The Labor enquirer., 1884-02-16
DYNAMITE is strong to-day at Acc.
TO FRIENDS.


can no longer remain quiet on q
subject which has been uppermost in my
thoughts for month or six weeks. /
have 50 far refrained from speaking, in
the hope that the necessity for troubling
you with this matter would be obviated
by some unexpected piece of good for
tune. And / have hated to make this
appeal because / fear there are great
many, who should respond, who will
fail to see the situation in its proper
light, and fully appreciate my position.
But my hopes of help through other
channels have vanished, and thorough
understanding of my duty has taught
me that my delicacy is unbecoming and
unworthy our great cause SO have re-
solved to do what I would expect any
other honest exponent of the peoples
rights to do under like circumstances.
must have money to continue the
publication of THE ENQUIRER beyond its
next issue. have spent every dollar I
had, and all that my wife had laid by
for "a rainy day. During the last
month few friends (as poor as myself
have given their mites to swell the in
come up to the requirements. Always
remember that l have to pay cash for
everything I get and for mechanical as
sistance.
Let no one get the idea in his head
that because 1 am forced to make this
statement and appeal THE ENQUIRER is
waning, in circulation or influence, or
that the labor cause is going backward
in this locality, for such conclusions
would be erroneous and wide of the
true state of affairs.
Ihave never been given to the habit,
which is so fastened upon some editors,
of publishing praise of my personal ef-
forts, which has been lavished upon the
paper. Somehow I never took to that
kind of thing. But 1 may be pardoned
at this time if tell you that it is ques-
tionable if another paper in the country
has received praise and commendation,
from the deepest thinkers and the most
humble workers, equal to that which
has been showered upon this paper,
from all sections of the country.
You may wonder how paper so uni
versallY admired and economically man.
aged could be financially distressed. 1t
is easily understood, when you remem-
Der that kind words and sweet praise do
not pay expenses. You will also remeu0
Der that others are liable to fall into the
same error with you-that the paper is
strong, and has an appearance that be.
speaks prosperity. You are all excusable
for this error, and it is for the purpose of
putting matters right that 1 make this
explanation and will try and make it
full and complete, without being held in
check by any foolish ideas of pride" or
Independence"
The season has been dull one; the
workingmen have not had the money to
promptly pay their subscriptions, and,
knowing the heart was all right, l have,
with few exceptions, continued to send
the paper. Advertising has been dull,
and publications which have not a
money-syndlcate at their back, have
. DS6u COLupcllcO W IosOIb W CIcdp oC-
( vices to cut down their expenses. The
former 1 had not the latter 1 would
not. As advertising dropped off, was
put to the extra expense of filling up the
gap with new reading matter; so you
can see that, as the income decreased,
the outlay increased. If you were all
printers, you would understand why a
paper that advocates the doctrine that
the lsborer is entitled to all heproduces,
cannot consistently resort to the cheap
devices referred to above. ,Er 4
In the course of two months / hope
business will pick up so that the paper
will once more, and permanently, be
selfsustaining 50, if you will bridge me
over that period I think all win be wen.