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LABOR AND INDUSTRY
SOME ITEMS OF INTEREST TO
UNION WORKMEN.
I.t Oigmilinl Labor Wlire*tr PmilW*
Eschew Secret/- Neiv Socialist n<l
Monopolist Wlnt Help I’oter Will
Help rui.
Wliereforcf
Black jsca, black sky! A ponjcroiia gtcam
ship driving
Between them, laboring westward on
lur way.
And in In r 'path a trap of Death’s con-'
triving
Waiting remorse leas for its easy prey.
Hundreds of souls within tier frame He
dri anting.
Hoping and fearing, longing for the
light;
With human life and thought and feeling
teeming,
She struggles onward through the star
less night.
Upon her furnace fire new fuel Hinging.
The swarthy firemen grumble at the
dust
Mixed with the coal, when suddenly up
springing,
Swift through the smokestack like a
signal thrust.
Flares a red flame, a dread Illumination!
A cry of tumult! Slowly to her helm
The vessel yields' mid shouts of acclama
tion,
An<l Joy and terror all her crew o’er
v helm;
For, looming from the blackness drear
before them
Discovered is the Iceherg-hardly seen—
]ts ghastly precipices hanging o'er them.
Its reddened peaks, with dreadful
chasms between.
Ere darkness swallows It again, and
veering
Out of its track, the brave ship onward
steers,
Just grazing ruin. Trembling still and
fearing,
Her grateful people melt in prayers and
tears,
Js It a' mockery, their profound thanks
giving?
Another ship goes shuddering to her
doom
Unwarned, that very night, with hopc3
as living,
With freight as precious, lost amid the
gloom;
With not a ray to show the apparition
Waiting to slay her, none to cry "Be
ware!”
Rushing straight onward headlong to per
dition,
And for her crew no time vouchsafed
for prayer!
Could they have stormed heaven's gate
with anguished prayer
It would not have availed a feather's
weight
Against their doom. Yet were they dis
obeying
No law of God, to beckon, such a fate.
Ami do not tell me the Almighty Master
Would work a miracle to save the one.
And yield the other up to dire disaster.
By merely human justice thus outdone!
Vainly we weep and wrestle with our sor
row—
We can not see His roads, they lie so
broad;
But His eternal day knows no tomorrow,
And lile and death are all the same
with God,
—Celia Thaxter.
K.clicw S^orrcy.
The International Typographical
union at Springfield, Mass., ha I re
solved that hereafter representatives
of the press and employing printers
who may choose to attend shall be ad
mitted to the meetings of the union.
This action was taken after a discus
sion which brought out the advantages
to be derived by trades unions from
publication of the truth about their
work, and by disabusing the minds of
employers as to secret and discred
itable methods of conducting union
business. I see that this action is
being widely noted in the press as be
ing “probably the first time a trades
union in tbe United States has adopt
ed such an open policy.” While it may
not be the first time, it certainly is a
radical departure from time-honored
custom, and a step in the right direc
tion. Whatever is done in secret
arouses suspicion of its fairness.
Neither have I ever known employ
ers to have been Ignorant of what was
going ou in unions, if they cared par
ticularly to find out. The rule of se
crecy keeps matters secret only wheu
no one cares to learn about them.
Open meetings should be the rule
everywhere. They must be, if orga
nized labor is to receive general rec
ognition as a body of dignity second to
none. Nothing, 1 believe, would more
rapidly advance the cause of labor
than the removal of secrecy from its
meetings. Secrecy may have been nee
essary in the past, when it was al
most a crime to belong to a union.
That day has gone. It is now held as
honorable to belong to a union as it
is to be a member of a church, a po
litical party, or a benevolent society.
The removal of secrecy does not mean
that every counsel of the union shall
be open to the world, any more than
open sessions of congress mean that
every word spoken by a committee in
deliberation must be uttered in a loud
voice before a gallery of spectators.
A union, as a firm, must at times de
liberate with no outsiders present.
