Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-10-23
WELLS ON POVERTY.
Again to the Front as Champion OF
High Prices.
He Clearly secs the Mote In the Eye
asu,. Brothcr But Cannot See the
Beam That Rests In his Owe.

lengthy communication 10 the Ont0n
wherein be wishes 90 prove that because
England followed the principles OF free
trade there were, rs a consequence. many
poor 10 that country. When MIR. Wells
dealt with this question before. he OBJ
jected to the ARGUS using figures to prove
the fallacy of his position. Perhaps it
was not necessary. Everybody giving
tie question q little attention can procure
the figures for himself.
Because Booth. OF the salvation army,
has scheme on hand by which the suf-
ferings Of the poor in the slums of Lons
don and elsewhere may be lessened. that
of itself has no bearing upon the guess
ton of free trade or protection or upon
any other economic question. The poor
there need relief as they do everywhere.
aud II Mr. Booth can accomplish good 1t
Is well. But 10 what manner do the &C
tons of this man point to the theory of
free trader Will Mr.. Wells explsinf
There are many poor in England. That
IS granted. Nor is it necessary TO repeat
II. But why sing this doleful song with
out pointing out the csuse2 Mr.. Wells
Is q very estimable gentleman and would
not, it is presumed, state thing he did
not think TO be true. But his thoughts
cannot be accepted as evidence in this
mater. They would not be admitted in
a court Of law. except as an expert. and
it is not known that Mr.. Wells mas any
peculiar knowledge of economic ques
tons not possessed by the world generally
II he has, the people stand ready for
enlightmeDt Federation on his part will
not stand for q fact. Since Mr.. Wells
has entered the lists as an exponent of
high taxes let him present to the world
the figures of his faith not the sympathy
of his heart. There are too many sugar
coated morsels doing service as facts al
ready.
But why loYes Mr.. Wells to 90 to
England to have peep at poverty? Was
there nothing here to enlist his sympa>
thetic nstureY Up and down this broad
land could he find nothing to redressT
Sees he no pallid cheek from hunger, NJ
shrunsen form wrapped in rags? Are
there no walls for bread from children
clingiug to q mothers tattered gown; no
idle thousands thronging the streets of our
large cities; no desperate deeds done
that bread may be secured? Can he see
no poverty in its multitudinous forms dali
ly stalking through this broad, bright
land which be so justly eItols? And yet
this is protected America! This is the
land of which its inhabitants are com
PEELED by law to sell ther goods in the
cheapest market and buy in the dearest
Explain this, Mr. Wells. And do
not say that we have only to wait aud
matters will adjust themselves We have
waited for thirty years and more, and
still is hope our only comfort, added to
our trust in the Almighty that he will
not see a people wronged for eternity
This may border on the pathetic, but it
also strikes at the truth.
The wages of workingmen in this
country are higher because OF superior in
telligence, the use OF machinery aud to
our natural conditions. And in a greater
degree than all the others our workmep
protect themselves by intelligent organi-
cation. To this is due ninety five per
cent of the increased rate of wages. In
what instance has the Mckinley bill in
creased wagesf Has there been any sign
that II will do SOY On the contrary, is
the testimony not daily coming in to the
contrary How is it that in the highly
protected state of Pennsylvania the
workmen are paid less than in any other
state in the unionH The miners there can
scarcely live. But the protected bosses
In that state can send hundreds OF thous-
snds Of dollars into different parts of the
country for campaign purposes.
True, we have reformers IN this coup-
try doing what they can. They NAV
work in a different groove from Mr..
Booth, but their tendency is the same
to relieve the poor. We have Bellsmy
aud Henry George and others with
theories which startle the worlI. We
must wait to see their promised effects.
In the meantime, though. we have people
yourself among the number-with still
more startling theories that tell US the
more we are taxed the richer we become.
and while trusting in providence we are
hampered with facts that convince us to
the contrary.
You may be honest, Mr.. Wells, and
your discoveries In England are very
touching, but what we want is facts
hard. Gradgrind facts before the doubt.
ing Thomas in US can be made to be-
liaua