People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-10-14
j IN THE SAME BOAT.
INTERESTS OF COUNTRY AND CITY
LABOR IDENTICAL.
More Men Employed at Better Wages
Means More Gus toners and Better
Prices for the Farmer.S
by John Davis, NJ. C. from Kansas.

by John Davis, NJ. 4. from Kansas
1t is only expressing we'll known
truism TO state that it is to the in
terest of every farmer that his GUS
toners be multiplied and enrichened
so as to create large and better
market for his commodities. Hence,
the more men there are employed on
the railroads, in the mines, shops and
factories, in all the professions, in
every line of business, and in all the
non-farming industries, the larger
market the farmer has for his pro-
ducts. The employment Of more
men means shorter hours for wage
laborers IN the non-agricultural in
dustries. It Is better for the farm
ers Of America that wage-w workers
have short time-that three men be
employed ten hours per day instead
of two men fifteen. 1t is better for
the farmers that, in all industries
where furnaces must be kept hot and
wheels and machinery in motion,
night and day, three shifts of men
be employed eight hours each, rath-
er than two shifts twelve hours. It
is also to the interest Of farmers that
the laboring men, agents and
clerks in all the non-agricultural in
dustries and employments receive
good wages. All wages thus paid
to the workers and operatives in
mines, shops and factories, and on
the railroads, enrich the farmers
customers and improve his markets
for all the products of the farm. In
order to show the unity of interests
in every nominal community, it
may be added that short hours and
numerous, well paid employees in
crease the business of merchants and
benefit every line OF trade and every
mechanical employment, because we
are the consumers of each others
wages. No sensible business Or pro-
fessional man or intelligent farmer
can conceive himself benefited by
the oppression Of labor through long
hours and small pay. But, on the
contrary, the more men there are
employed (that means short hours
and the better the wages, the better
it is for the farmers and for the pro-
fessional and business men who have
laboring men for customers.
This view Of the case is plain and
self-evident. But there is another
phase OF alleged antagonisms which
must have further attention. 1t is
claimed by the railroad corporations
that farmers on one side and rail
roads employees on the other have
antagonism toward each other
which can never be reconciled. They
Justly state that the farmers desire
lower freights and fares on the rail
roads, while the men operating the
roads as employees are demanding
higher wages and shorter hours.
These demands, it is claimed by the
corporations, are on each side earn
est and persistent, and at the same
time incompatible. There is enough
of truth in this claim to give it a
show of plausibility. 1t is claimed
that lower rates cannot be permitted
on the railroads without lowering
the wages of the employees on the
roads. On the other hand, it is not
possible to grant the employees short
er hours and better pay without rails
ing the freights and fares which the
farmers and the public must pay.
Thus the corporations have drawn a
picture Of an irrepressible conflict
with the public, including the farm
ers on one side, and their employees
on the other. They would have us
believe that the farmers and the
public generally are engaged in a
war to Cypress the men who operate
the railroads and that this war is
merciless and endless. SO earnest
and persistent are the corporations
in pushing this view Of the case that
they have commenced organizing
their men into clubs with regular
newspaper organs to resist the grow
ing unity and power of the farmers
and peoples movement!
The corporations are the ruling
power. They work with little noise
or friction. They lay their plans
carefully and secretly, and they carry
them out with certainty and con
scienceIess precision. Laws, consti-
tutions, court decisions, and public
opinions are brushed aside as cob
webs by the hands of a giant. The
men composing the corporations are
usually millionaires, and are spoken
OF as ''magnates." Beginning busi-
ness sometimes on the mouse trap
plan, in a very few years their wealth
is reckoned by hundreds of millions.
The coming Millionaire" it is pre-
dicted, will soon arrive by railroad,
tioated in by the floods and forgeries
Of his own watered stocks. Where
did these millionaire corporations get
their wealth? They acquired it from
the men with whom they have been
dealing. They acquired it from the
laboring men who operate the rail-
roads, and from the farmers and the
general public! These magnates
crowd their employees downtown,
0Ouyn into tho most 1,,arnIIoa1 cIo1vo,,v~