The Green Forest tribune., 1892-03-17
Why Some Men are Idle.

vantage )t by sOciailStic ofatofS
to assert that capital is getting into
| the hands Of tie few, and that the
many are suffering in consequence
In Justice to the legitimate labor
unions it should be explained that
they do not indo1se this kind OF
talk, and that wherever the speak
or vents his nihlhstic or socialistlc
opinions it i. without the consent
of tho honest working people.
Still, thsre are in c,tles, Chicago
especially, Il numb ct societies
that ere unquestlonahly on the
dynamite order, and when they
meet, is with the avowd purpose
of showing, they claim, the dit
ference between capital and labor
Not long ago there WAS a meeting
here in W hich one 81 the orators
annou ICED that there were $1,000
men ia tnat city seeking work and
unable To find it. Some OF these
orators wish the city TO set these
men al WON ciean,ng the streets,
and 10 pay them fair wages tor
their labor. Other "orators"
awaited themselves of the oppor-
tu ity to assa'i the tyrant capila-
lists are to blame for the presencs
OF SO many idle men. The Ch,eago
Tribune denied at the time the
correctness OF the assertion that
there a. 80 coo fit and willing to
work and yet unable to do SO, and
lvised 81" waiAiis2 deieg*tes
Of the Il tferent ln,"us, who hl tEe@
Nsy, do not haze to work for
living. to spend ~ little ot their
tine in taking census ofthe unem-
played. The delegates, however,
did not seem to take kindly to the
suggestion. Those who are 50
tond Of cenouncing capitalists
should point out, if they can, WHY
the employers OF laborin Chicago
or shy other city are morally
bound to find work at high wages
md short hours tor unemp ployed
men when there is no demand for
their services.
Now, in justice to our country J.
to our employers, snd to our capX
itahts, it is only fair to stale than
the mkj kjority OF 81 All ny
unemployed mon are uiFtm
p!eyed becsu~r they don,
care to work unless the " ork $ TO
heir taste. Numbers Of these un-
employed belong 20 the crlmina'
and hoodlum classes. Every city
in the country not on y raises =
tair crop OF hard cases, but tue
burglars, sandsaggers, confidence
sharps, pick-pockets, and thieves
centralize in the cities, whore they
think they will have better
chance of making living by their
peculiar method. They would re-
fuse honest work with scorn were
il offered them, end yet they torn
no small part Of the visible supply
OF the mingly unemployed
Az tins very moment the found
stions Of hundreds Of fortunes are
being made in this country; at
this very moment Immigrants are
iasding upon our shores who pos
sess the industry and ability neces-
sary TO succeed; and at this very
moment there are clerks behind
| The counters in thousands oi stores,
and workmen at the benches in
thousands Of faclories, who wilt be
| Independently rich IN a qnratese : +
ceotury from now. 1t is unfair
70 the honest and energetic man,
whether he be educated or unedn-
Gated, to class him with the unem
ployot, tramps. f to-day there
were only 100000 workingmen in
the country, and al the same time
a demaad tor $50 ,00o woskingmen,
there would be some few thousand
at least "out OF work." ard whc
would COMPLAIN OF hard times
because they couldn't find en-
ployment. Tne trouble is, there
are too many men whose only yo-
cation is that Of shoveling snow in
! August and harvesting VIII. in