The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-08-16
FROM OUR READERS
ARE WE HEADED
FOR THE BREAKERS!

| nOrlty OF the present living the moth
err presided over the domestic affairs
of the house The cards, the spinning
wheel, the loOm the needle were in
evidence. The father, on the outside,
took care of the food supply. There
was no anxiety whether the train
came in this week or next. There was
lplenty to eat and wear.
The paper, published once a week,
had but little in its pages. What the
difference whether the train came to
bring it this week or next? Wood for
fuel was gotten with no cost and lit
tie effort What the difference? The
ftrain could stay away if there was no
one who could bring it along.
But a change has come. We are
living now, and not then. The village
over the mountain has grown into a
city. The spinning wheel and the
loom have gone from the home to-
the city There and not at home is
the raw material transformed into
clothing for father and mother, son
and daughter Now some thought is
given to the coming of the train that
will bring the clothing and end a
much felt need. The fuel supply
that the forest yielded to the demand
of fathers axe has been transferred
to the coal pockets in the far away
mountains. At every move our anX-
iety for the coming train in its regu-
larity. widens and deepens Our food
supplies are now obtained from the
land where the forest stood. These
supplies must be distributed to meet
his necessities wherever man is
found. The railroad is the artery
through which flows the supply es-
sential to the needs of life and prog
ress of the human race. AS these in
stitutions above mentioned developed
out of their experimental stages by
the output of product and the accu-
mutation of operating capital, it be-
came necessary to organize to pre-
serve equanimity between capital and
operation! This opened the way for
imperialistic tendencies OF employer
toward employe, and they were sell
dom in evidence in demand for long
continued service under trying CON
ditions, with meager reward. I'M
response to these conditions a coun
ter organization became necessary
and right. The two-year-Old child
easily breaks the individual switches
which the strong father scarcely
bends when bound into II bundle. In
union there is strength. also wis
dom In union of the employees rests
the foundation upon which they can
be directed in their obligations to
their employer, and by means OF
which they can influence their en-
ployer, if he is otherwise minded, to
meet his obligation to them. The
laborer has his rights and he is en-
titled to every vestige OF authority in
government, from the municipal to-
the national, in order that he may
secure his own. The employer and
the employe are on equal footing in
this zone.
Nevertheless, in this contention l
maintain that neither party is empow-
cred with any single degree of JUS
tice lin the election of method by
which he may secure his rights
which method is a menace to the in
terests Of his fellow man. This is
principle that affectua.es everywhere
So lar do am Iltl iilttSu W uhNNi
stand, except in the question NV
under consideration. | have a right
to locate a lot on my land, select the
material, build a house, but in the
location and more especially in the
material selected, | create a possible
liability fer my neighbors. Munich
pal authority says to me, Your RICH;
stops at the point where the liability
of your neighbors begins, therefore
you cannot create the liability-you
cannot build the house.
There is not an accountable being
whose rights do not in many things
have their limits and at given points
cease to exist, further action in
owners direction is positively wrong
This fully represents the means la
bar has employed by which his de-
mands are secured. But a penalty
inflicted upon the innocent public is
sure to follow In case of the house
! / build it is a menace only il il
Turns, yet l can build. The strike is
wrong in principle, because of the
enormous penalty it lays upon those
innocent of the construction.
1t is ineXpedient because of the loss
of wages to the strikers. 1t is mex
pedient because it has put on proba-
tiCn the friendship of the millions
,o1or ,,,Oc+ irving conditions