But there is a wide difference between
going into executive or secret session
when necessary and constantly saying
to tbe world that under no circum
stances mhst the light of day penetrate
to where you work.
Labor is agi til. Us counsels are
honorably. Us ends create a better
America Tbe more labor is under-
stood, the greater will grow its influ
ence. Remove the veil, that all the
world may see, learn, admire.
flocialUt sad Monopolist.
The trust may be quite accurately
defined as the modern socialist and
monopolist. Seems like an unusual
combination, but It’s so. Mr. Francis
Thurber, the millionaire grocer, a few
days ago told the national industrial
commission that trusts are socialists
in principle, which every one knows,
and that they are necessary, which is
not so certain. That trusts are monop
olists as well goes without saying. One
of the latest illustrations is the action
of the tin plate trust, that has started
In to squeeze the sheet mill owners on
a plan similar to that used by them in
compelling the manufacturers of tin
mill machinery to enter into contracts
with them for five years. Sheet own
ers are now unable to secure a set of
new rolls unless they sign an agree
ment not to use the rolls for rolling
plates for tinning. In years past, when
organized labor knew less than now,
single unions or large bodies occa
sionally overlooked the fact that they
were not the whole beach, but sim
ply a pebble on it, and not the only
one at that. Trouble followed every
time, and just as regularly lodged with
the organization that had overlooked
that great fact. has learned.
It has prflted by mistakes. New trusts
are pursuing the pame course, that
leads to the destruction of all who
persist in traveling it. Trusts want
the earth. They want to dictate hours
and wages. They want to control mar
kets, say what and how much you
may produce; when, where, to whom,
and at what price you are to sell it.
All this will lead to the smashing of
trusts. I believe that the same genu
ine American spirit that forced the
abandonment of the “bulldoze” princi
ple by trades unions will force the
abandonment of that same policy by
trusts. Trusts will certainly go to
smash, unless there is evolved in the
conflict anew sort of trust —one that
is wise, just, fair, and therefore benefi
cent. I think it likely that such a
trust will be evolved. Conditions de
mand great concentrated movements
in the industrial field, rather than
smaller, disconnected ventures. Some
men, when they refer to the coming,
righteous trust, call it national con
trol, governmental or municipal own
ership, state socialism, and other
names. I don’t pretend to know ex
actly what the beneficent trr.3t will be
like, or what it will be called, but it
Is bound to come—ls coming fast. Mu
nicipal ownership of public utilities is
making progress, not only as a theory,
but In actual practice. That's simply
one way of trying to evolve the inev
itable beneficent trust
Wfiat llelpa retar Will Help Paul.
The lollowing extract from the call
for the annual convention of the In
ternational ’Longshoremen's associa
tion, to be held at Buffalo, N. Y., July
11, calls attention to the hardest kind
of facts, and should receive the at
tention of every workingman or wom
an. After it has received attention,
the conclusions reached should be act
ed upon. Here it Is:
“Every effort is being made to make
this convention one of the largest and
most thoroughly representative yet
held, so that every branch of the craft
may receive due attention. Were it
not for the fact that the ’longshore
men had banded together under the
banner of the International ’Long
shoremen’s association, their condi
tions would not be what they are to
day, but unity in action resulte! In
many enjoying a fair living. But there
are yet many things to be done; many
of our people are yet unorganized, and
it is to their interest to point out to
them the necessity of affiliation. The
stronger we are in numbers of locals,
the less we will have to fear the oppo
sition. The International is what the
delegates to the convention make it.
Select as your representatives men of
good, sound judgment; men who are
conservative in thought, yet ready for
action. Upon the delegates you send
depends the future of our association,
and it is necessary for each local to be
represented by Its proper number of
two. At no time would it be more im
portant that each local be represented
than at this convention. The vessel
interests are fast combining and merg
ing into a trust. If it is beneficial for
the carriers it Is certainly equally good
for us to complete our trust, which is
more perfect than that of the car
riers.”
