Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-19
WAGES AND RENTS.


WAGES AND RENTS.
| The Second Debate Between the Anti.
Poverty Society and Mr. Cr0ffus.
| The return debate between MI W. A. Crofrut
and the Anti-Poverty society on the common
ownership OF rents, took place at Grand Army Hall
Thursday evening. On the frst occasion, two
weeks ago, when Mr.. Croffut and che society en-.
| countered the question in socratic manner, he
| was asked questions which he answered without
notes or references. 1t was then suggested that
| IL would be good plan to reverse the operation
and give Mr.. Croffut the chance Of return IRE.
instead, however OF q socratc debate, in the form
OF questions and answers, 1t was arranged between
MI. Cronut and MI. Adams, who was selected to
represent the society," to have debate OF the ordi-
nary Kind. Mr.. Paul Bowen called the meeting to
order and announced the order OF the speeches,
then introducing Senator kenna as the chairman
| OF the evening.
| MI. Adams opened the debate by q brief review
What the most desirable state Of things in regard
70 Ient! Inc great men. he said OF all times from
turs are the rights y the Whole race Of mankind
demand Of the Time that there should Be- social
degree OF prosperity that they may attain where
tney can enjoy the most privileges without work
wor sas Of Others The cry Is WORK
lorlty OF men are economically impOtent, the
amount OF wealth which they can command or col
uncertain and precarious and earned at q very
great expense and cost.
SENATOR KENHA rAPPED HIS PENCIL
| on the table when Mr.. Adams time was up, and
| Mr. Croffut came to the 'front.' laden with large
scrap-book. He began by agreeing to almost
everything which his opponent had advanced. 81
am opposed, he said, ito any individual being
given any undue advantage over others. and am in
My friend has said that there is no freedom for =
working man. In this country and climate man
wMo ~Uao i've az al must work In Brazil this
He can live with the least possible exertion. What
At all, and that the Yankee who goes into Brazil,
70 build railroad must take his laborers from
1aUSs anos ID 1ae north where there Is sHnerng
from the terrible circumstances Of life
Went on prove that Conditions aTe bet
ter to-day than they were firty years ago, and to
prophecy that they will be as much better still in
twenty years. Rents, he said, are higher, but ten
ements are enough better to pay the difference;
| three and half years have been added to the
dren are schooed in proportion to the population;
there are one-half as many criminals and paupers,
and the savings bank deposits have increased ten
| in the savings banks Of New York by working
men: Neither laws nor trades unions, he added,
| can increase wages
ORIGIN OF CIVILIZATION.
MI. Adams began his second inning by saying
that history tells different story to where civil
fzafiOn RISES for the best OF civilization arose in
those climes that Mr.. CrOnut denounced as barren
OF culture. But the garden OF the earth has been
desOlated and made sterile by the sinfulneSS and
the foOlishness OF men. The great question at
hand, he said was whether there were not some
men existing In defiance Of that supreme law, the
BlDe, which says: "WhOsO shall not work neither
shall he eat" and quoted at length In regard to
the Duke OF Portland, 1000 Of whose leases, ex-
merely as premiums on the privileges OF renewal.
While there is one such case this he said, there
Is rank injustice done.
MIR. ASTORS EARNINGS.
Mr.. Croffut came up to the desk smiling, when
Senators enna called time. Theline, he said that
runs east through Washington. strikes Rome.
Athens, and Babylon, supposed to be the centers
| of ancient civilization. This was his answer to
the denials of Mr.. Adams, that civilization lurked
of the Duke OF Portland was more than aggra-
waiting, 1t was downright robbery for the king OF
England some time back, took that land away
from the people and gave it to the dukes ances-
tors. AS however, to John Jacob AstOr whose
case MI. Adams had quoted as parallel to that OF
ever accumulated by hard work, and was as much
entitled to his millions as he tMr. Cronup was to
his hat or Mr.. Adams to his coat.
He asserted that the United States Government
has never given to any man or corporation piece
OF land which 1t would refuse to any other man or
corporation
At the close Of Mr.. Crof1uts speech Senator
kenna excused himself from further attendance,
having another engagement at that hour, and In
trOduced Judge HOge, the district attorney, who
had been sitting beside the Senator, as his success
sOr In the chair.
AVERAGES.
Mr.. Adams then proceeded and denounced aver
ages, to which he had paid his respects earlier in
the debate. Averages all very welD he said,
"but what we want to know Is why the sewing
woman In New York cannot get q living by
slsvish work, while others live iaxurionsly with
out lifting their fingers" He eXemplified his
views on the subject OF averages by q diagram
which represented six men in row and six eggs
distributed among them. The average, he said,
was one apiece but it happened that one had three,
one had two, and one had one, and Thu ee had none
at all Averages, he continued are not the things
to depend upOn unless they are true are based on
scientific basis and are significant.
WAGES OF SERVANTS.
Mr.. CrOnut, in speaking OF the case of the sew
ing women, said that wages are fixed, not by SEN
tmentalism or by the caprice OF men, but by the
fact that there Is a demand and supply. To say
that a man should pay more than the market price
for labor Is Just bad say that should pay
bages 1t Is not in the power Of the United States
to alleviate the condition Of labor by means OF
legislation. Don't try to sweep back tie ocean
and 10 make new laws against which all nature
rebels.
Mr.. Adams In closing the debate said that the
law OF distribution, as distinct from the law OF
production, can be affected materially by legsla-
ton. II the protective tarin, as Mr. CrOffut ac-
knOwedged, works an injury to the labOring
classes then the Mills bill, in repeating such a
Affecting the condition OF labor
The Rose.
Written for THE EVENING STAR