Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-10-20
THE CRY down WITH THE FAC
TORIES"

For years the active men of West
Virginia business life have been seek
ing to attract capital and induce manu-
facturers to locate. In Martinsburg
thousands of dollars have been spent
to start enterprise. Why? Because
town or State that sends its raw ma
terial away to be manufactured and
then sends its ready cash away to get
the manufactured goods back again,
will always remain poor and drag
ging along. Capital invested in
manufacturing towns draws capital,
attracts people, gives employment,
raises the price of land and property !;
makes place where people want
to go to and buy, and not sell off and
get away! Where do our young men
and laborers go to? To Roanoke, to
McKeesport, to Pittsburg, to Con-
nellsvills,- or South, wher-
ever there is work. Why do they
not stay here? There are no enter
prises here that afford the work.
In the heat, passion and prejudice
of political discussion, the cry has
gone up all over the State" Down
with the factories !" That cry is re-
echoed all over the country to the
shame, discredit and damage of
West Virginia intelligence, enter
prise and prospect and prosperity
present and future!
Men like Mr.. Wilson for base parti.
san purposes describe the manufac-
turer and investor in enterprise as
robbers and tyrants, devouring the
laborer and the farmer by their greed
and preying terrors! Calm reflection
shows that it is false; that more mon
ey is sunk in manufactures than any,
thing else; that higher wages are
paid labor in manufacturing towns
higher wages for land and property
higher rents paid,-higher prices for
everything,-than any other place !;
and all share in the prosperity created.
If capital and enterprise are such in.
dustrial evils why does Martinsburg
stick so closely to the little we have,-
the B. G. o., the Distillery, Foundry,
Mills and Shops ? If Republican
speakers would stir up such false
strife and pernicious sentiment, they
would be denounced most bitterly.
Let Mr.. Wilson apply his reason
ing at home and see how it works
Jay Gould, the Standard Oil Paynes,
the sugar trust head, and hundreds
of the worst monopolists in the coun-
try are Democrats, giving hundreds
of thousands of dollars to elect Cleve.
land (! Why spare them? VIM. l..
Scott and the coal operators in the
Pennsylvania regions are the ones to
grind down labor by supply stores,
pauper wages, and Today leases, by
which they evict their tenants at
will as does the worst landlord in Ire.
land? Why not not characterize
them as he does his imaginary foes
and tyrants to labor and justice?
Mr.. Wilson himself belongs to the
professional class, the lawyers, profess
sors, Legislators who do they live
off of? the people; what wages do
they work for? No acdges! THEY
GET FEES ?-high, too, many time
for doing little or nothing? fla rail-
road is to be built, or an estate settled
up, or any public settlement made or
contract or loan negotiated, these
lawyers and professionals are the
first; big money goes into theirpock-
cts because they live high and costly
In fashion and society, and cannot
work for small wages and little pro-
fits, like I. and YOU, farmers, me-
chanics, and poor laborers. Why do
they not take themselves as exam
Piles instead of creating a false and
damaging impression for the
miserable sake Of party in which
THEY and not YOU get the benefit7
Think, people, and call Mr.. Will
son to his own accounts