What this call impresses upon ’long
shoremen should and must be im
pressed upon every worker, and lived
up to by every worker, if labor is to
get where it ought to be.
Note*.
The recent Increase in the wages of
cotton operatives of New England Is
but one of the many signs that pros
perous times are ahead of us. The in
crease of wages in this industry will
amount to more than $75,000 weekly
in New England.
The passage by the California legis
lature of the Hoey eight-hour bill and
its approval by Gov. Gage gives Cali
fornia a law which will establish the
eight-hour day. In practice, as well as
in theory, on all public works of the
state.
A PICTURE OF TODAY.
PAINFUL READJUSTMENTS IN
SOCIETY BEING FORCED.
A Realistic Description of the Ordeal
That All Employes Are In Danger of
Undergoing These Gold Standard Trust
Times.
Falling prices increase the burden
of debt upon all farmers, business men
and manufacturers. For nearly thirty
years prices have been falling, con
stantly squeezing out of business the
weak men and weak firms. The busi
ness once done by the bankrupt small
fry naturally goes to the surviving
strong concerns, and thus the genesis
of the trust evil Is falling prices. And
generally falling prices, as the most
subservient gold standard economists
will certify, is due to the increase of
production ar.d exchange faster than
the volume of money.
If, during the last thirty years, the
mints had remained open to all of the
silver offered for coinage, and in case
the free coinage of silver as well as
gold did not give us a currency vol
ume large enough to maintain stable
prices, legal tender paper money had
been issued in sufficient quantity to
prevent the fall of the general aver
age of prices, there would not have
been as many small concerns driven
out of business, nor so many huge
trusts and combines formed. The trust
movement, the natural product of the
gold standard policy, has now acquired
a tremendous magnitude, arc! the re
sult is that thousands of men who
have heretofore commanded high sala
ries—such as traveling salesmen, man
agers and head bookkeepers—are being
thrown out of employment and find it
hard to obtain any kind of work. This
is the serious problem of today and the
more serious problem of tomorrow,
and the waving of “prosperity” ban
ners by a mammon-controlled daily
press cannot hide the facts.
First the general fall of prices, from
1870 until today, forced out of business
the smaller business men, who ob
tained employment with the large con
cerns. Now the large concerns are
forming into trusts, closing down all
unnecessary factories, dispensing with
numerous traveling salesmen, man
agers and bookkeepers, as well as me
chanics and laborers. And where are
these displaced men to find employ
ment? This is a question that will
soon seriously disturb this nation.
They cannot get jobs as skilled labor
ers because they have not the skill.
They stand no chance of obtaining
common laborers’ jobs, because there
are already more common laborers
than jobs and men with soft, white
hands are not wanted for rough work.
The army of well-paid employes is be
ing reduced every day in this trust era.
What are we to do about it? Present
political policies may suit you well
enough while you are drawing a good
weekly salary, but how will you feel
when you cannot get a job of any
kind? The following story from a
New York paper is a picture of a man
in that predicament, and illustrates
what the country is coming to:
Two years ago I lost a good, well
paying position. My employers were
cutting down expenses and I had to be
cut down with the rest of the extrava
gances. My wife and I were not at all
worried. 1 had a little money laid by,
I knew I was competent —I had good
letters from my old firm—and I
thought I could walk right out almost
any day and get a good position. We
had comfortable rooms, plenty to eat,
good clothes and we knew some very
nice people who seemed to like us. I
rather enjoyed my idleness for a week
or so. I had worked hard for a long
time, and my wife and I took a kind
of holiday together. We went out to
the parks and went sight-seeing in a
small way all over the town.
Then I started out to look for work.
I went to see people I knew. They
were all very glad to see me. They all
said nice things about my abilities, but
they were all “cutting down.” I ad
vertised. No answers came. I read
every paper in New York —but the
Journal —and I answered every ad that
seemed at all promising. Our money
began to dwindle. We took one room
instead of two. We laughed and said
it was easier that way. My wife said
she thought It would be fun to do a
little housekeeping, instead of board
ing. and we cooked and ate our meals
in that one room. We said It was fun —
like a picnic all the time.
