The Labor enquirer., 1883-11-10
His Treatment BY the Missouri
Farmer Suggested by
Honorius as
The Proper Method for Purifying the
Morals Of Grasping Poll
ticians.
The Encouragement to be Taken
From Progress Of Trades
Unions.

What shall be done to purify American
politics is a cry that is being raised all
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 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 numer-
ous hogs for market, and upon which oc-
casion several of the neighbors were to as
sisti 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.
tGood-by forever, Mr.. Hogm 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 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 a hog when we get to
it" J.& ST. S.
1t was not great while before l dis
covered what the Missouri remedy for
purifying the manners and morals of a
hog. 1t was nothing more or less than a
good snow storm. After. the snow had
frozen to the ground in a thick crust, so
that MI Hog could not root out single
acorn to put into his greedy NAV, he be-
gan to grow penitent and think of home,
sweet home. Sure enough, in 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.
l 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.
But how is this to be done? it will be
asked. Lanswer, by independent organi-
zation of working people for their own
protection and welfare. They must drive
the professional politician out of business
by organizing to attend to the@ 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, ,65O, ,0OC
and their aggregate resources S3,450, 900
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 o.
this grand sum only $4,000 was expended
in settling strikes and trade disputes of al
kinds, or less than one per cent of theil
resources. 0flate there has been severe
depression of trade in England, and du
risg the last six years nearly S10,0OO,OO(
has been spent by the unions in support o
men out of work and sick aud for various
other fraternal charities. The English En-
gineers, union alone paid $4,000 to it.
unemployed members in 1879, and has dis
tributed to its sick, needy and oppressed
brethren total of 81, ,935, 900 in the las
five years. Among the English union.
there is complete system of mutual Life
and accident insurance, so that if laborel
is stricken down or killed his widow ant
children may not be left to beg the colo
charity of the world. If under the law an
employer is responsible sor the accident
death, or abuse of an employee there is al
ways an ample fund to fight the case il
the courtr, and the best legal talent in the
land.
ask if such organized self-help Is moi
vastly more manly and practical than tc
standing idly waiting for politicians to dc
something for labor? Is not such an in
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