Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-08-31
TANNING HIGH"
A Lecture by John b. Adams at WAY
erly Hall, Chicago.

lists were profoundly touched by the
miseries of the Braidwood miners, who
were under the painful alternative of
starvation wages and hard work, or no
work and no wages, In either case
they had to suffer, and preferred to
strike. Certain politicians saw an OPP
portunity for making themselves prom
inent before the public by taking ad-
vantage of their sympathies in this case,
and addressed meetings in favor Of the
strikers, and incidentally advanced their
own political hobbies. The Chicago
Socialists, as is their wont, subjected
the whole matter to public criticism,
and Comrade John b, Adams took a
hand in the debate last Sunday, de-
livering the following lecture. He said ::
"At the mass meeting held in favor
of the striking miners on Sunday even
ing last, the chairman, Mr., r. III. Cow
drey, said that the great lesson to be
learned from the strikes and lock-outs
at the mines was that if the present
proprietors OF the mines could not run
them SO as to pay their men fair wages,
the State should take the property and
operate it i'll the interest of the people.
Congressman Lawler, among other
things, said; i do hope that the news.
papers will stop this cry of politics. If
they want to shoot high in politics let
them shoot the corporations. Let us
serve notice on the mine owners now
that there is limit to all things, and
that that limit has been reached by the
miners.
"The sentiments quoted above are
good so far as they go, but they do not
go far enough. Mr.. Lawler believes in
aiming high in politics. There he is
right. believe in aiming high in every
thing, especially in politics. But Mr..
Lawler aims far too low when he aims
only at the corporations. He should
direct his blows at the competitive sys,
tenn, that old man of the sea, who has
fastened himself upon the shoulders of
our people.
'ln graphing with the corporation
and trust we should emulate the oyster,
which transforms the sand which an
noys it into pearl. We should not
allow the trust ito become our master,
We should convert it into our servant
and friend.
"The trust, by a series Of object les.
sons, is teaching the people an entirely
new set OF ideas. 1t is teaching them
how to conduct their own business.
"The small business everywhere is
fast being driven to the wall. For in
stance, the boot and shoe retailer is
forced to divide his small-sized store
room with the halter. Each occupies
one side and one window only of
the shop or basement. In like manner
the bookseller and stationer is compelled
to divide his apartment with the bar
Der, and SO on indefinitely.
"Life under existing conditions is q
mere scrub race, in which to secure
success one must blindfold the man on
his right and trip up the man on his
left. The horrors endured by society
to-day are worse than those of the
Black Hole of Calcutta In that
case 150 English prisoners were shut up
in a room containing not enough air to
support Is persons. These unfortunates
were brave soldiers; comrades who had
long fought and suffered side by side,
and were deeply endeared to each other.
But as they became agonized by suffo-
cation they forgot all else in a hideous
struggle, each one for himself and
against all others, to force way to one
of the small apertures of the prison, at
which alone it was possible to get a
breath of air. But few of these poor
prisoners survived These maddened
men, tearing and trampling one another
in the struggle to win a place at the
breathing holes is type of the society
of to-day. However, it is but feeble
type. In the Calcutta Black Hole
there were no tender women, no little
children and old men and women
no cripples. Those who suffered were
at least all strong men. To-day God
knows how men dare to be fathers
The gentlest creatures are fierce when
defending their young. In our wolfish
society the fight for bread borrows des
peration from the tenderest sentiment,
For the sake of those dependent on him
man must plunge into the foul fight
cheat, overreach, supplant, defraud, buy
below worth and sell above. break down
the business by which his neighbor
feeds his children, tempt men to buy
what they ought not, and to sell what
they should not, grind his laborers,
sweat his debtors, and cozen his credit
ors. He can only earn living for him
self and his family by pressing in somt
weaker rival and taking the bread ou
OF, his mouth.
However, crisis is approaching. Al
surely as the direction taken by straw
indicates the quarter from which th,
wind blows, the signs of the times un
mistakably point to a great change il