The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1886-04-29
A SOCIALIST ANSWERED.

John Swinton spoke at labor pic
ME in Troy, N. u, recently and
among his remarks, as reported in
the Press, We find the following quer-
les: "The first thing he noticed on
entering Troy was smoke, as if com
ing from the bottomless pit; then he
saw what he deemed the homes of
the shruken and shriyeled, sunken-
checked and hollow-eyed children of
those who built the mills. The
builders of the mills did not own
them but that he considered poor
reasoning. How did that property
get into the hands of the Cornings
and Burdens ? How did that land
get into the Cornlng's hands where
poor Strang was killed."
We will answer Mr.. Swinton Eff
ty years ago or more there came to
Troy poor Scotch emgrant. He
was honest, industrious, temperate,
and frugal. He was master of his
trade that Of an iron worker. He
started a little shop on the Wynauts-
kill. His skill in handicraft succeed
cd in attracting business to him. His
little shop grew from its humble be-
ginning to works Of mammoth pro-
portions, giving employment to hun
dreds OF men, enabling the operatives
to care for wives, children, and other
dependent ones, and helping to build
up here at Troy one of the great
seats OF wealth, population and in
dustry. When other men were
wasting their substance in dissipation
he was saving the fruit Of his labor
and investing it in new enterprises
tor the benefit Of humanity in gener-
al. When other men were sleeping
he was spending his nights in his
workshop or in his study, celebrating
inventions to lightning labor and
dignity the laborer He died rich
man; but he had earned every dollar
OF his vast estate by industry, enter
prise and honest dealings with his
fellow-men. He transmitted his fac
tories and mills to his sons, and they
have gone on enlarging and adding
to them, until to-day the Burden
works are celebrated all over the
country, not alone for their extent.
but tor superior character of the pro-
ductions they place upon the markets
OF the world. This is the way, John
Swnton, a portion of the property
you speak of came into the possess
ion of the Burden family Henry |
Burden, the man who founded these |
great industries, was mechanic and |
rose IRON the depths of poverty to
rlches-nOt simply to riches, but to
being the friend, benefactor and
pride OF his own race. lie never tied
up in u sO-called working
men s union in his life. When he
was poor he never harbored a thought
OF communism, or gave expression to
II soeialistic idea.
Erastus Corning, the founder of the
Corning estate, was a man like unto
Mr.. Burden. lie went to Albany a |
poor boy became a merchant, lived |
soberly uprightly dealt justly with his
by years of Industrious application
to business he amasaed fortune he
invested in iron-mills and railroad
enterprises, and by that means he
helped to make Troy a prosperous
city, and New York the Empire State
of the Union. The Democratic party
in its better days sent him to Con-
gress to make laws for the nation and
he made them we'll. His son is no
scion Of an illustrious sire.
That is the way the Corning works
came into possession of the Corning
family, Troy Times.