The Butler County Press, 1913-04-18

The following excerpt from the inaugural address of President Wilson recounting the deflcien deflciencies - cies deflciencies of our government is sug suggestive: - gestive: suggestive: "Nor have we studied and per perfected - fected perfected the means by which gov government - ernment government may be put at the serv service - ice service of humanity, In safeguard safeguarding - ing safeguarding the health of the nation, the health of its men and its wo women - men women and children as well as their rights in the struggle for existence. This is no sentimental duty. The firm basis of govern government - ment government is justice, not pity. These are matters of justice. There can be no equality of opportuni opportunity—the - ty—the opportunity—the first essential of justice in the body politic—If men and women and children be not shielded in their lives, their very vitality, from the consequences of great industrial and social processes which they cannot al alter, - ter, alter, control or singly cope with. Society must see to it that it does not itself crush or weaken or damage its own constituent parts. The first duty of law is to keep sound the society it serves. Sanitary laws, pure food laws and laws determining con conditions - ditions conditions of labor which individ individuals - uals individuals are powerless to determine for themselves are intimate parts of the very business of Justice and legal efficiency."

In view of the recent victories won by the organized women of the white goods trades of New York city it is in interesting - teresting interesting to revert to the first feeble efforts of working women to secure labor reform. In the crises which have just added another chapter to the story of women in industry, one of the sig significant - nificant significant points made was the ability of the young workers to stand together. Their keen appreciation of organiza organization - tion organization and solidarity was particularly im impressive - pressive impressive to the men and women sym sympathizers - pathizers sympathizers who watched them a few Sundays ago come up, crying, to cast their votes against a surrender that would have meant the ultimate disrup disruption - tion disruption of the union they had built up by hard work. And another point made was the reliance of the young workers upon public sympathy. Over and over their chosen speakers told them, over and over they told themselves, "As soon as the people understand how it Is with us they will stand by us." is, in particular, along this line of llance that a parallel may be lnstit ed between them and those earlier v men workers who agitated for lat reform.

Should it not be possible to prepare legislation definite and clear enough to enable the injured employee or his wid widow - ow widow if he dies easily to determine what his or her rights are in order that without the intervention of an insurance company or a lawyer a fair settlement may be made with the em employer? - ployer? employer? After giving a reasonuble time in which to make such settlements and providing that settlements brought about by fraud or unfairness shall be void should not such legislation pro provide - vide provide for a competent adjuster in each federal district appointed by the judge who shall take proof as to the facts in case of dispute and report to the court his opinion as to liability? If a law lawyer - yer lawyer or a claim agent is engaged should not his compensation be subject to the action of the court, that the Injustice of a 50 per cent contingent fee for merely making a settlement or con conducting - ducting conducting an easy case shall no longer be possible?

The matter of labor reform was han handled - dled handled a little differently In Massachu Massachusetts, - setts, Massachusetts, where the first legislative investi investigation - gation investigation of labor conditions was made in that same year, and a large part of the petitioners from Andover and from Lowell for that investigation were wo women. - men. women. At the Lowell convention there were twenty men and ten women. Among the thirty were Albert Bris Brisbane, - bane, Brisbane, W. H. Channing, Robert Owen, from Scotland, and Horace Greel y, who addresed the meeting. It also ap appointed - pointed appointed a formidable body of reformers to go to a convention in New York .r the purpose of instituting labor re reforms - forms reforms there. Wendell Phillips. Willh Lloyd Garrison, Charles A. Dana. A i iJah - Jah iJah Watson and Theodore Parker ma ie up the band of delegates.

At the Baltimore labor union's con congress - gress congress in 1866 Susan B. Anthony was accepted as a delegate, but Mrs. Eliza Elizabeth - beth Elizabeth Cady Stanton's credentials were discredited until after a heated de debate, - bate, debate, because the suffrage association was not a labor organization. She was finally admitted, with the con congress - gress congress on record as not indorsing her "peculiar ideas." However, the point is that the women who worked for t" Independence of wage and work wt those who worked for the indepen i ence of women politically, for the tory of the times offers continuous to totlrnony - tlrnony totlrnony that the hardest work for vi man's industrial freedom in t^o years just after the war was dose Susan B. Anthony and her fo^owen

Unions Oppose Constabulary. The forces of organized labor of Michigan are aroused over a bill re centlv Introduced in the legislature es establishing - tablishing establishing a state constabulary. The president of the Michigan State Fed Federation - eration Federation of Labor, representatives of the miners' unions and the president of the Detroit Federation of Labor are using every effort within their means to prevent action. The bill provides for 100 men to be used on behalf of the employers during strikes and providing that these men shall receive pay from the state. Pennsylvania has a simi similar - lar similar law, and It is claimed that more men have been killed by the Pennsyl vania constabulary during two years than during the entire existence of the state militia.

The simplicity of their appeal is sig signified - nified signified by their readiness to accept the offer of Signor Palma of the Opera House to give them a benefit on the 27th of March, 1845. and the same sim simplicity - plicity simplicity of distress resolved them to present their wrongs to the public and to meet again. But a real organization was to be behind them on the next oc occasion, - casion, occasion, and, for the furthering of tins end, they appointed a committee from the tailoresses, the plain and coarse sewers, the shirt makers, the book folders and stitchers, the straw work ers, the dressmakers, the crimpers, the fringe and lawmakers, who seem to have composed the variety of workers present

Is it not plain that all these employ employers - ers employers and these laborers should have some more uniform and Just rule of law to govern their relations to each other and to their work? Should It not be possible to take all the model laws and from them frame a national act that will cover the permissible hours and days of labor for men, wo women - men women and children, the permissible san sanitary - itary sanitary conditions for them, the per permissible - missible permissible conditions for them as to safe safety - ty safety and that will prescribe what com compensation - pensation compensation shall be received by them in case of Injury or by those who come after them in case of their death?