St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-25
LABOR REFLECTIONS.

A Correspondent Gives Vent to
His Feelings on Current Topics. =
To The Editor of the Globe.
AT present the labor question has
been brought into prominence that
oyershadOws the Importance of the
tariff and silver issues. The latter
issues are simply forced upon wealth.
creating voters of the country to divert
their attention, and to cause them to.
forget their needs until the opportunity
OF Improvement is passed. Tariff and
bullion are in campaigns what the fife
ana drum are in battleS-tO cause the,
men who do the work to forget hunger,
thirst, the walls of the wounded, and
the grOanS of the dying. .
Inc great question Of today is: eff,
the present labor conditions CONTINUES,
what will be the result?" The indica-e
tons Enthusiastically point to centraliza-:
lion OF power, both in capitals realms
aud In the domain Of.iaDOr, The lines
of harmony by which they are sup
poSedly attached are daily Weakening:
the chasm OF disagreement is hourly
widening; aid, while the millions of
wage earners OF this country are being
more and more firmly held by the iron
nand OF poverty and sinking deeper and
deeper i'll the mire or ignorance.
caused by long hours of contin-
uous tOlling, which leaves no sur
plus IN our treasury for the edu-
cation OF our families; and, with all
the avenues of advancement guarded
by greedy capitalists, we have this
glorious legacy to leave to our sons:
commence where left off. and keep
Oh hoeing." 1t was once remarked that
the world was a stage, and the people
were the actors" but think it should
be amended to. read: The world is
vast circus. with one ring, wherein labor
performs;" and it might be added that
the ring Is fenced in and decorated with
numerous plaeardS, keep off the fence
or We'll call out the militia and regu-
lars" Of course.we live but to die, but
it should not be necessary to die in or
der to live.
You ask, where is the remedy? The
remedy is i'll the hands of each and
every American citizen who tolls for
his llvelihood-the ballot. All we nee,I
is to .be drilled in the manual of bal
lots to bring the many pious-faced
tyrantS who rob the producers of their
product according to law down from
theIl present high perch and give them
an opportunity TO bear their portion OF
the burdens of lite; and 10y the way,
We'll guarantee them good wages, short
hours and steady situation ii they
prove sober and industrious. The
laborerS use the ballot at every election,
but they use it i'll such manner as to
be OF no effect. The labor vote is can
celled Dy the laborers, ana it therefore
becomes an unknown factor in politics.
Henry George compares labor to a
mOnstrouS bull tethered to q stake by
rope attached TO ring in his nose, and
who. in endeavoring to gain Sustenance,
had, through his ignorance, been trav-
cling i'll the same direction until he
found himself without liberty having
wound the rope around the stake Until
he could go no further. MIR. George
suggests as remedy that he .turn
around anu go the other way until hec
has the full length Ct the rope again,
Why not take the ring out of his nose
and let him go where tina grass was
longest? +. E, S. q