INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
On March 3, 4, and 5, 1919, a conference of governors and mayors was
held at the White House, having been called by the President. The
Honorable W. B. Wilson, Secretary of Labor, was designated as Chairman
of the conference and the writer had the honor of serving as its
Secretary. The proceedings of the conference have been published by
the United States Government and a copy can be obtained without charge
by addressing the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C.
CONSERVATISM AND VISION
After the conference had been in progress one or two sessions, it was
deemed advisable to appoint a committee on resolutions. Almost every
Governor and Mayor had some special things which he desired to have
favorably passed upon. There was a maze of suggestions and counter
suggestions ranging all the way from the conservative teachings of
Governor Sproul of Pennsylvania to the socialistic propositions of
Mayor Hoan of Milwaukee. Therefore, a committee was appointed and of
this committee Governor Cox was appointed chairman. After sifting the
various reports and suggestions, he presented a set of resolutions
which were a wonderful combination of conservatism and vision.
Whatever others may say regarding Cox’s great labor following, I can
vouch that he is fair, and that all legitimate interests will be
absolutely safe in his hands. The days which I spent with him in
Washington at this Governors’ and Mayors’ conference and what I have
since seen of his later work, absolutely convince me of this point.
One incident illustrates what I have in mind. There was a clause in
the resolutions which suggested “that the federal government continue
its helpful offices with the view of averting serious consequences in
financial affairs of public utilities.” There was much interest among
the governors and mayors on the street railway situation thruout their
states and cities. In certain localities there were real conflicts
between the different interests. In some cases the fight was over the
wages and in other cases the fight was over the fares.
Any members of the Conference who were seeking votes would naturally
take the side of the municipalities and object to federal
interference. The fares were already low and federal interference
could result only in increasing and not in decreasing the fares. Just
as soon as the discussion opened, it was evident that it would take
courage for any governor or mayor to defend this portion of the
resolution.
Governor Cox had the courage not only to write but also to defend and
fight for the resolution in question. He made the point that the end
never justified the means; that two wrongs do not make a right; and
that altho the corporate interests have been wrong in the past this
does not justify the public in doing wrong at the present time. He
emphasized that true progress could come only thru justice and
fairness to all interests whether such justice temporarily hurts or
harms us. Altho the cause of the street railways was most unpopular,
Governor Cox fought for them diligently and whole-heartedly. The
resolution was finally passed with only a few votes against it.
A FRIEND OF MAN
Because Governor Cox would not call out the militia during various
coal strikes and refused to send troops to Cincinnati at the time of
the street car strike and to Steubenville at the time of the steel
strike, some have called him a radical. Such criticism simply shows
ignorance on the part of him who criticises.
Naturally James M. Cox likes the working man and has a friendly
feeling toward him. When Governor he worked hard for the new Ohio
constitution. Before the new constitution was in effect, workmen’s
accident compensation was voluntary; now it is compulsory. As Governor
he went all over the state using his influence to get the voters to
adopt the constitution, having personally visited eighty-eight
counties. Ohio people tell me that the new constitution was adopted
largely on account of Governor Cox’s personal campaign in its behalf.
That service pleased the wage workers of Ohio greatly and they
naturally say so. On the other hand, James M. Cox often gives very
pointed advice.
In talking with the Democratic candidate I was impressed by his sane
and clean understanding of the industrial situation. Yet I cannot say
that I gained from him any hope of a panacea for our labor problems.
He presented no vitally new ideas, and while I confidently believe
that he has the grasp of the situation, in other words the vision, the
hope of an immediate and complete solution of our industrial
difficulties seems little short of absurd. Nor did I find Cox
disposed to sanction campaign orating holding out such hope.
Cox stands for pure Americanism but Americanism of the democratic type
rather than of the imperialistic type. He favors progress and reform
but insists that it must come about thru the ballot and not thru
direct action. What he is saying today along these lines is reported
constantly in the newspapers. Hence, it might be well to refer to what
he said before he had any idea of ever being a candidate for the
Presidency. The following prepared by him, is taken from the
Resolutions above referred to:
“We are living in the most thrilling time in all history, and our
resolves are centered in the contribution to our children and our
children’s children of that measure of human contentment, justice and
opportunity which will record us as the worthy sons of worthy sires.
Confident that we must progress from the fundamental base of American
ideals conceived and vitalized by the founders of the Republic, we
pledge ourselves in firm and harmonious resolution to gain inspiration
from the creed of pure Americanism, rather than from the disordered
doctrines that find expression elsewhere. If peoples from overseas
desire to live with us and become a part of the nation’s life, they
must accept, in the first instance, this condition, namely that
principles of government must change thru the evolution and processes
of calm, human intelligence and that the mind of the majority, rather
than the violence of a minority, must be the determining factor. We
have been thrilled and reassured by the militant declaration made to
this conference by the Secretary of Labor, Hon. William B. Wilson,
that any alien who seeks to invoke force rather than reason against
our form of government must and will be treated as an enemy of our
institutions and sent out of the country.
“It is our expressed belief that any doctrine which inveighs against
both God and government is a poisonous germ in human thought and must
be treated as a menace to the morality and the progress of the world.
It has been insidiously planted in some parts where the discontent
growing out of unemployment brought fertile opportunity. Government,
which derives its power from the people, must keep vigilant watch in
the maintenance of public confidence, and inasmuch as the need most
pressing now is to provide the means of giving every man a chance to
perform the function God intended, we, as the representatives of
States and municipalities, enter most happily into the suggestion that
we coöperate our energies with those of the National Government. Its
perspective is wider. It is guided by a fresher experience in things
that are vital, and from it should come the expression of a dominating
policy and the initiation of such practical methods as will match
preachment with performance....
