The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-09-03

OrablOnS, DullS our temples anu IlfteO
mankind from barbarism to civilization.
Obeying the mandate of heaven-in
the sweat of thy face shalt thy eat bread
mankind has achieved all the splendid
victories of the past, and realized the
most perfect happiness capable to NOR
tails here on earth.
Whoever shall disobey this divine COM
mand, this eternal law of our being, shall
suffer misery thereby, just as surely as
the laws of God and the laws of our be-
ing can not be violated with impuuity.
Labor marks the line which separates
man from the lower order of animals.
The struggle of the ages has been the
emancipation of labor, and the most pc
tent question of the hour is how shall
the great act of justice be done by man
toward man in securing to labor its just
reward. All there is of the great and
preplexing tariff question is wrapped up
in this unsolved and hitherto insolvable
problem. The money question is but a
species of this great question. Capital
should never be used except in the inter
est of labor. And labor should never be
employed except to produce capital
There should be no conflict between cap
ital and labor. They should be as twin
brothers, or perhaps a better simile would
be as father and son. The parent ever
to be labor, the production of capital
But it is all very we'll to tell how things
ought to be, but we must not forget how
they are. If things were as they ought
to be there would be no sin in the
world and the millennium would be at
hand, If there was no selfshness in the
world mans inhumanity to man
would cease, and labor would then have
Its reward. The truth is there is a
mighty struggle now going on in this
and all civilized nations between labor
and capital, and as l have said the issue
is the most momentous question now
pressing for settlement especially in this
country. Discoveries, inventions and
science have worked marvellous changes in
the conditions of labor in modern times.
Capital has no more right to seek to
take advantage of this changed condi-
ton of labor, to the injury of the labor
than has labor the right to take advan-
tage of capital to the injury and des-
truction of capital AS the one ag-
gregates or acCumulates, so must the
other organize, aud wherein either
seeks to be inequitable or unfair by
reason of the great power that comes 10
aggregation of capital or the organ
iZatiOn of labor then in case of failure
to amicably adjust their differences, an
unprej udiced tribunal must settle the
dispute. In my judgment nothing short
of a recognition that labor is Just as
powerful as capital, and just as intelli-
gent and just as honest and must stand
on at least equal footing with capital,
in every department of life, receiving
just as high honors and just as great re-
wards, nothing, l say. short of this will
ever settle the labor question in this
country.
George R. Peck said to the students
of the University of Virginia last June:
"Our young men are forming syndicates
instead of building characters" And
why is this SO? Because the world has
turned from the temples of heaven and
is bowling down before the golden calf.
An ounce of character is worth ton of
gold, but public opinion has it now that
an ounce of gold is worth ton of cha
racter. Let US get at the root of this evil
and be honest with ourselves. You and
l are to blame in great measure; pluck
the mote from thine own eye. Why does
a putty headed dOIt whose father grew
rich in the clothing business leave his
home in Philadelphia, go to Paris and
spend $4,000 on a supper for twenty
two guests? Because he knows 1t will
be teIegraphed all over Europe and this
country and render him temporarily ia
NOUS Why does a society leader at
Newport give ball that costs enough
to educate a score of young men
through our highest university? For
the same reason. The newspapers
scatter the account OF Q6r vulgar Qls-
play throughout the entire country
And why do the newspapers publish
such vile rot? Because the public has
temporarily made money its god The
newspapers are not to blame. They
publish what the people want to read
The newspaper is the expression of the
age 1t gives the public what it wants
The newspaper is not sensational; you
and 1 are sensational. The public is
trying to eat its bread by the sweat of
its wits instead of by the sweat of its
face, and it uncovers in the presence OF
millions, however illgotten may have
been the gain, while character in power
ty is passed by on the other side. Change
public opinion so that the man who does
not eat his bread by the sweat of his face
shall be considered a parasite in the
community, whatever his wealth may be.
Teach the truth that the man who does
not perform some honest labor is enc
my of man and a scoffer of God Al
mighty Make character the standard
| by which a man shall be measured, and
not gold. Refuse to read the newspaper
that is sensational, and sensational news
papers will change just as rapidly as you
change.