I went out every day and spent every
evening writing letters in answer to
the different advertisements. When I
went out In the morning I always
brushed up and looked the best I
could, and my wife always told me I
looked too prosperous for a man hunt
ing for work.
She kept my clothes furbished up,
and when I met people I knew I talked
with them just as if everything was
all right. None bf our friends dreamed
that we were really in danger of being
hard up. We had always been econom
ical and thrifty, and my wife has such
a way of putting the best foot fore
most that every one thought we were
very well to do. I go!, to haunting em
ployment agencies. I talked with men
there and at the park3. When I had
walked till I was tired out I always
went to one of the little parks and
sat down to get time to brace up a
little before I went home. The parks
are full of men who are trying to
“brace up.”
My wife began to look anxious. One
day she was sitting by the window
sewing and the light shone on her
head. I saw something shining. I
bent closer and saw a gray hair. I
noticed that she had been wearing her
hair differently for a while. I pushed
It back off her forehead, and there on
the temples, under the front locks, it
was all shining like silver.
She began to laugh, and then she
threw back her head and burst out
crying. Then the whole story came
out.
She had been looking for work, too,
but had found none. When I was out
tramping the street she was out, walk
ing up and down the city, trying to
get sewing or something to do.
She had had charge of the money,
and she told me then that it was all
gone but one dollar.
Well, we sort of faced things that
day. She said that she would get a
little something to do somehow, and
get money enough to go home to her
folks on a visit. They lived up the
state, and they wouldn’t suspect any
thing. She hated to leave me, but
we both knew it was the best thing we
could do.
But we never could get enough
money together to pay her way home.
We pawned everything we had and
lived on one meal a day, and that was
not a very big one.
I had been out of work fourteen
months. One day a neighbor came in
and showed me a Journal. There was
an advertisement In it:
WANTED—For temporary work a
double-entry bookkeeper who has had
experience in a public accountant’s of
fice.
I had answered so many advertise
ments "and found nothing that I’m
afraid I wasn’t quite as grateful to the
neighbor as I ought to have been.
To tell the truth, we had just 10
cents left in the house —and we hadn’t
one thing we could raise one cent
more on.
I wasn’t going to waste two cents
on a stamp. But that night my wife
came up behind me when I was sitting
with my head on my hands. She put
a pen into my hand.
“Try this time, dear,” she said, “Just
for me.”
So I did. I mailed the letter be
fore I went to bed.
The very next afternoon the post
man brought me a letter. It wa3 from
the advertiser and asked me to call
at once.
I went. I was so weak and nervous
that I coukl scarcely talk, but I man
aged to answer the questions some
way. and I got the situation.
When I went home I ran the last
two blocks. I guess people thought I
was crazy. I was—almost. My wife
heard me coming up the stairs; she
caught me when I came in the door.
“You needn’t speak, dear,” she said. “I
know. I heard you come in the door.
Let’s be thankful —oh. let’s be thank
ful." This happened in April, 189S. I
began at sls a week.
POINTS FROM THE PRESS,
If you don’t believe that prosperity
is here, just look at the Oregonian this
week. It only contains 72 columns of
sheriff sale notices. That is indisputa
ble evidence of prosperity (for the Ore
gonian and money brokers). —People’s
Press.
The politicians will find in due time
that the question of municipal owner
ship of important city plants will be
a popular one and will find that the
party which demands municipal own
ership will be Indorsed by the people.
—Cleveland Herald.
The man who has to wait til.l his
political party convention is held be
fore he expresses his convictions is
about as useful to his country as a
rutabaga.—lndustrial Freedom.
After more than five years of busi
ness adversity, depression and distress
the periodic revival of trade has set in,
and the relatively prosperous or active
period will last until the greed of land
lords, bankers, capitalists and profit
seekers has taken and hoarded from
the people enough of their rightful
earnings in money to cause another
glut In the market. Producers being
unable to buy back out of the mar
kets as much as they produce is what
causes periodic dullness. —Social Gos
pel.
