The Labor enquirer., 1883-11-05
M HOG.
His Treatment BY tAe lissosiri
Farmer Suggested By
Hoaefius Is
The prcpsr Method ir Purifying the
Morals of araaping Poll
tisians.
The Encouragement to be Taken
From Progress Of Trades
Unions.

from fr0gress Of Trades
Unions.
What shall be done to purify American
politics is a cry that is being raised al
over the land. The Boston Herald which
/ hold in my hand says that the use Of
money to influence voters is rapidly sap
ping the very foundations of our govern
ment. Every week I come in contact with
several religious publications of various
denominations and there the same cry Is
heard. The dangers ofpolitical corruption
are all the more threatening in view Of the
fact that the revenues Of the country in
coming years promise to be enormous, and
the politicians are already busying them
selves in contriying means to dispose OF
the surplus revenues that are flowing into
the national treasury
While sojourning once with a Missouri
farmer well remember the day which he
had designated for slaughtering his npmer-
ous hogs for market, and upon which oc-
casion several of the neighbors were to as
sist. While awaiting his turn for execu-
ton one Of the largest porkers, frenzied at
the sight Of blood and the terrible shrieks
of his doomed fellows, broke through the
pen with desperate plunge and quickly
disappeared in the almost endless forest
beyond. 4
:, ''Good-by forever, Mr.. Hog!a said | to
myself, and turning to the butchers re-
marked that they would never more be-
hold that porker in those parts again. But
the farmer, with a sarcastic grin, looked at
me and said: young man, it takes more
than Yankee schoolmaster to learn hog
good manners. If you stay around here
long enough you'll see that hog come back
to my doorstep and ask forgiveness. We've
got something out here that will even
purify the morals of hog when we get to
,it.n aa1
It was not great while before dis
covered what the Missouri remedy for
purifying the manners and morals of q
hog. 1t was nothing more or less than .
good snow storm. After the snow had
frozen to the ground in thick crust, so
that Mr.. Hog could not root ont q single
acorn to put into his greedy nav, he. be-
gan to grow penitent and think of home,
sweet home. Sure enough, ina few days
he staggered into the dooryard nearly dead
with hunger and thirst and more than
willing to return to the old pen.
The above little incident will suggest in
general terms my remedy for purifying the
manners and morals Of those other greedy
hogs who run the politics of this country.
I would freeze them out and cut off their
supply of political fodder. They will then
be glad to return to their homes and mind
their own business. E ,,fia
But how is this to be done? it will be
asked. answer, by independent organi-
zation of working people for their own
protection and welfare. They must drive
the professional politician ont Of business
by organizing to attend to their own bust
ness. The tendency Of workingmen is now
altogether too great to rely upon legisla-
tors for the redress of grievances, instead
of abolishing the grievances themselves.
Politics and politicians are courted and
encouraged by working people because
they see no other way of emancipation
and have too little confidence in them
selves. Of course they get swindled and
sold out every time by these corrupt fell
lows whom the Boston Herald says are
sapping the very foundations of our gov
ernment. Is this necessary, and do work.
ing people ever reflect how much they
might do for themselves, peaceably and
legitimately, without the aid of politi-
clans?
Perhaps some of my readers have read
the account of the congress of trades un-
ions recently held in London. In the re-
ports of this congress it appears that the
English unions have more than doubled
their numbers and resources during the
last sixteen years. Last year the aggre-
gate income Of these unions, was 81 $50, 900
and their aggregate resources 3,450,000,
In refutation of the lie so often stated by
the capitalistic papers that trades unions
waste all their money on strikes itappears
by the report Of the congress that out Of
this grand sum only $4,000 was expended
in settling strikes and trade disputes of all
kinds, or less than one per cent of their
resources Of late there. has been severe
depression of trade in England, and du.
ring the last six years nearly $40 0OO, ,0O(
has been spent by the unions in support ol
men ont of work and sick and for various
other fraternal charities. The English En-
gineers' union alone paid $750,OOO to it.
unemployed members in 1879, and has dis
tributed to its sick, needy and oppressed
brethren total of 81 $4,000 in the las
five years. Among the English union'
there is a complete system of mutual lif
and accident insurance, so that if a lahore
is stricken down or killed his widow ant
children may not be left to beg the COLI
charity of the world. If under the law al
employer is responsible sor the accident
death, or abuse Of an employe there is al
ways an ample fund to fight the case ii