Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-10-05
JOSEPH MEDILI. ON THE CONDI-
TION OF THE MASSES.
What Liquor, Tobacco and Cigars dc
for tlic WOrkingman.

Joseph Mediil the publisher of the Chicago
Tribune, was a witness before the United
States Senate subcommittee on labor Mr..
Medll said he had been connected with the
press since lS4S, and he had some views which
he wished to lay before the committee on the
subject under its consideration. The chief
cause of the impccunious condition Of the
masses of the laborers in this country was
due to their own improvidcncc. The only
Way to improve their condition was to teach
&em to save. The power of wasting was at
present much greater than the power of econ
omY. Too many of the earnings of the labor
er were spent in liquor or tobacco. Mr.. Medll
had never heard of any workman who spent
his earnings in this way WHO ever made
any progress. 1t has been calculated that
the amount annually spent by the laboring
class in drink is $500, 100000, and at least
$500, 900, 900 more is spent in cigars and
tobacco and in useless amusement. This
sum would have provided many hborers in
the country with rome, and the interest on
the sum would pay all the rents annually of
the wage workers. High license aud high
rents would do much toward lcsseniDg the
evil. lie had very little faith in political
prohibition. Another subject which de-
manded attention was the homes of the
poor. In all large cities there were unhealthy
tenement houses, and these should be torn
down as public nusances. The proportion
Of deaths to births in New York city was
to 3 in London the rate was to g.
This state of affairs was due to not only TO
brutal avarice OF landlordsbut to demagogues
who run the municipal government. 1t was
one of the objects of the trades unions to
secure reduction in the hours OF lauor. II an
increase in the tariff was tried the great
agricultural class would resist. The present
tariff was fleeing the farmers. and they are
beginning to understand it. The educational
system was crowding the ranks of the mid.
die classes, which was source of weakness
to the body polite. What this country need
wanted now they had to be imported In.
dustrial schools should be established in every
large city where education in techni
cal arts could be obtained. Anoth
er subject which demanded serious
consideration was the railroad question
A uniformity Of rates should be obtained
This applied TO other commodities Us well as
grain. The railways should not be per.
mitted to exercise the power of arbitra
rily changing the value of all products OF
the country. Both State and federal legisla-
ton should be employed to remedy this evil
This was the only country in the worlt
which permitted railways to exercise the
arbitrary power of charging whatever the
traffic would bear. Every railroad to 9
certain extent is monopoly; it possesses
the exclusive right of highway. The capital
izations of many railways were far in excess
Of the cost of construction, and they wer,
annually fleeing the country out of million.
OF dollars in profits. The railways west O
the Mississippi, which possessed the largcs,
public grants, charged two and three time
as much as those in the East.