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11
The Commoner
MAKCH, 1915
Vi
An Ideal for Workers
Remarks of Hon. William C. Redfleld, secre
tary of commerce, in the assembly hall of the
Commonwealth Steel Co., Granite City, Illinois,
Tuesday noon, January 23, 1915,
My friends, Mr. Howard:
Yes, I remember very well $3 a week, and of
getting paid once every three months. It looked
very big when I got it, but by the end of the next
three months there wasn't much left. I was later
promoted to $6 a week, and then was fired be
cause I was too expensive. (Laughter.) That
was the only time I was ever fired and I remem
ber it very vividly.
I went through a big shop not a great while ago
witfi the president of the company. It was a great
big shop and the president went along down
the benches where the vise hands were working,
behind the line of lathes, and putting his hand
on a man's shoulder he said, "Johii, how is your
wife?" John turned around and said, "She's
pretty well, thank you, Mr. ." Then we
went on, and I was just far enough behind to
hear John say to Jim next to him, "My God, does
he care?" It was a good deal of a surprise to
John to know that a head of a great company
thought enough of John to care how his wife
was when she was sick, and to think to ask
about it.
I want to tell you a little story that has never
been told out loud in this country before. I
went across the Pacific ocean about three years
ago, and on the ship was a Japanese naval officer,
a man whom I came to know very well Indeed,
and he told me this story. He was in the great
fight at Tsushima, where Admiral Togo's fleet .
destroyed what was left of the Russian navy.
After the battle was over, my friend's ship was
one of those that was sent off to chase four Rus
sian vessels which had gotten away. In the
morning they saw, a good way off, some four
steamers and they knew those were the Russian
ships. When they got quite near them the Rus-
si'an ships sent up some flags. The captain of
the Japanese cruiser did not understand what
the signal meant. He got out his signal book. It
was not there. He called his executive officer.
. Again they examined the signal book.' It was not
there. He called down from the bridge of the
ship to my friend, who was gunnery lieutenant,
and said to him in Japanese, "Gunnery, come up.
You have been in England and America. Per
haps you can read this signal." He was soon
upon the bridge and with his glasses looked at
the ships. He said, "Yes, yes, that Is the signal
for surrender. Let me look at your signal book."
He opened the book and the leaf had been torn
out! That Japanese ship was not able to give
the signal of surrender during that war!
Now it is that spirit which is In you. It is that
spirit with, which the American workman's heart,
transfused throiigh his fingers into honest work,
that is making our, country greatr gentlemen. It
is that whioh has carried us against many disad
vantages all around the world so that the prod
uct of American shops are everywhere sold. It
is that fact that made it possible for. .me .to say
to a man in eastern Java, "You ought to have
here for sale such and such an American article.
It is well made by honorable men and by honorable
workmen" For, my friends, there are seven days
of worship in this world, not merely on Sunday
when the priest or the minister may lead a ser
vice, but six days in the week when men at hon
est toil, with clear heads and sound hearts and
skilful fingers do work they worship. I wish we
would get that gospel of industry deep into the
heart of every one of us, that work, honorably
done, with the spirit of service, is that in which
a man writes his character into that which leaves
his hands. So that out of a shop that which goes
well made, of good material, honorably worked
at with skilful labor, is what the men in the shop
and at the head made it. It represents them.
It is what they are, the product of their char
acter as well as of their toil. So that you are
daily speaking through what you make to other
men of what you are, and that is the fine and the
dignified and the hig gospel of labor, thank
Gd- x - T
It is a privilege to meet you face to face, i
wish I had the time and opportunity to meet you
hand to hand. It has long been my privilege, for
nearly 30 long years, to be in the shop. I know
the atmosphere of the hammer and the forge, and
. the furnace and the belt, a lot better than I do
the atmosphere of Washington, and plainly, I like
it a lot better, for hero in our shops where wo
work is wrought out the productive side of life.
I got tired often of the men who talk, and love
to meet the men that do, and I thank you for
the privilege of coming face to face with men
that show that they are doing things in this llfo.
I thank you very much. '(Applause.)
DR. BLANCO OP URUGUAY
Diplomatic society at Washington has boon
honored by the presence of a distinguished visit
or from Uruguay Doctor Juan Carlos Blanco,
secretary of the Interior of that country. Ho
came to return the visit which Secretary Root
paid to his country and also to represent Uru
guay at the Pan-American exposition. Ho be
longs to an illustrious Uruguay family, and,
though but thirty-four years or ago, has achlovod
great prominence in the public life of his nation.
At a dinner given to him by the secretary of
state, upon his arrival, Doctor Blanco said:
DR. BLANCO'S ADDRESS
"Mr. Secretary of State:
"His Excellency the president of the oriental
republic of Uruguay has directed me to present
to Your Excellency the greetings of tho nation
and to reiterate personally to tho American gov
ernment the expressions of friendship and ad
miration which tho people of Uruguay so pro
foundly feel for the United States.
"Uruguay considers the United States a disinter
ested supporter of peace and international Just
ice, and believes that the most sincere wishes of
your nation are to see tho American continent
freo of internal dissensions and united in senti
ments of progress and prosperity and protected
agalnBt possible external attacks by the Monroe
Doctrine, which today is a dogma throughout tho
continent.
"It Is not to bo forgotten that every citizen of
this continent has, not mentioning the duty to
his country, also deep obligations toward the
American continent and must contribute to tho
work of prosperity in common. The horrors of
the present European war tell us more than over
the uncomparable happiness of peace. And they
teach us more than ever that peace must bo
maintained In America and rest on reciprocal
confidence and benevolence.
