The Cdrrimfciier
NOVEMBER; 1916
(TV
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its usefulness, over its possibilities, as to forget
the God-made man who was herd firsthand who
still remains a' factor to ho considered J
(From Speech "before Chicago 'Association of-
Commerce.)
LABOR ,
SECRETARY OF IjABOR '
A long step toward the elevation of labor to
its proper postion in the nation's deliberations is
to be found in-the establishment of a depart
ment of labor, with a cabinet officer at its head.
The wage-earners deserve this recognition, and
the executive is entitled to the assistance which
such an official could render him. I regard the
inauguration of this reform as the opening of
a new era in -which those who toil will have a
voice in the , deliberations of the President's
council chamber. . . i
(From Labor Day Speech at Chicago.)
LABOR ORGANIZATION
t t
The trust and the labor organization cn not
bo described in the same language. JThe trust
magnates have used their power to amass Bwollen
fortunes, while no onef will say that the labor
organization has as yet secured for its members
more than their share of the profits arising from
their work. But there are fundamental differ
ences. The trust is a combination of dollars;
the labor organization .is an association of human
beings. In a trust a few men attempt to con
trol the product of ottiers; in a labor organiza
tion, the members unite for the protection of
tbat which is their own, namely, their own la
bor, which, being necessary to their existence,
is a part of them. The trust deals with dead
matter; the labor organization deals with life
and with intellectual and moral forces.
(From Labor Day Speech at Chicago.)
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GOVERNMENT BY INJUNCTION ,
All that is' .SQiigjit iq..the sui?stitutfoA of .trial
by jury 'for, trial ,by,jud,ge when the violation, of
the court's, decree must be established by evi
dence. Not only is the prosecution for contempt a
criminal prosecution, but there is ,even more
reason for a jury than in the ordinary criminal
case. In the criminal court the judge acts in a
judicial capacity only. He is not responsible
for the law which, is being enforced in his court,
and therefore he has no personal grievance
against the defendant, and, not being the pros
ecutor in the, case, he does not feel a personal
interest in the result of the "trial; but in a con
tempt proceeding the judge is the, lawmaker and
the public prosecutor as well as the judge.
(From Labor Day Speech at ..Chicago.)
THE EIGHT-HOUR DAY1
But important as that was, I do not regard
it as most important. The greatest effect was
the support it gave to the eight-hour" day in the
United States. While the immediate benefi
ciaries of this law will number only between
three hundred. and four hundred thousand, every
wage earner in the nation is a participant in. the
benefits of this law for it has brought that
struggle to a successful issue. It has been a
long struggle. If you will read the platforms
of the parties yo'u will find that as far back as
eight years ago both of the great parties de
clared in favor of an eight-hour day. I put my
self on record as in favor of an pight-hpur day
years ago. I believe in it. These laboring men
are a p'art of qur community; they are a part of
our business life; they are part o( our political
life, and they have a right to live' up to all the
possibilities of American citizenship." If you
drivo the laboring man from hib ued to his work
and from his work back to his bed again, how
is he to know the comforts 'of home life? And
how is he to prepare himself for the discharge
of the duties of citizenship? It-is a farce to say
to the laboring man that he Ib a citizen and then
allow him to be denied opportunity to prepare
himself to enjoy the things you give him. The
eight-hour da' is now a fact, and it has been
established under the leadership of a President
who wisely used the opportunity presented '
.(From Campaign Speech, 1916.)
POPULAR ELECTION OF SENATORS
t A GATEWAY TO OTHER REFORMS
"Shall the people rule?" Evory romedial
measure of a national charactor must run tho
gauntlet of tho senate. Tho President may
personally incline toward a rerorm; tho houso
may consent to it; but as long as tho sohato ob
structs the reform, tho peoplo must wait. Tho
President, may heed a popular demand; the
house may ylehl to public opinion; but as long
as tho senate is defiant, tho rule of tho peoplo is
defeated. Tho democratic platform very prop
erly doscribes tho popular election of sonatprs
as "the gateway to other national reforms."
Shall wo open the gate, or shall wo allow tho
exploiting interests to bar the way by tho con
trol of this branch of the federal legislature?
(From Acceptance Speech of 1908.)
INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
Value of tho Initiative and Referendum
Great progress has been made of lato in tho
coercing of legislators into obedience to tho
popular will. Tho initiative and referendum,
brought into this country from Switzerland, are
being rapidly adopted by tho states, and are
justifying their adoption. Under the initiative
the people are enabled, through tho right of
petition, to compel tho submission of any prop
osition upon which they wish to vote, the vote,
when taken, having the same effect as the vote
of the legislature. The referendum provides a
means by which the people can, by petition, se
cure an opportunity to sit in judgment upon tho
actions of the legislature a negative vote, when
so taken, nullifying the law passed.
Of the two, the initiative is by far the more
important, because through it tho people can
not only inaugurate legislation but can repeal
legislation that has been enacted.
(From The Royal Art.)
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THE LIQUOR QUESTION'
"V
THE CHRISTIAN'S REASONS
The Christian has three reasons for abstain
ing from the use of intoxicating liquors as a
beverage, and tho reasons ought to appeal to
those) outside of the church.
