to
the point where we bracket the
very poor and the very rich to-
gether as the least fortunate class
es Our efforts may well be direct
ed to improving the status of both.
Capital and Labor.
While this set of problems is COM
monty mprehended under the gen.
eral phrase capital and labor" it is
really vastly broader. 1t is a ques-
ton of social and economic organi-
cation. Labor has become a large
contributor, through its savings, to
the stock of capital; while the PEG
pie who own the largest individual
aggregates of capital are them
selves often hard and earnest labor
ers. Very often it is extremely diff
ficult to draw the line of demarca-
ton between the two groups; to
determine whether particular in
dividual is entitled TO be set down
as laborer or capitalist.
In very large proportion of
cases he is both, and when he is
both, he is the most useful citi-
zen.
Both May Organize.
The right of labor to organize is
just as fundamental and necessary
as is the right of capital to organ
ize. The right of labor to negoti-
ate, to deal with and solve its par
ticular problems, in an organized
way, through its chosen agents, is
iTrS
capital to organize, to maintain
corporations, to limit the liabilities
of stockholders. Indeed, we have
come to recognize that the limited
liability of the citizen as a member
of a labor organization closely par
allels the Limitation of liability of
the citizen as a stockhoder in a
corporation for profit. Along this
line of reasoning we shall make
the greatest progress toward solu-
ton OF our problem of capital and
labor.
Protect Public.
In the case of the corporation,
which enjoys the privilege of linn
tied liability of stockholders, par
ticularly when engaged in the pub
lie service, it is recognized that
the outside public has a large con-
Germ which must be protected. and
so we provide regulations, restric-
tons and in some cases detailed
supervision Likewise in the case
of labor orga nizations, we might
well apply similar and equally well
defined principles of regulation and
supervision, in order to conserve
ha ~ 49, ut q Il h-T
their operations.
Just as it is not desirable that a
corporation shall be allowed to
impose undue exactions upon the
public, so it is not desirable that
a labor organization shall be per
mitted to exact unfair terms of EN-
ploynent or subject the public to
actual distrasses in order to en-
force its terms
Finally, just as we are earnestly
seeking for procedures. whereby to
adjust and settle political differ
enCes between nations without re
sort TO war, so we may we'll look
about for means to settle the diff
ferences between organized capital
and organized labor without resort
to those forms of warfare which
we recognize under the name of
strikes, Iockouts. boyCotts and the
like,
Compares TO Treaties.
AS we have great bodies of law
that carefully guard the organiza-
ton and the operations of indus
trial and financial corporations. as
we have treaties and c0mpa cts
among nations which look to the
settlement Of differ ences without
the necessity Of conflict in arms.
so we might well have plans of con-
ffdence, of common counsel, of med
iation, arbitration and judicial de-
termination in controversies be
tw cen labor and capital. To ac-
complish this would involve the ne
cessity to develop a thorough going
code Cf practice in dealing with
such affairs. It might be well
frankly 10 set forth the superior in
terest OF the community as 4 whole
to either the labor group or the
ca pital group. With rights, privi-
1eges. immunities and modes of or
ganization thus carefully defined.
it should be possible to set up judi
cial or quasi-judiciaI tribunals for
the consideration and determine
ton of all disputes which menace
the public welfare.
Strikes Disastrous.
In an industrial society such as
ours the strike, the lockout, and
the boycott are as much out of
place and as disastrous in their re-
suits as in war or armed revolution
in the domain OF politics. The
same disposition to reasonableness
to Cancellation. to recognition Of
the other sides point OF view, the
same provision of fair and recog-