"Uruguay considers Your Excellency a foremost
and most advanced factor of international peace
and justice. The relations between both coun
tries are becoming more and more intimate and
cordial. The American government has taken
several initiatives Which will make imperishable
the names of her enlightened statesmen. A
treaty betweeji our countries has just been agreed
upon at the suggestion of the United States,
which is a very important step made toward tho
peace of the American continent.
"Uruguay is proud to collaborate in this work
and looks for now customs adjustments and con
ventions dealing with the naturalization of cit
izens and other reciprocal facilities and advant
ages' which would make America one sole coun
try of entire democracy and freedom.
"Allow me, g'entlemen, to raise my cup in honor
to His Excellency William Jennings Bryan, tho
illustrious secretary of state and eminent citizen,
whose civicism and patriotism constituto an ex
ample for the citizens of the American con
tinent." An address of welcome was delivered by Sen
ator Root and brief speeches were made by Sec
retary McAdoo, Minister de Pena of, Uruguay,
Congressman Linthicum, representing tho ma
jority of the foreign affairs committee of the
house; Ambassador Naon of Argentine; Con
gressman Ainey representing tho minority of the
foreign affairs committee of the house; and Min
ister Calderon of Bolivia.
In concluding the program, Mr. Bryan said:
"Dr. Blanco: You have listened to tho words
of welcome we are all delighted to have you
among us. I can not add anything of value to
the felicitous addresses to which you have listen
ed but I can congratulate you and your country
upon the age In which we live. Uruguay is not
large in population or in area, but size and num
bers do not count now as they once did. In
ancient times, when 'might made right,' nations
must be strong, if they would live tho weak
were absorbed by the powerf ul-r-but the day has
come in the western hemisphere when differences
are to bo settled by reason, rather than by the
sword, and when a nation's claim for prominence
must rest upon her ideals and upon the service
which she renders. The prize is now to the na
tion which can hold highest the torch of light
and liberty, and tho smallest nation need not
fear to entorlnjo this honorable contest.
"And Just a word more. Tho nations of thte
hemisphere aro bound together by tho strongest
of ties They not only havo a unity of Ideal, but
they are neighbors and must remain so. It i
necessary to .their happiness, therefore, tfeat,
having to Hvo together, they shall live togethtr
In amity and in friendship.
"I ask you all, therefore, to rloo and Join ntt
In the sontimont 'Tho nations of the Wester
Homlsphoro what God hath Joined together, ltt
no man put asunder.' "
A STRONG STATEMENT
Gov. Charles 8. Hamlin of tho federal rcservt
board makes a strong statcraont In a Chicago ad
dress when ho says that tho establishment of tht
new banking system at Its outsot rescued tht
country from tho "most ominous condition in its
history." Is It too strong a statement?
Wo know what tho situation was for somt
weoks after tho outbreak of tho war. Wo know
what It Is now or since the opening of tho fed
eral reserve systom. Tho war caught us under
tho old banking system, with gold reserves scat
tered and subject to tho hoarding instincts of
thousands of Individual banks. It Inflicted upon
us conditions which great domestic panics Iiad
brought In tho pant. It Imposed upon us, beside,
an Immense liquidation of stocks and bonds held
abroad whose immediate settlement In gold was
demanded. Our foreign exchanges ran up to unheard-of
figures, and a virtual and disorderly
moratorium on maturing Indebtedness to Europt
sprang up as a last effort to save tho gold stand
ard. ;"
Even this might not havo availed but for tht
oncoming establishment of tho federal reservt
Bystem so happily provided beforehand. It came,
and with It a new-born confidence. Mobilization
of gold reserves took tho placo of their scattered
hoarding, concerted control dislodged a banking
and individual scramble without control, goods
began to move out Instead of gold, the foreign
exchanges began to fall until they aro now below
tho gold-import point.
What the new system has done in overcoming
an unparalleled emergoncy is established beyond
dispute. What it may yet do for the permanent
commorclal upbuilding of tho nation wo got an
inkling of in the provision of a wide market for
business paper through bank acceptances.
Mr. Hamlin's statemont was nono too strong.
It was perhaps not strong enough. Now York
World.
THE BUSINESS PROSPECT
Philadelphia may not bb progressive in every
thing, but note that her city government hfci
sold five million four per cent bonds "over tht
counter," or direct to the investor, without any
intervening banker, in less than seven hours
This not only illustrates the correct method of
selling bonds, but Is a little hint also of the cap
ital waiting for Investment. Most of the salt
was for $r00 knd $1,000 to men and women
standing in lfiio."
There is one slogan going about Just now,
"Made in America." An excellent slogan. Thert
is another, "Buy it now." That also Is sound.
The best judges predict a rapid improvement ia
conditions. They aro beginning already. Con
ditions are very favorable in our fbftunatt
country. Tho sensible and helpful thing is to
Jump right in. Harper's Weekly.
An editorial admirer of Senator Root, express
ing his" regret over tho retirement of the New
Yorker to private life, said he was moved to do
so by his lack of belief in the Intelligence of tht
people meaning thereby that they did not know"
enough to re-elect him. While cheerfully ad
mitting Mr. Root's intellectual solidity, it might
be added that a man who holds such opinions of
the electorate is hardly tho best man to repre
sent it.
Presidential primaries were pushed into tht
background by more pressing legislation during
the short session of congress, but there is still
time to inaugurate a reform that will put the big
bosses out of politics as effectively as direct pri
maries elsewhere have eliminated the llttlt
bosses.
Mr. Roosevelt continues to express a poor opin
ion of the Wilson administration. In fact it It &
becoming increasingly difficult to discover any-
thing anywhere that meets with Mr. Roosevelt't
approval.
v.