Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-05-18
WILLIAM !. FAREER.
Verbatim Report Of tho Testimony
Taken Before me Grain
Subcommittee.
The strike Caused by Tendency Of the
Masses Toward Poverty and
the Few Toward Riches.
The. whole Industrial syatem OF TN
Country Out OF Joint-0overn-
mont Uoatsol Necessary.

Q What Is your DusincssF A. | am
farmer.
o. You have farm in this vicinity
A. No, sir; 100 miles east OF here.
O. How long have you been engaged Il
iariningf A. Very nearly all my life.
was raised on farm. / have only beer
OF a farm three or four years In my liie
O. What Is your place OF births A.
am Georgian by birth.
q. Have you considered the cavses tina
in yo0r judgment led up to this strikei
A. Yes, sir; have thought great dea
about 10; not only this, but all the strikes
that have been produced In the country
q. Yor may now give your under
staEdlng Of the causes which 4ed TO thls
strike. T.. Well, do not think the strike
was founded In one cause alone. think
there are many causes. 1 think these
strikes are brought forth by general dis.
satisfaction produced In society by the
tendency Of the great mass OF people
towards poverty, and the few towards
wealth, with the accumulation of great
fortunes, and this has created great dis.
satisfaction In society; at least the work.
ing class have become restless In their
condition. ! mean the farmers and work.
ing class generally. The farmers are as
badly dissatisfied as any.
q. How broad an extent Of country
does your observation coverP a. II coy
ers good deal OF the state OF Texas.
O. You speak as far as your knowledge
goes with reference TO the state OF Texas2
A. Yes, sir
q. Except as to readlngS A. Yes, sir,
q, Upon what does this dissatisfied
feeling arisep A. Well, as | stated be-
fore, II IL the tendency OF the accumula-
tion In few hands OF the wealth OF the
country, the powers OF the corporations.
The masses believe corporations have
plundered them by the laws OF transporta-
ton and the wage worker by the powers
they have TO cut his wages. This has Gre
ated this dissatisfaction. The farmer Is
dissatisfied on the ground that the corpo.
ration states the price Of transportation
on his products; the laborer because he
believes he ought to have some right to
say what he should have for working for
the services rendered the corporation
q. You do not mean 10 imply by that,
the laborer Is compelled TO work except
at price he agrees upon, do your A
Well, he Is forced TO agree upon prices
that do not satisfy him.
q. How Is he forced2 A. The condi-
tons OF society are such he Is forced to
work TO live.
Q, Well, nature forces him TO work,
does II notp a. Well, there are great
many men II does not force TO work TO
live.
q. In that proposition you speak OF
those that work with their hands, do you,
at manual labor A. Well, no sir, not In
every respect. There are other classes
q. DO you include as workinrmeu,
merchants2 A. No SIR, tho merchant IS
not included rs a workingman. He Is
known In this country as u Spectator, IN
our society In Texas.
q. And where in these classes Ito you
locate the lawyer? A. We don't locate
him at all.
q, He Is outside then, Is heY A. We
consider that under the present condition
OF society the lawyer Is what we term I'M
necessary--a necessary eyl.
q. Then you consider him necessary?
A. Under our present. condition, yes sir.
q. When you say ''present condition.
what other conditions do you refer to?
A. think great deal OF crime in society
IL brought about by a system of class
legislation in this country which has
tendency to make the rich richer and the
poor poorer
q. You are man who has rond good
deal, suppose2 A. Yes, sir, have read
some.
Q. History, etc.2 A. Yes, sir.
q. Can you point out any period In the
worlds history whore the difference be-
tween the rich aud the poor did not exist
as nowY A. No, sir, that has been the
history OF human nature.
y. DO You remember that In the case
Of the ancient Jews, as far back as any
history goes, that one was understood to
own the Jocks and the herds, and the
poor jews were merely his servants?
A. Yes, sir, they instituted the jews
system OF slavery,
Q Have not these inequalities from
that time to this existed substantially as
they do now. A, Yes, sir, since the In.
ciplency OF man.
q. Then, are they not chargeahle 10
human naturep A. Yes, sir.
Q. How do you propose TO change
human naturep A. There is no hone. |
only to educate the mass Of the people.
q. Do you hope to educate the mass of |
the people so that they will all earn and
accumulate and save equally3 A. | do
not think that probable
q, DO you not find In the different dis.
positions Of men that some men seek all
their time to accumulate ami saver A,
Yes, sir
q. And other men arc careless about
what they receiver A. Well, that ia "a.
think the mass of mankind would ac.
cumulate living II they had an oppor-
tunlty
2 Don't you know there are men who
do not care to accumulated A, Yes, sir
have seen that kind.
2. Taking that disposition among men.
DON'T you ind great class OF men are
living for ease and pleasureY A. It's not
me mass OF mankind that are In this con-
iitou.
2, Don't you and there aro immense
differences In the capacity OF men, both
70 accumulate and to keep A. know
here IL.
q, Don't you find that very many OF
hose who become rich seem TO do SO by
accident, az by the discovery OF coal
ield ON their farm, or happening Ia own |
farm where town Is bulltg A. Yes,
ir, but those are isolated cases.
z, How are you going TO adjust this
wrong being Of society, us II exists9 A, {
am not going to adjust It, so far as am q
oneerned. can give you my idea. SO II
~ an strikes are concerned, don't con-
lder that there Is any permanent settle d
nent OF these questions now before the 4
M f.tal Ia l.s.. ~ '