The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-06-13
WHERE COxYIsM COMES FROM.
The Sufferings of the Poor.

"One-half the world" it is said,
"does not know how the other half
| lives" To throw little light on this
gloomy and gruesome question we ex-
tract the following from chicago
paper.
1t seems the city set out to furnish
work for part of it's unemployed cltl-
zens upon drainage canal. Here are
some Of the details:
Men seeking employment on the
| drainage canal continue to register at
the headquarters, 119 Dearborn street.
"Thc character of the men today"
said Col. w. P Rend, who is in charge,
sis of marked difference from pre-
vious days. The great majority are
Poles, who have been employed in the
lumber districts and rolling mills. The
news is spreading through their quar-
ter and they are fastening here TO
have their names entered. we snail
send to the canal 300 more laborerS
this morning and other detachmenls
from day to day"
Col. Rend deprecated the reports
that half dozen men sent Wednesday
had quit before the day was over. "Cf
the 800 men who went to work on We'd
nesday morning, some failed to return
the next day. The men were not IN
disposed to labor, yet nearly all had
| been mechanics, clerks, or engaged IN
light employment, and they had not
the physical endurance to work WIN d
shovel. Quite large number who
gave out at their work Wednesday re
turned again Thursday morning. II
our wealthier, chart tably disposed cltl-
zens could spend an hour or two eacn
day in my Office, and look into tile faces
of the people who come here seeking
| employment, their purse strings WOuld
be opened wider"
Col. Rend showed several letters
that he had received. One was from
a graduate of a German university,
who had been out of employment Tor
three months, and during this time
| had paWned all of his household furni-
| ture. Another letter introduced a
young mechanic who had been out OF
work for several months. lie is in ar
rears for his rent and has notice Of
eviction, which will take place on Mon
day. In third letter a draughtsman
and mapmaker Of % years experience,
employed at various times by park
COMMISSIONS, says his family IS now
destitute.
The colonel told of an old soldier, I'M
| III IOI l1DlOyl l1CuU anu w III ottiO uiN Y
if he could not obtain employment be-
fore the week was out he would COM
nit suicide. "This man found posi-
tion," said Col. Rend, Through my
intercession, as Waterman in railway
freight Office. and he went to work
| this morning."
An old man 65 years old, formerly
employed in a undergrad was plainly
exhausted and unfit for the work. He
had put in four hours time since yes
terday morning and his net wages were
IA cents Another, carpenter, OF
middle age, said he lived at Grand
| Crossing. After paying travelling eX-
penses he had little left. Besides he
had only seven hours at home, and less
| than that Of course for sleep. He
could not remain at the drainage camp
| because his wife was sick at home. AL
though he needed work he thought he
foresaw his physical prostration if he
continued at job for which he was
not fitted, and, with two sick in the
family. restitution would be followed
by starvation.
One man who left the Harlow sec
| tiOn Yesterday was union printer, too
frail to handle shovel. He put in
the day faithfully on Wednesday and
reported yesterday, lame, exhausted,
and with blistered hands, But he
could do nothing. Before night he
drew his pay for the previous days
work and said he could not come back.
| OF those who stuck to their barrows
and patiently loaded and pushed them
over 300 feet of planking throughout
| the day there was none who COM
planned. They were desperately in
earnest and contrived to suppress the
real agony which inevitably attends
the unusual and prolonged employ
ment Of musclee.
Glow does it go boys?" brought the
usual reply: "F'irst-rate; we're going
to stick till we get our old jobs back"
The men were of a much better class,
| intellectually, than had at first been
reported. They adapted themselves
| to the work with cleverness and sur
| prised the contractors by the amount
| of work they accomplished. Almost
all the trades of a city were represent
ed Those who have seen such work
| as that of drainage channel, where
wheelbarrows alone are used, know
| that a line of 80 to so is formed. The
barrows are drawn along side a trench
| and are all loaded at the same time
| Then all start up the incline, leading
| to the dumping ground together. a
| line of planks laid on the ground af-
| fording a smooth road.
In one of the lines a mason followed
closely upon the heels of day laborer,
aud after him came carpenter, latb
er, plumber, gasfitter, plasterer, glaz-
Ter, painter and decorator, just as they
are in the habit of doing under better
circums tances. That would have been
| the order if they were at work at their
trades. Some thought that fate was
mocking them. In other lines, tramp
ing up and down with prison-like reg
ularity, were teamSterS, lumhe snov-
| ers, rolling mill employees, terra Gotta
workmen, shoemakers, packing house
employees, stationary engineers and
one locomotive engineer. No such
medley of trades was ever brought to-
gether before, it is likely, in such re-
latiOns.
What should be done to the men-
rich and powerful-with overlooking
bank accounts and full bellies-who
have brought all this wretchedness on
the human family?
Is there any mode of death too Sc
we're for them? Or for the publishers of
the daily papers who have been their
tools? /. D.
The Force Of Public Opinion.
1t has reached even the Supreme
Court of the United States:
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE SUI
Il I