The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-10-21
Each is dependent

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ELsEwHn1. -
capital and labor. Each is dependent
upon the other. The capitalist v no
has his money invested in industrial
enterprises requires the laborer to de-
velop them, if he can employ him at
reasonable wages, and the laborcr
needs the employment If he can re-
ceive adequate compensation. There
should be harmony between them;
and there will be when they mutually
come to a proper understanding Of the
right and justice Of each others claims,
and especially when the capitalist
learns that the workingmen have some
rights-more than he has heretofore
conceded-that he is bound to respect.
The organization of the Knights Of
Labor became q necessity for the
workingmen of this country; and when
we consider the magnitude Of the or
ganization, and the diverse material OF
which it is composed, and the brief
period in which it has been in existence
we must admire the splendid organi-
zation, and concede it to be guided by
men who in intellectual abil-
ity, are the peer of many
whose names are recorded with
praise in the annals of craftsmanship.
This organization became necessary,
because Of
THE TYRANNY OF WEALTH.
and the inordinate desire for the rapid
accumulation Of more. In total dis
regard Of the rights OF the working
man, the capitalists formed combina.
tions, to enrich each other by depress
ing wages and keeping the price Of
the product of their several works OF
Industries up to rate that would yiele
enormous profits. To illustrate: We
paid 30 per ton for coal last spring
when the following press dispatch ap-
peared in the daily papers: 1.-The Clear
field (Pa.) coal-mlners have asked
Gov. Pattison for aid in securing ad-
vanced wages. The men claim that
they are making but $40 month, and
are subject to many petty robberies at
the company's store, where they are
compelled to trade" The assertion is
made that the evils of child labor are
not such as to justify the demand OF
the Knights of Labor for its prohibi-
ton; but Henry George. in the North
American Review Of this month on
Labor in Pennsylvania" says that
1.-THE graveyards in the mining regions
are filled with the bodies OF prematur-
ely old and worn out children, whose
health has been destroyed by being
put to work too young in the mines."
The same may be said of the grave
yards Of our manufacturing towns and
cities.
woRKINGMEN's DEMAND.
The workingmen, as expressed in
the platform. Of the Knights Of Labor
adopted in Philadelphia, received full
attention from President Cleveland
and the branch Of congress in sympathy
with him. The president made them
the subject Of special message to con-
gress, and the Democratic house passed
seven bills in the interest of the work
ingmen, but the senate only passed
two and failed to pass tive of the most
important. / do not know that there
ara any branches of this organization
in this district, but have referred to
the subject because it demands the at
tention Of all OF US, and because, IL
elected, shall favor all reasonable
legislation for securing them protection
from such wrongs and injustsce as
they have heretofore suffered from the
capitalist, who has dealt unjustly with
them. So long as the workingmen
AhnSs, ,,<Xs 4 Al.~s,.
dition, to lawful and peaceable agita-
ton. and act with the dignity Of true
manhood in the exercise OF their rights
as citizens they will always command
the respect Of all law-abiding and
justice-loving people. Your resolutions
refer to several subjects of national i'm
portance other than those which have
referred to. l heartily indorse each
and every one Of them. One Of them
in particular must refer to, and that
IS your resolution in reference to the
restoration to this country Of
A NAVY
worthy Of the name. The almost
worthless condition OF our navy has
oftentimes. in the past few years, been
. subject Of grave consideration with
me. ! do not hesitate to say that there
is no valid excuse to be urged in de-
fense Of the conduct Of those who have
charge Of the administration OF our
government which has left our navy in
its present helpless conditions; and I
refer to the subject-as believe every
other citizen of America who truly
loves his country will do-with q feel
ing Of humiliation. Admiral Porter,
whose thorough and accurate knowl-
edge Of what he is writing about will
not be disputed, feelingly wrote of our
fleet, in his report OF Nov 80, 1885, as
follows: .'At the present time we have
literally nothing in condition. but So
called vessels ofwar. that can scarcely
perform the duties Of peace establish
ment, and in case of conflict with q
naval power the aforesaid war vessels
would have to 60 into retirement until
peace was declared, the largest of them
having neither speed nor battery that
would enable her to contend success
fully against q two-gun modern French
or English gun-boat." Is not this
enough, and terrible arraignment of
the parties who have had this arm of
our service in charge for the last quar-
ter Of century? Until read this ex-
posure Of the helpless condition Of
OUR SO-CALLED NAVY,
| could not understand why previous
administrations showed such reluc-
tance to assert the rights of citizens of
this country as against the imperious
demands Of foreign rulers; but it is
now explained, and any person can
see the utter absurdity of asserting the
ability of this nation to adopt an
aggressive policy until at such time as
we have navy built that will enable
US to defend ourselves, much less at
tack foreign fleets or Notifications. In
1860 the distinguished Rufus Choate,
(then . Whig) in an oration delivered
in Boston, said that there was ono
thing about the Democratic party that