The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-04-07

MAJOR NeWSOn Tells ABOUT the COnO1s
ton of Labor i'm Spain.
Major T. M. Newson, United States Con-
sui to Malaga. Spain. writes to Thomas
Ward. of the Stone Cutters Union OF St.
Paul, the following on the condition of la
Dor in Spain. We copy from the St. Paul
Daily News:
''The wOrkmen in America ought to get
down on their knees and thank God for
what they get-nOt but what they ought to
have more. but in comparison with the
workmen of the old world they are kings.
Here. common workman gets 30 cents per
day-a woman 10. A first class plumber,
who fixed the pipe to my gas stove. told me
he gets 70 cents per day, and on that
amount supports wife. three children, a
mother and two sisters. He works fourteen
hours per day and Sundays also. He is
obliged to do this. He says there is no
organization of labOr-the church is against
it. Even if there were, men would take his
place for 60 or 40 cents day. Il X Good,
first class StOnecutterS and maSOnS get 60
cents per day; think of that! There is no
possible hope here for workman to rise,
except luck might bring him something
through the lottery! They can get no land;
they are heavily taxed. even to be citizen,
for they have to pay for the privilege of
even that. have made it rule to pay 40
and so cents per day more here than any
body else. For cleaning out and washing
my Office. the rate is IS cents--I give 81,
but nobody else does it. On the contrary,
if the price is 35 cents, they beat them down
to Is cents. The love of money here is
greater than in America. and that is saying
good deal, so that those who have money
fhnCo Whn houo Tho hniIdor
commences at 6 O'clock in the morning,
works until 10, when his wife brings him
his breakfast. X He never has any
meat. He continues his work till p. m.
He goes to the place where his family is
he really has no hOme-he sees sQualidness
and wretchedneSS about him-nO hope
ahead-lights his cigarette and plods along
the Constitution square, where he repOses
on stone step, and at 10 o'clock plOds back
again to sleep few hours. and then to
work again till death stops his career. This
is not fancy picture, but living reality.
passing under my notice every day."
Consul NewsOn says that labOrerS on the
wharves get IS cents per day, and hundreds
would take their places for 20 cents day.
They are under constant police surveillance.
He says what is true of Spain. is equally
true of Italy, England. Germany, Belgium
and to great degree. of France. He says
Spanish labOrers owe their condition to the
''crOwding down" of capitalists. They
lacked spirit. unity OF action and organiza.
ton. They covered before the onward
march of monied power. and so they are
down, irretrievably down. and they must
stay, until general revolution comes. and
it is close at hand. X = Even as 1 write
wOrkmen have called on the government for
either work or bread. l am now more
thoroughly impressed than ever with the
necessity of labor organizations mobs
but cool. calm, determined. thinking men.
4 really think that the safety and fut-
ure of American wOrkmen depends almost
entirely upon their organizations. x y If
combined money makes war, let combined
labor fight it stubbornly. for therein is the
safety of the American Republic"