These two classes of
citizens ARE THE UNITED STATES. Between them they are more
important than all the rest of the nation put together.
AND YET THEY ARE NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THEIR CHILDREN.
The workingman of to-day is the father of the future.
The trouble with us is that the employer, unlike the owner of the
fine horses, has no interest in that workingman's future or in
his future family.
He employs and treats the workingman as the casual heartless
customer would treat that fine horse if it were rented by the day
at a livery stable.
There is much to be said, no doubt, on the side of harassed
employers, many of whom are fair-minded men, and many of whom
are put to unjust annoyance by some of the labor unions'
mistakes.
But, first of all, the employer must realize the RIGHTS and
the EQUALITY of his workmen. And as a patriotic citizen he must
realize that the welfare of the future is in the health and
vitality of parents to-day.
By limiting the amount of work which they do in one day our
mechanics enable themselves to preserve some of their vitality
for mental work, for educating talks with their children. THEY
GIVE TO THEIR CHILDREN THE VITALITY WHICH THE SWEATSHOP SLAVE CAN
NEVER GIVE.
What are our laws against sweatshops but laws acknowledging the
justice of regulating the amount of the day's work?
And why do we refuse to permit unions to do for themselves what
we do on a sentimental, philanthropic, haphazard basis, through
our "sweatshop laws," for the miserable, unorganized workers of
the slums?
TO THE MERCHANTS
PLEASE LISTEN PATIENTLY TO A DISCUSSION OF THE LABOR UNION FROM
YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
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