“Regardless of certain disordered statements by delegates to this
Conference, its outstanding feature, nevertheless, has been a militant
note of confidence in our government and industrial stability. The
world in part is to be rebuilt. The patriotism, resource, ingenuity
and unselfish spirit of our people saved it from destruction, and what
these elements have accomplished in protection they will guarantee in
preservation. We face the future, firm in the belief that the Almighty
intends all things well, and that there remains for us and the
generations to come full compensation for the service given, and the
sacrifice made in support of the ideals of democracy.”
COX’S EMPLOYEES
It is said that the best way to get the truth regarding a woman is to
interview her maid. Certainly the best way to get the truth regarding
the employer is to interview his wage workers. Hence, while in
Springfield and Dayton, I endeavored to ascertain how Mr. Cox’s
employees feel toward him.
On the morning following Mr. Cox’s nomination, the employees of the
_Dayton News_ early in the day sent him a huge bouquet of flowers.
Upon receiving it he climbed the steps to the composing rooms of his
newspaper to say a word to his fellow workmen. After the typographical
union chapel of the paper presented him with congratulations and
resolutions of support, he spoke as follows to his workmen:
“The greatest gift that the Almighty God can give to any man in public
life is to permit him to come into the world under circumstances which
enable him to know the life status of the man who works. Providence
was good to me--it was my high privilege to come thru the ranks. I
know the torment of the boy who is without funds and I know his
anxiety as to how he will get an education that will help him achieve
his ambitions. If nomination means election, I will take to the White
House this best equipment for a man in public life--experience in the
ranks of those who toil.”
CONFIDENCE OF LABOR
James M. Cox’s reason for having the confidence of labor is that he
has always consistently carried out his promises. It is a customary
thing for candidates for public office to talk pleasantly to labor
before the election, but to forget their promises after the votes are
counted. The labor leaders of the country have been disappointed so
many times in that way that they are almost discouraged. The various
third party movements have come into being not because the regular
candidates of the old parties would not promise enough, but rather
because they would not carry out their promises.
Integrity is a cardinal trait with Mr. Cox. He believes that a promise
should be kept. He believes that works speak louder than words and
ultimately all of us will be judged according to what we do rather
than according to what we say. In talking with some of the labor
leaders of Ohio and asking them what Governor Cox had really done for
labor, I was given the following:
A model workmen’s compensation act.
A child labor law that has been copied by other States.
A mothers’ pension system.
The initiative and referendum.
A scientific budget system.
A prison reform to provide healthy occupation for convicts, the
compensation for which is given to their dependents.
The elimination of sweatshops.
A reform of the school system.
Consolidation of useless bureaus, resulting in a substantial saving to
the State.
INCONSISTENCIES OF THE WHITE HOUSE
One should be loath in criticizing the intentions of the Wilson
administration. Careful study will convince any man that these
intentions were of the best. Certain inconsistencies, however, were
very apparent. These inconsistencies apply not alone to international
matters but also to domestic affairs. The Wilson administration’s
attitude toward labor was most perplexing even to its friends. James
M. Cox takes a sane middle of the road position believing that the
great function of the government is to protect men in their freedom of
effort and rights of ownership while depending upon religion to
energize men along lines of honesty, responsibility and service. Mr.
Cox stands for production and those vital principles of independence
and freedom which were so dear to the founders of our Republic and
which farsighted employers regret greatly to see interfered with. On
the other hand, Mr. Cox is opposed to the raids and restrictions
imposed by Palmer.
During the steel strike he insisted that the rights of speech be
maintained in the steel towns of his state. Mr. Palmer believed in the
use of violence--when it is the violence of the federal agent. Mr. Cox
surely did not. He did not even believe in the necessity of calling
out militia to break the morale of a strike. He believes that men can
be won better by reason than by bayonets. Governor Cox does not
believe injunctions will mine coal. He believes that the government
should observe law and order as well as the citizens. Let me quote him
on this subject:
“There is some hysteria over the active elements in this country that
are menacing to the government. There is no danger in the situation,
altho it might easily be aggravated if the governmental policy of
restraint and common sense that has endured thru the year were to
become one of force and terrorism.... If government is assailed, its
policy must not become vengeful. Our fathers, in specifying what human
freedom was, and providing guarantees for its preservation, recognized
that among the necessary precautions was the protection of individual
rights against governmental abuse.
“Radicalism is the result of repression. The reason why Russia is the
most radical country today is because of its previous reactionary
rulers. A Republican victory in November, followed by the rule of
Lodge, Penrose and Smoot, may bring about--on a small scale--in this
country what we have seen on a large scale in Russia. The Democratic
Party is the liberal party of America; it is the safety valve of
America. Everyone interested in preserving peace within our nation as
well as throughout the world should vote the Democratic ticket. Altho
we Democrats have not among our adherents the big business interests
and are thus weak in worldly goods, we do have millions of
conscientious people who believe in those fundamentals of
righteousness and freedom and are willing to sacrifice therefor. I do
not say as some do--that the issue is between a League of Money and a
League of Nations; but certainly a great moral issue is involved in
this campaign.”
In short I can truthfully say that no presidential candidate has ever
been before the country with such a clean and satisfactory record on
industrial interests; but he is not the servant of those interests. He
believes in the protection of property; but as a means of developing
humanity and not for any thought that property is greater than
humanity. He is a progressive conservative and a conservative
progressive. I believe him worthy of the utmost trust on the part of
both employers and wage workers and also on the part of investors and
consumers. If more men with Governor Cox’s vision were in office
today, there would be fewer labor troubles, the cost of living would
be lower, and everyone could be healthier, happier and more
prosperous.