The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-07-14
year. Yet, while he is adverse to labor as

year. Yet, while he is adverse to labor as.
socations. he believes in the association of
capital and he and others have formed the
great combination known as the Carnegie
Steel company. These capitalists have
formed union for the sole purpose of max.
ing money, believing that they could help
one another by standing together. The la
boring men pool their capital which is their
brain and muscle, commodities without
which capital could not operate. When
ever capital refuses to pay fair price for
labor then the united laborers agree that
they will none of them sell their labor until
capital is willing to pay fair price for it.
Then comes the strike. The strike is the
only defense labor has against capital. its
only way of effective expression. But when
organized labor tries by such means as it
has at hand to enforce its demands then
capital calls in the law to compel tie la
borer to either accept capitals terms or get
out and make room for a lower class of la
borers who are willing to take whatever
capital is willing to pay. Carnegie has
made sweeping reduction in the wage
scale at his works and the wOrkmen, believ.
ing that there was no other reason for the
reduction than the growing greed of their
employer. refuse to accept the new scale and
are locked out with the warning that if they
return it must be as non union men and
take what they could get. Now what are
the men to do? Disband their association
and declare every fellow for himself and
that the devil might take the hindermost in
the race back to the mill? Had they done
such thing they would have been towards.
and the public would have looked on them
with contempt. But they didn't. and if
they continue to stand by one another until
they have exhausted every means in their
power. they will have won great victory.
not for themselves, perhaps. but certainly
for the cause of labor and their children.
The strike is serving good purpose as an
impressive object lesson to those who have
in their own hands the making of better
and more equitable laws. Workingmen
cannot triumph over capital by strikes
alone. they must do as capital does-secure
legislation in their favor. They should
fight capital on its own grounds Labor
has the power to make the legislators if it
will only exercise it. Labor says that cap.
ital cOrrupts its legislators with brides of
money and place. The best authorities do
not dispute this. In the editorial depart
ment of the July number of the Century
Magazine we find it said that ut is mat
ter of common knowledge that all the great
railways and other corporations. all the
banks and chartered institutions which have
large vested rights and interests to protect.
are obliged to keep close watch by means of
hired agents upon the law.making bodies of
the various states, to guard themselves
against hostile legislation, or to promote
the passage of favorable measures" These
agents are. in plain language. the dispensers
of large sums set aside by capitalists to cor
rupt lawmakers. and these corruption funds
have, says the writer. made popular gov
eminent mockery and the halls of legisla
ton, in more than one instance, Gen of
thieves" Now, if laborers cannot procure
favorable legislation by honest means. they
have it in their power TO do as the capital
lists are doing. The money they waste in
strikes and fruitless contests with capital
if put into a legislative corruption fund
would do them more good than they will
ever gain by force of arms. This would
not be right but it would be fair with can
itaI.
PEOPLES PARTY CONVENTION.