The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-02-26

create 4 home market for the balance,
while eastern coal miners produce the
elements of fire ut starvation wages.
Mr.. Mcbride. of Ohio, says in England
the average annual production of each
cmploye is S496 of which the lahorer re-
ceiVes 500 and capital 500. In the
United States the average annual pro-
duction of each cmpioyc if $40 of which
the lahorer receives S3i6 and capital
1874. In England the laborer receives
thrcc-iifthS of the products and III the
| nited States less than one-half. This
fact alone should convince the Iaboring
portion Of our people that it is our re
dundancy of soil, and our rapid produc-
ton over other countries that has en-
abied us to live in spite of high tariff as
ScS>nents. 1t is charged by the subSid-
lied press and the enemies Of our order
that We raise the standard cf discomfort,
mar the relationship between capital and
labor and endanger the pu plic peace by
uur exposure of conditions. Wendell
Phillips once said: "lf YOU will convince
the people that Il wrong exists they will
iind their own remedy. The people will
certainly find no remedy fer wrong Of
which they know not. a physician can
not treat a disease until someone com
plains of illness. The people are the
physicians of society. and are licensed by
constitutions to treat every social and
political disease, and through the ballot
box they apply the art Of surgery 10 civil
codes until the last virulrnt tnmor is re-
moved. But until through organization.
education and we'll directed effort. the
ulcers that eat away the vitalS Of social
equality are exposed to public View and
their existence acknowledged by Il ma
jority of the people no remedy can be ap-
piled.
The exposure of the auction block and
the whipping post with their train of
persecution and torture was the crystal
iziug force that purged the social atmos-
phere of chattel slavery. And had not
the fostering canliers Of chattclhood
been opened to public view by the elo-
quent Garrison and Phillips, and Il long
line Of other phlanthropsts who conse-
Grated their lives to the cause of free
dom. chattel slavery would be in the
height Of its glory to-day. No remedy
can ever come to unknown wrongs and
uneNpoSed conditions. aud those who Use
the press or the ro>trum To condemn or
ganized labor for its complaints or raise
the cry Of falSehood and slandcr when
actual conditions are exposed. play the
same part in the struggle for Industrial
freedom that those did who drowned the
voice Of Patrick Henry with the cries of
treason. CT those who mobbcd the propa-
gators of universal freedom for their ex-
posure of chattel slavery.
The cause of poverty is found in the
monopolization of natural bounties. pri-
vate control Of railroads. contraction OF
the currency and the unjust apportion-
ment of burdens and rewards. The fac
tory girl may in 4 single day add six fine
shirts to the material wealth of the
world, but the 50 cents paid for the labor
means poverty and rags for the maker.
Labor produces 81 |. .0GU. 600 of wealth i'll
this nation every day. yet labor starvcS-
The cauee Is the restriction of oppOrtun-
itie> and the inequality of rewards. Go
where you will and the laboring man is
the poor man. Say what yOu Will.
charge labor with iftcmpcrance and cX-
traEagance all you wish, but the fact
still remains that a dollar and 4 half per
day will not provide a comfortable home
and educate the children Of the toier.
Remove the cause. break the Shackels Of
greed. insure equitable distribution, i'll
crease the opportunities to labor and
make the rewards of toll more certain
and the remedy is applied.
According to the tenth census the ay-
erage yearly earnings of American labor
decreased from Il little more than St00 in
1870 to Il little more than $500 in 1850,
yet the wealth of the nation increased
during that period more than q billion
dollars per year. In 1850 the farmers of
this nation owned thrcc-tfths of its
wealth, i'll 1850 they owned bat onc-thIrd
Of its wealth and to-day they own but
about One-iifth of its wealth. yet tn"
farmers are still paying the eighty per
cent. OF taxes paid by them in 1850.
In lsGo there were but few children
under - years of age in our factories, in
1870 there We're .39. 1863, in 1850 there
were l.11S.35G. and it is generally CON
ceded that the number will now far ex-
ceed 1000, 900. Not alone has civiliza
tion been outraged by the introduction
Of infant slavery in numbers nearly
equal to the chattel slaves Of thirty
years ago, but the low wages paid them
associated with other degrading methods
has reduced the average earnings of al
labor, skilled aud un:kil!cd. to less thar
Il dollar per day, and consumption of
| farmers of proud Iowa have sold thcil
products at loss since 1850. except wher
| other western states suffered universe
| failure, and the mortgage Indebtedness
| on the homes of Iowa now aggregate
| nearly three hundred million dollars. Bu
| labor is told that the blessings of oul
| Creator and the industrial habits Of mai
| have become a national calamity. and i
| = 7 l, Il =
the minerals scarccr, the rocks harder
the soil less productive and endowed thu
! human mind with less inventive genius
| labor would be in greater demand ant
| poverty less. Such argument is com
| parable with the cutie fish that rolls tha
water to conceal its identity when hotl.
| pursued and driven to cxtremitics. lie
| us review the other side.
| A few years ago the Nanderbilts began
operating in railroads with yer,
| limited capital and their wealth is nov
computed at two hundred million dollars
| This enormous sum is beyond the com
| prehension of the human mind eXcep
by illustration. 1t is said the Lor.
| placed Adam in the Garden of Eden 81.
thousand years ago. If at that tim
Adam had been placed on a salary o
|
| salary continued to the present and h
had boarded every cent Of his income tn
| year a. ID. 1901 would find him sixty
eight million dollars poorer than TIL
| Nanderbits and he would be compelle'
to hoard his salary three thousand year
more before he could equal their prescn
great wealth. In short, poor Adam
after a struggle of nine thousand year
on salary Of $50 per day and withou
spending cent could go into the rail
road business with the Nanderbilts o.
equal terms.
But the Nandcrbiits are only a fe,
stars in the dadcm of millionaires who's
great fortunes have been tilched from
the laborers and farmers OF this nation
Yet it is only three years ago when tn
maximum freight and 2-cent fare bill
were pending before the Iowa legislator
that the railroad managers and pres
dents with corps of attorneys thur
dercd against the doors of our capitt
and sent up wall of poverty rha
brought a food of tears from the heart
lx..., 4