The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-07-26

wealth and splendor OF the metropolis
can understand what q travesty on
civilization this means. The past few
weeks have recalled wildly the words
Of the New York sewing woman who q
year ago wrote to her sister in the west:
"Oh. sister, is God dead? Has humanity
left the earth?' The cloakmakers were
slowly starving when at work for 80 and
81 per week. Ia it any wonder that
there was a small riot? Is it not more
wonderful that these sufferers can keep
1.-The peace at all; Let those who deny
that labor has ground for discomfort
read of the cloakmakers of New York
and the coal miners of Spring Valley.
There is in Tulare county, California,
a cooperative colony which Is founded
on the principles of modern socialism.
1t is named Kaweah Cooperative Col
ony and has been III existence four years.
Four years ago Edward Bellamy's book,
Looking Backward, was not known or
heard of. These facts are here stated
for the purpose of letting those who may
read them know that statements, which
are common. to the effect that kaweah
is IAN outcome of Bellamy's book are
not true. 1t would be nearer the truth
to say that the book found its scheme in
Kaweah; but that is not exactly fact,
for three years ago the colony and Mr..
Bellamy had not heard of each other. L
have no wish to attempt to detract from
the fame which justly belongs TO the
author of Looking Backward but |
insist that there is an "Old Guard" in
the west that was sacrificing and break
ing ground in the field Of cooperative
living long before he found ont that any
thing was wrong with the present system.
Honor where honor is due.
The political pot is boiling in New
York. The German Socialists will
nominate ticket, and of course those
of the labor movement who are opposed
to the Socialists will be its bitterest foes.
Some of the anti-Socialists of the Central
Labor union are nosing around the So
called citizens movement" The ranks
of labor are very much divided on the
matter. and some of the German unions
have even refused to support the action
of their former associates. To settle the
trouble and bring order out of chaos 1t Is
proposed that the Nationalist ask the
different factions to come together, bury
their differences and make united
stand How things will be II few weeks
hence il is hard to predict, but in the
words of Sir Lucius O'Trigger, Its
mighty purity quarrel as it stands"
1t would have been better for the cause
of labor if Mr.. Powderly had accepted
the conditions submitted by Samuel
Gompers, and those two gentlemen had
met and fought it out on the platform at
Cooper Union. In that case Mr.. Pow
derby would surely have been more tenn
perate in his utterances. and Mr.. Com
pers would not have been provoked to
the retort he has made. 1t was natural
that the G.. NJ. W., surrounded by his
followers, who applaude1 the slightest
criticism of the Federation. should be-
come excited and say things which. even
if they We're true, were one sided, and
had better been left unsaid. Mr.. Com
pers has been placed under similar intiu-
ences in retahating since Had the gen
tleinen met on II common platform, with
equal rights, they would have been more
| discreet in their remarks As 1t Is, the
Id sore is torn open, and the blame will
oe placed by men i'll accordance with
their prejudices.