Recently the Apollo Iron and
Company of Vandergrift, Pa., issued an
edict “requiring their slaves to work up
until 4 o’clock Sabbath morning,
thereby giving God’s day, as parsons
say, a foul blow below the belt, so to
remark—Spirit of ’76.
It sounds queer to hear a man talk
about equal opportunities for all, with
special privileges for none.and then see
him advocate a system which gives to
a hundred men in a state tbe special
privilege of making laws and denies all
opportunity in that line to a million.
—Commonwealth.
“He That is
Thinks All Sq ®
Thousands are "cotd”M ,
that they do not understate
the glow of health.
plies disordered kidneyM
liver, bcnvels , blood or
Hood's Sarsaparilla, ma c®'
44 warm" because it ofSl
all who take it perfect healt S'
dlccd 'A Sauobomk
Hood’g PtlU cure llrer Ills; the
only cathartic to take with Hood-*
A Hairy Tree. B
J. W. Roach, who has been down hB
Madison county, has made a.l JB
that is a revelation to us, says tH
Carnesville (Ga.) Advance. '
with him a fine specimen of hair tX
appears to be as fine as human S
and very strong. It is as black as9
and as straight as a line. It grows'® l
black jack trees and very luxuriant®
It was found ou the'land of Dr. G. w®
Westbrooks, near 11a, and it promiaa®
much for utility. It can be used f.®
weaving into cloth, stuffing collar®
buggy cushions and various other pu®
poses for which strong hair is used, ®
seems that in its discovery Dr. Wes®
brooks has become the owner of a very I
fine piece of property; and when it®
fully developed its uses will be many®
We will watch with much interest tin I
result of this discovery. I
Locusts Made a Delicacy. S
In certain parts of the world son®
species of locusts are eaten, and art I
considered a delicacy. The Arabs®
the Kingdom of Morocco boll the®
The Bedouins roast them a little, the®
dry them in the sun, and pack the®
into large sacks with salt. Other i®
habitants of the Eastern countrie®
when bread is scarce, pulverize then I
and make a sort of bread of them. 1
The American Volunteers have et I
tabllshed work in nine of the prlncl-l
pal State prisons, and are In touch I
with nearly 90,000 prisoners.
THE EXCELLENCE OF SYRUP OF
is due not only to the originality and
simplicity of the combination, but also
to the care and skill with which it is
manufactured by scientific processes
known to the California. Fig Syrup
Cos. only, and we wish to impress upon
all the importance of purchasing the
true and original remedy. As the
genuine Syrup of Figs is manufactured
by the California Fig Svrup Cos.
only, a knowledge of that fact will
assist one in avoiding the worthless
imitations manufactured by other par
ties. The high standing of the Cali
fornia Fig Syrup Cos. with the medi
cal profession, and the satisfaction
which the genuine Syrup of Figs lias
given to millions of families, makes
the name of the Company a guaranty
of the excellence of its remedy. It lS
far in advance of all other laxatives,
us it acts on the kidneys, liver and
bowels without irritating or weaken
ing them, and it does not gripe nor
nauseate. In order to get its beneficial
effects, please remember the name of
the Company
CALIFORNIA FIG SYRUP CO.
SAN FRANCISCO, Col.
r/insViLLS. Kr. yOllK*®-''
THE REASON WHY
For man or beast
SLOAN’S
LINIMENT
Excels —is that it Penetrates
to the seat of the trouble ini'
mediately and without irrita
ting rubbing —and kills the
I pain.
Family and Stable Slzaa
ISold by Dealers generally.
Dr. Earl S. Sloan, Boaton, ******
GOLDEN CROWN
LAMP CHIMNEY?
Ar„ tlip best. A-k f< r them,
tlut'i common climti*y. Ail '•' 1 1 , r*.
VITISiiLKU tiLAss CO., '