Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-10-10


gF-aized, just now is having tough
time of it. There seems to be a con-
certed effort on the part of corpora
tions to break down labor organiza-
tions This effort is supported by
most of the metropolitan dailies, the
courts AMI the military. The rail-
road corporations are quietly drop
ping and blacklisting the A. r. u.
men who took part in the recent
strike. The courts can be relied upon
leaders, and the military stands ready
to shoot down all who are reckless
enough to protest against such ac
tion. Reviewing the history of leg;s-
lation for the past twenty-five years
we wonder how any sens ible man
who makes his living 'in the sweat
of his face" can vote either of the old
party tickets. There are in this coun-
try some strong labor organizs tions
Some of these number, and have num-
bered. over a million member As a
rule they are composed of the most
intelligent men and women of
their class, and in their station in
life. Time and again have they sent
petitions to congress asking for GER
tain measures of relief They have
incorporated their demands and
declarations in respectful language
and presented them to our Lawmakers
with the request that they be enacted
into laws. But their demands have
BEEN ignored. There is hardly labor
organization of any note in the United
States that has not asked for the en-
actment for free silver coinage and
an eight hour law. Both old parties
profess to be in favor of these mea sures
Both have been in power, yet the de-
mands of la bor have been ignored.
The appeal of the bankers and the
beck and call of the corp rations and
manufacturers have had more weight
than the petitions of the men WHO
furnish two-tbirds of the votes and
pay three-fourths of the taxes
Why should working men vote for
parties who have persistently ignored
their wishes and their necessities?
1t is no excuse'to say,the workingman
does not know what he needs He is
not ward of the politician, or of the
nation. He is an American citizen. or
at least he has the name of beiog
such. He has a right to be heard.
Yet if he does not and will not vote
for what he wants he is not to be
pitied. If he advocates measure 364
days in a year and then on the 365th
goes up and votes for and with
party that won't give it to him, he de-
serves the fate that awaits him. 1t is
the old parties that appoint the courts
that decide against him, and it is the
old parties that turn the militia loose
on him when he protests 1t is the
old parties that are worked in the in :.
terests Of the corporations who are
fighting him and trying to starve him
into submission. When he vo es for
the old parties he votes the same
ticket that his enemies do. for
the judges that decide against
him, the corporations that tblack-
list him and the militia that stands
ready to shoot him.
Labor should be king. and would
be if it would unite under a banner
of common brotherhood. and be
guided by the motto: The injury of
one is the concern of all" Labor
produces all and pays all Il the
farmers alone would withhold their
products for only a short period of
time they could have the world at
their feet. How much stronger then
could an organization composed of
the workers of both city and country
resist the encroachments of greedy
capital? Not wheel could move;
not spindle turn; not fire be built.
The capitalists are almost perfectly
organized. While they know that
they are dependent upon labor.
they look upon organized labor as
their inveterate foe, because only by
organization can their encroacbments
nh she tiehta Of ia bor be resisted sue-