Page:The Wisconsin idea (IA cu31924032449252).pdf/319

 whereby there may be increased betterment of conditions in this state, thus setting an example of accomplishment for other states to follow?

America has a great advantage in that our legislation need not be experimental. Germany, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and even Ireland and Italy have laws which have outlived the experimental stage and which will be of the greatest service to us in our advance toward the happiness and welfare of all, as well as the more equitable division of the profits coming from the great wealth and strength of our civilization. The small group of socialist Germans in the legislature have well understood that they did not have to advance untried experiments, hence they adopted a policy of continuous education maintaining that certain laws have existed in a certain country and have accomplished certain things and that Wisconsin would eventually have to accept similar laws. The writer well remembers that when the first workmen's compensation bill was introduced nearly eight years ago, the astonished members of the legislature came to him inquiring if such a thing did exist in Germany and England. The fact is, most of the legislation which the socialists have introduced has had nothing to do with socialistic propaganda but in many cases has proposed the very things advocated by thoughtful men in every country of the world save America. It will be remembered that the