Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-07-14

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unnamed almost dehumanized
miscreants AZ the other; II il
little aside from the purpose OF this
1 letter, but | beg leave to put in a
modest plea for little protection
for men in this country which at
present is protecting merchandise
the cold facts of the case are that
here in free and glorious America
we have laid deep the foundation
and built high the suporslructure
Of a vast system OF industrial slav-
cry.
Men may differ with me as to
the truth OF the above statement
but no man can dispute that that
conviction is burning in the breasts
of millions OF our countrymen;
this conviction burned in the souls
of the men who Redeemed with
their blood the banks of the Mo
nongahela. | thank God that
heroism has not died out in this
cold and selfish world and is not
in any danger of dying out. !
thank God that there are men and
more women than men who count
life cheap in the sacred cause OF
industrial freedom. / proudly
claim kinship OF nationality, |
wish | could of family, with that
more than Spartan mother, that
Irish mother, of the slain hero,
William Foy, who said she had
four sons in that fight and she was
willing to give them all. / thank
God that our great American sins,
love of lucre and love OF luxury
have not corrupted all our people
and made them the cringing and
subservient hunkeys of the heart
less and soulless rich ! thank
God that that manhood is not
stifed which rebels at the menace:
THAT turns the towards heart to steel
And the sluggard's blood TO name.''
Unquestionably the moral argu-
ment is all on the side of the en-
ployees; what is the sole iucen-
tive of the factory owner in this
case? No mothers heart leaps with
exultation TO see a son wounded |
in defense of Carnegie's property |
and prerogatives; nobody feels it
a moral obligation to earn Car
negie's dollar if he cannot do it
with a whole skin and consistently |
with the interest of the dear up.
permost self which, every time, is
the god of the whole Carnegie cult.
What will be the result of this
battle? 1t is easy to tell. The
governor of Pennsylvania is bound
by our laws and usages to the the
ory explained at the beginning of
this article; he will, however much
he may sympathize with the en-
ployees, be compelled to protect
Andrew Carnegie as he would any
small tradesman in a like case; our
laws as yet take no cognIzance Of
any difference in the circum-
stances; unless strikes and boycotts
prove more successful in the flu
ture than in the past Andrew Car
negie will operate his mill success
fully; but because he is intrenched
behind laws which an unwilling
governor must enforce, let no
friend Of fair play despair; thirty
three years ago Slavery was legal
and intrenched behind laws which
were strong enough to send John
Brown to the gallows; but when
John Brown was put into the
earth million men sprang out of
az, anu DioVviy atIu GinutTiVn are
gone, where the echoes of the
Archangel's trump will never find
them.
The solution of the labor ques.
ton will have been reached when
employees are wise enough to take
possession of our great factory and
railroad systems, operate them,
pocket the profits and pay interest
to the capitalist for his investment;
capital Will then be the servant and
not the master of labor; the Fricks,
the Hoxies, the Chauncey Depews,
the Tom Scots, will be the EN-.
ployes, the associates of the laborer
not Of the capitalists. But before
that day comes there must come
other changes; il is incumbent on
me to utter some more unpalata-
Bile truths; | despise a skulking
coward whether in the pulpit, the
rostrum, or the EDITORS chair, who
dares tell only half the truth; for
tunately there are but few such.
| have already gotten about as
much personal reference into this
letter as it ought to carry, but |
feel impelled to say that while |
broke down at the threshold of
Yale aud never entered its portals
as a student, | trust | have i'm.
bibed some of the Yale spirit which
dares to speak what appears to be
the truth IN utter contempt of all
local prejudices and vested inter-
ests which would warp the living /
truth. If the words | am about to
say are unwelcome to any wage
Garner let me say in my defense, that (
in ten years Of semi-pubiic life as a /
teacher, every enemy of labor who
knows me, east or west, looks upon
me as his enemy, and have earned
this distinction by square, honest {
fighting and the enemy is the fell
low who knows it. Now | say it !
is the plainest and simplest truth |
waiting for recognition at the bar ]
of the human intelligence to-day I
that before this dreadful shadow \
of industrial slavery shall pass ,
away, the saloon must go; the la
boring man, who in these days of
vast and overpowering combina- {
tions of capital, will frequent a sa- 1
loon, binds upon his neck a second a
yoke more shameful, and to an 5
uncorrupted mind, more intolera- q
ole than any other; the men who c