The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-09-05
LABOR DAY.
Thousands Celebrate The Day nc Riverside
Park Yesterday

Yesterday was Labor Day.
It was observed IN this city by net only
mep who cara theft crust by the sweat of
their brow. bat by the mere fortunate who
earn ir with their Waite gloves On In
fact il wes universally observed by the
people of the Peerless Princess. Business
was suspended and every merchant closed
his doors, willingly n the great majority
of cases.
The music OF the band was the signal to
90 to the park and the street cars did
rushing business.
The scene at Riverside WIS lively one.
and reminded one OF fair day. The pop
corn man was there with tho same old
cracked voice, but still hilarious IN
eulogizing his goods. The frisky son
of Africa who makes a monkey or q
clown Of mself, As desired, during the
| inter mission III tbs patent soap man ae.-
dress, was there also, aud Ia the grand
division OF public interest SUCCEEDED IN
getting as much o. crowd as hAipn
Beaumont. The lemonade rustler was
there, too, and made quality or the bey-
erage that would drive the circus man out
of the business in a jlfy. lie was about
the best lemonade Que has ever seen at
public gathering. The band played every
air from Annie Roonie" to After the
| Ball." while the leaves Of the trees Hut
| tered before the breeze and racket or at
/ least 500 crying. screeching lids VINO DID
net appear to rsallZ. that theiF daddies,
/ who work ID keep milk il their bottles,
were out to enjoy themselves. The ioue,
| solitary pump was the ous PARTICULAR
| thing that held the crowd. There was
one tin cup to drink from and By actual
timing editor Jennings pumped for two
| hours ut a stretch 20 supply water for the
women aud babies. AT o'clock George
! Whitlock called the meeting 10 order from
a stand erected IL trout OF the oowllnS
alley and after few remarks introduced
! Mayor Cox who made a short out sweet
welcoming address in which he lndorsei
the idea Of Especial holiday for labor ii, IN
/ turn introduced Ralph Beaumont OF New
| York, who was the chosen orator or the
day. II ever Ralph WAS = shining star In
the re form movement his lustre has
dimmed. Two hundred farmers could
have been easily found IN this county who
could have made n better address than ne
did. The labor question affords a hne
theme FOR speaker of any psetentions; 1t
| is full of meat for an orator, but Raiph
| proved himself incompetent To do 1t
credit. He made some good points but In
the main his comparisons ana his efforts
at logic were string Of absurdities.
One of his statements alone will suffice to
show how little he knows about the labor
problem. This was that labor employed
capital instead of capital employing labor.
a
man to say who believes that he Is talk
ing to an intelligent body OF lahoring men
such as is usually found in Kansas. II
labor employs capital Instead or Capital
employing labor why are laboring men
idle? His reasoning, II correct, would lndl'
cate that iaborins men didn't want to WORK
for. certainly, according to his state
meut, being the employers OF capital the
matter of steady employment would be EN-
tirely in their own hands. he was speak
ing to the wrong audience for every labor
ing man in Wichita who heard him caught
ont the absurdity of his statement
The celebration wound up with an ex
cellent program cfsports which were heart
lily enjoyed by about 5000 people.
The Central Labor union may justly fee
proud of their celebration, for 1t was, II
every respect, II great success. The com
mlttee in charge OF it demonstrated thei
good sense and their good trste in barring
out Intoxicating liquors. although thel
had been offered an almost fabulous sun
: | OF money for the privilege. The resui
was that not drunken man was seen upoi
the grounds nor on the streets. Nelthe
were there any Objectionable character
countenaDced at the picnic. Ia was on
; vast crowd of good, square men with thei
wives and children, who had nothing L
trouble them during the day and who's
only ambition WAS TO have as much fun a
possible.