First: Having given himself in service to his
Maker and his Saviour, the Christian can not af
ford to impair the yalue oX that service by the use
of alcohol. Neither can he afford to contract a
habit which may in his case, as it has In the
case of millions of others, destroy both tile ca
pacity and the disposition to serve.
Second: He can not afford to spend any
money on intoxicating liquor when there are so
many worthy causes in need of funds. How can
a Christian pray "Thy will be done," and rise
up and spend on alcohol rapney that might be
used to advance God's kingdom on earth?
Third: The Christian can not afford to put
his example on the side of the use of Intoxicat
ing liquor. He will have enough to answer for
before the judgment day without having a soul,
ruined by drink, lay the blame upon his ex
ample. If Paul could say, "If eating meat
maketh my brother to offend I shall eat no
meat," surely the Christian can say: "If drink
ing maketh my brother to offend, I shall not
drink."
A NEW YEAR'S RESOLVE
The custom of "turning over a new. leaf" on
Ne.w Year's day is a commendable one the old
one is likely to be unsightly even when we have
done our best. It Is helpful to take an annual
inventory and see just what unsalable stock we
have on hand and what we need in the way of
new goods. It is well to make new resolves
even little resolves are good, but why not big
ones? Why not the biggest of all? And what
is the biggest of all resolves? Is it not the re
solve that contemplates the greatest possible
improvement? Here is a resolve for the new
year have you & better one?
Conscious of my responsibility to O0d for
every thought and word and deed, and in duty
bound to render to my fellowmen the largest
. possible, service as tho host cvidonco of my love
. for my Heavenly Father, I rcsolvo to strive dur
ing tho roraalndcr of my llfo to lncreaso my ca
pacity for usefulness. TO THIS END I WILL
GIVE UP ANY PRACTICE OR HABIT THAT
TENDS TO WEAKEN MY BODY, IMPAIR THE
STRENGTH OF MY MIND OR LOWER MY
MORAL PURPOSE, AND I WILL NOT ONLY
ENDEAVOR TO CULTIVATE HABITS OF IN
DUSTRY IN BOTH BODY AND MIND BUT
WILL SEEK AND FOLLOW WORTHY IDEALS.
WATER
"All hail to tho drink of drinks to water,
tho dally need of every living thing! It asconds
from tho earth In obedience to tho summons of
tho sun, and descends in showors of blessings.
It gives forth of Its sparkling beauty to tho
fragrant flower; its alchemy transmutes base
clay into golden grain; it Is tho radiant canvas
upon which the fingers of tho Infinlto traces tho
rainbow of promise. It is the boverago tbat re
freshes and brings no sorrow with it. Jehovah
looked upon it at creation's dawn and said "It
is good!"
''(From 'Total Abstinence Speech, N. Y 191b.)
TEMEPEKANCE PLEDGE J '
. 'Pledge: WE, THE UNDEIIS1GNED, PROM
ISE, GOD HELPING US, NEVER TO USE IN
TOXICATING LIQUOR AS A BEVERAGE.
NEBRASKA'S STANDARD
In every battle it has been on tho firing lino.
By your command I have borne It; I havo been
proud of you, and proud of these cnings for
which wo have fought. Examine that standard;
there is no stain upon it; it has never been
trailed in tho dust since you gave It-to mo. I
shall not lower it now. Wo never espoused a
more righteous causo than that which now ap
peals to us; wo never faced an enemy moro de
serving of attack than that which is attempting
to Corrupt our party and control our state" If
a retreat is to be sounded. It must be soundod
by another. I shall not do It never, never,
never.
(From 'Speech on County Option, Nebraska
Stato Convention, 1910.)
PROHIBITION
All legislation against the sale of liquor,
from the slfghtest restrictions to complete pro
hibition of tho manufacture and sale of alcoholic
beverages, rests upon tho fact that alcohol Is a
poison which, when taken into tho system, saps
tho strength' of tho body, impairs tho energies
of tho mind and menaces tho morals. No nor
mal brain needs alcohol to stimulate it to ac
tion; no one Is so strong but that tho appetite
may overcome him; there is no lay between in
fancy and death when It is safe to form tho
habit. The sentiment in favor of prohibition,
local, state and national, .is growing because
increased intelligence and an awakening con
science unite in condemning the license system.
No community would permit the existence of
an institution which, merely for profit, cut off
fingers, toes, hands and feet; why should any
community permit the existence of the saloon
which, for the money to be made by it, cripples
the body, enfeebles the brain and destroys tho
morals?
No community would license a person to
scatter the germs of hog cholera among hogs;
why should any community license a saloon 'to
spread disease and death among human beings,
and, through tainted blood, close the door of
hope to innocent children before they see tho
light of day?
But, besides being an economic fallacy, tho
license system involves a moral responsibility.
If a saloon can not exist except by the consent
of the people, then every one who, by voting
to license the saloon, helps to bring it into ex
istence must share with the liquor dealer re
sponsibility for the harm done by the -saloon.
The voters throughout the land are, In increas
ing numbers, refusing to enter into such a part
nership. And this hostility to the saloon is in
tensified rather than diminished by the -threat
of the liquor dealers to sell in spite of the stat
ute. Lawlessness is not attractive to the, Amer
ican, and then, too, a "blind tiger" Is not as
dangerous to the youth of the land as a tigor
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