Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-11-23


L. q. Terry. His subject was "'fhe Plea
of the Unemployed" and his remarks
were suggested by the words found
In Matthew Xx., z: "No man hath
hired u.s.
This, he said, is the answer that idle
workmen standing in the old market
place gave to those who inquired the
reason of their idleness, and such is the
answer that the hundreds of thousands
of unemployed workmen who throng
our thoroughfares and who meet us in
the market place would give us if we
asked them why they are not at their
accustomed business. They arc not idle
from choice, but only because no man
has hired them.
There are, he continued, three sources
of nations wealth and they are:
First, its mines; second, its agriculture,
and third, its manufactures, and yet
neither of these in itself alone repre-
sents very much actual wealth. Their
intrinsic value is small. II is the labor
employed in operating the mine, or cul-
tivating the field, or in running the fac
tory that makes them valuable, and the
wages paid for the labor determines the
amount of their real value. So this cry
of the unemployed means reduction
In the wealth of the nation, bccaus', un,
employed labor means idle mines,
neglected fields and silent factories, and
that means reduction in the output of
our various industries.
This, he remarked, is the plea of the
helpless. Their labor is their capital and
their only capital. 1t is their only COM
modify in trade. They have offered it
and IL is refused. There is no demand
and they have only the single alterna-
tive Of waiting. They are helpless and
cannot deliver themselves. This means
scanty support and IN the end suffering
on the part of the labOring man and his
family. Now it is very easy to speak of
this matter in sentimental way, but if
you would understand what il actually
means put yourself in his place. See
your children suffer with cold for lack
of suitable clothing, remove from your
table one by one the Injuries you are in
the habit of enjoying, then when the
last of them is gone take away the
costller and richer food, such as meats,
then hear your children cry for the food
you have not the wherewith to supply,
and at the same time remember that this
is not for lack of supply, but that If the
wealth that is locked up in idleness
were only put in circulation every fac
tory would be busy and every idle hand
might find employment, but that be-
cause of a certain combination of cir
cunstances you must remain in enforced
idleness and your children must starve.
God help the man who cannot help him
self. Again this plea of the unem-
ployed is a protest against the abuses
that have brought about the existing
state of affairs. There is always more
Of ,,Hn t.,
and the greatest and worthiest sufferers
are not those who are readiest to make
demands for help and who besiege the
Associated Charities and soup houses,
but rarely have we ever approached
anything like the present state OF affairs.
He attributed this enforced idleness to
the following causes:
First-The abuse of our national sys-
tenn of protection. Protection to Ameri-
can industry is thoroughly American
idea, ard whatever temporary suspen-
sions it may suffer it has come to stay,
and it is about time that our teachers of
political economy and leaders in public
affairs had learned that it is on 1t or
under it just as they please. But this
principle in our institutions has been
abused, and under this abuse there has
sprung into existence system of OPP
preston, trusts socalled, that has driven
out of existence competitive industries
by combining large corporate wealth
against individual enterprise, enriching
few at the expense of the many.
Second-Fast living, u failure to prac-
tice economy, wastefulness. Every man
should try to save 10 per cent Of his
living and the wages of every laboring
man ought to allow that saving, and if
those who could would practice economy
o great deal of the suffering that is
would never exist. This wastefulness
is national sin. Money is wasted in
dress, in pleasure seeking and in ex-
trayagant living in many ways, but
the greatest waste is til of the
drink curse, thousand millions of
dollars last year, enough ii we esti-
mate the number of the unemployed
workmen ut 100000 to give them every
one employment at a dollar day 300
days in the year and keep them en-
ployed at this rate for the next SO years
or for the average life time of healthy
man; or if you will give the same wages
to every man, woman and child in Will
mington to keep them all employed at
that rate for more than half a century.
Is it any wonder that there is suffering
when we thus waste our substancep
Third--A mutual disregard of indi-
vidual rights by employer and employee.
will not attempt to say who is to
blame. There is only one way to settle
this question and that is according to
the golden rule and in the fear of God.
Labor and capital are suspicious of each
other and the result is labor strikes and
labor-saving machinery.
Fourth-A lack of confidence. This
is tho keystone in the arch of human
life and effort. II is confidence in God
that He will not disappoint our faith
and trust in Him that sustains us in the
religious life and confidence in men and
principles that is the cementing bond in
human, temporal affairs. But men
have lost confidence in each other and
this has cancelled orders, and it
has withheld goods, and it has
closed factories and enforced idleness.
1t has Withdrawn deposits from the
banks and this has diminished the line
of discounts, and this has resulted in the
failure of banks and banking institutions
to the number of 800 or more and BUSH
ness failures in every department have
followed. Confidence in the manage
ment of public affairs has been shaken
and as result our whole commercial
system is paralyzed. Capital is profit
less because it is unused, and factories
are idle because the uncertainty that
threatens us, an the laboring man is
destitute because he is unemployed.
Fifth-A change in our commercial
vail xrtttk FnQt I'M ~