Life — March 28, 1912 — page 32: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

We Are Constantly in Receipt of Important Letters Which Are Too Long Brevity is Absolutely Essential to Publication for Our Limited Space. We Stand Corrected Lire Pustisuixe Co.: Gexttemen: Your ary 29 contains an “Murder Accessori signed Ellis O. Jones, which states that “in the course of events of the strike an eight- een-year-old boy was killed by the soldiers, Thereupon the authorities be- came so excited over the fate of the lad that they arrested Mr. Ettor, the leader of the strike, as an accessory to the murder.” As Ellis O. Jones contributes sev- eral other articles in this issue you may be glad to have your attention called to the misstatement of facts in this particular article. Mr. Ettor was arrested just before midnight on the twenty-ninth of Jan- uary and John Ramy, the cighteen-year- old boy referred to, did not receive the wounds from which he died until six am, January 30. The Ellis O. Jones article is typical of many written by Socialists and by people who are in total ignorance of the true conditions which existed in Lawrence the first month of the strike. Very respectfuly, (Unofficial) Water M. Pratt. Detailed on Colonel Sweetser’s staf as First Lieutenant and Battalion Ad- jutant the first month of strike. Bostox, Mass. February 23 issue of Febru- article entitled 1912. From Over the Border To tHe Epitor or Lire: Dear Sir: From the copies of Lire that are weekly sold to the seven million people in Canada, many of us look on you as interna- tional. Assuming that you also feel this, I beg to offer a Canadian’s views on the ability of the labor leaders. Professor Adam Shortt once told me that from his observation he would say that the labor leaders in this country were much stronger men than the capi- talists. In generalship, in debate, in knowledge of the law the representatives of the unions invariably held the bal- ance of power,-since the chosen cham- pions had been sifted and resifted, tested and tried, and educated for years in the science of fighting the moneyed men. The capitalists, on the other hand, had but occasional hours to spend on number of the study of checking the power of the unions, So it happens that when under our strike statute, known as the Lemieux act, the two ranks face cach other in open debate before a tribunal of three judges or commissioners, the labor men generally outclass their op- ponents, A word about Professor Shortt's right to an opinion. He is the chief execu- tive of our civil service, lately Professor of Political Economy at Queen's Uni versity. He was instrumental in fram- ing the famous Lemieux act, and has been its chief exponent, having acted as chairman of the boards of arbitra- tion in most of the big strikes here during the last ten years. Professor Shortt is recognized as the greatest authority on labor unionism in Canada. Let me add that I am no sympathizer with the unions as they are at present conducted. One of my uncles is presi- dent and manager of one of the largest steel plants in Canada, and I am in his employ. No, we don’t like the unions, but, man for man, their leaders are at least the mental equals of the capitalists. Thank you for listening to me. Long live Lire. W. A. Deaco Wiysirec. March 2, 1912. “May Result Fatally” Epitor oF Lire: It is admitted that infant vaccination may result fatally—admitted by prac- ticians themselves. And yet thousands of parents with infant children in their arms pour into the offices of boards of health in response to summons, later leaving the same offices with their off- spring plus—what ? There are two opinions held by com- petent and conscientious medical men concerning “ unsuccessful” vaccination. One is that it occurs when the human organism is too weak to express re- sistance, In such cases the vaccination is said not to “take,” though as a mat- ter of fact there is no proof whatever that the failure to exhibit a scar does not imply deeper constitutional infec- tion which will permanently defy re- storation of health. The other opinion is that the vaccin- ation is “ unsuccessful” because the or- ganism is sufficiently robust to be quite successful in fortifying itself against the slightest possible entrance of the poison. This marvelous _ protective power of the normal organism, though led up to continually in biological study, is too often undervalued, too often dis- honored. Current reports in the medical jour- nals evidence that there is no safe ground in vaccinating infants. One- half the cases may result fatally, and the other half be “ unsuccessful.” The latter condition is no less to be de- plored than the former. Joux Hurcutxsox, ew York, January 7, 1912. M.D. FU WAL KER “'TIS BETTER TO HAVE LOVED AND LOST THAN NEVER TO HAVE LOVED AT ALL” comicbooks.com