I have confined my remarks so far to the duties of the employe. The
responsibilities of the employer are even greater and more numerous.
I can not speak of them at length now. The employer must have care of
the health of the employe, as well as provide for him the necessaries
of life while he is performing his work. The employer should ever be
mindful of the general welfare of his employe. He is more than a mere
medium of exchange of labor for dollars. On account of his superior
knowledge, there are certain duties which the moral law requires him to
discharge. To pay liberally and promptly are minor duties when compared
with his general oversight of the moral and intellectual welfare of the
laborer. He must not only not defraud the employe himself, but he must
see that others do not take advantage of his ignorance or inexperience.
He must provide suitable and comfortable homes for his workmen, having
due regard for the laws of health. I have in my mind three model men
of Huntsville, Alabama, of this class, whose names I will be pardoned
for mentioning in this connection.
Dr. J. J. Dement is so kind and upright in dealing with his tenants
that they give into his hands their net cash, allowing him to keep all
the accounts. This confidence can come by dealing according to moral
principles, which are broader and higher than formal business rules.
Col. William M. Holding is another employer, or landlord, who has
stamped himself indelibly upon the hearts of his employes or tenants.
He is ever mindful of their interests, and stands between them and
the men who are always watching for a chance to get their hard-earned
dollars by fraudulent means. Mr. Holding supplies his tenants himself
at cash prices, and never charges them one cent of interest, and yet
he pays as high wages and rents his lands as cheaply as any other man
in the county. Hon. Edmond I. Mastin is the third model employer. He
runs a brick yard. His foreman is a Negro of almost full blood. Mr.
M. contracted with him to work for $25 per month, but finding the
foreman constantly increasing in competency, and finding his own cash
account growing larger, he voluntarily advanced the wages to $50 per
month. This struck the foreman with great surprise. One of his men had
mortgaged his house and lot,--this Mr. M. paid off, secured to him
the property, and charged no interest. These kinds of employers and
landlords understand their relations to their tenants and employes.
There are hundreds of others scattered over the South, and each one
is doing more to build up the country and establish and maintain
confidence and friendly relations between the races than a dozen
politicians. I wish all the landlords and employers in the country
would carry such ethics into their business relations with their
laborers.