The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-10-30
KIER HARDIE'S TALK.
ADDRESSES A LARGE AUDIENCE
OF WORKINGMEN ON BURN
ING QUESTIONS.

the working mans cause a boom on La
Dor Day. Since that time Mr. Hardie
has established himself in mission work
on socialism. He is in other words of
fering himself for the evangelization of
the working men Of America on the
European poltico-socialistic platform
Mr.. Hardie has been member of the
British house of commons, and gained
some reputation while serving a con-
stltuency therein. He is SO years old,
Scotchman by birth, and was born and
reared a miner,
Last night he addressed a good sized
audience at Harmonic Hail. mostly COM
posed of actual working men, who are
honestly seeking a pathway out of the
existing ENHANCEMENT of false social and
political surroundings. The general tone
OF his doctrines may be surmised by the
following abstract of his remarks
Although 1t is true that | came from
England, it is not true that am an Eng
ishman. l am a Scotchman and since
coming to America l have tried to learn
few things about your language in or
der to be more easily able to converse
properly. There is in your country as in
the old world, know, great unrest that
bodies ill for future if not in some way
stopped. 1 have seen nothing of suffer-
ing and sorrow in England which l can
not match in America, and therefore
there must be a common cause for our
ills, since under widely different condi-
lions the results are the same. Every
where there is a growing feeling of un-
rest and there is also in the minds of the
people growing feeling of aversion to
the accumulation of wealth in the hands
of a few. While this country produces
SO much wealth, it is a sad fact that very
little of the wealth finds it's way into the
pockets of the men who produce the
wealth by their skill and energy.
"A serious question it is that concerns
us when we think Of how many want
work and cannot get it. Inventions have
thrown many out of work. In England
we have a surplus of laborig men of 25
per cent. 1t is important, | will admit,
that men have political freedom, but it
is much more important that they have
job. The inventor and mOnopolst are
doing more for socialism than all of our
agitators, for every man who invents
machine makes many socialists. First,
this affects a mans stomach and then he
begins to think, and thus socialists are
made.
The country is today in the hands Of a
few schemers who are trying to bleed the
people. We need political freedom and
social freedom. What to do is what you
ask of u.s. Well, that is the question
IldHy people are Trying W duSWSI. IL 10
said that you laboring men are not thrift
ty and that is why you do not prosper.
Thrift is spending less than you earn.
Very we'll in some place, l admit, but
what about the fellow who is not earn
ing anything? What about the man who
does not earn enough to keep soul and
body decently together? 1 have seen
men getting 60 cents day and preachers
come along and say that they only have
to be thrifty. l could preach thrift to
the marquis of Queensbury, who earns
his $4,000 a day. But it is an insult to
tell the poor man to practice thrift when
he is starving almost to death. 1 think
that the cause Of our poverty is simply
our system of competitive wages. So
long as wages are determined by supply
and demand there will be poverty. And
so long as this system obtains free trade
and tariff and all money questions cannot
affect you Wages will always be starva-
ton rations with this system. All men
require the same things, clothing, food,
shelter. Therefore, why cannot men CO.
operate together to secure these necessi-
ties and not compete in their production?
Land was not made by any mortal
and is therefore not owned by any man.
And when there is something not owned
by anybody but needed by everybody, the
people should have that. The same is
true of capital. No one made capital and
everybody needs it; therefore land and
capital should belong to the community
and not to the individual. This co-opera-
tive commonwealth would cause two re-
suits. First every man who could and
would work would get a fair and COM
Portable living. Second every man who
could work, but was too lazy to work
would have to give his stomach a rest
as we'll as his hands. Too many people
have 6. wrong idea of socialism. They
think that under the socialstic govern
ment the lazy would impose upon the
thrifty and live upon them Such is not
the truth, however.
SOCIALISM is applied Christianity.
Preachers profess Christianity but sup
port the rich in their fight against the
poor. Industrial slavery is opposed to
the doctrine of Christ. Fraternity and
brotherhood is the real essence of Chris
tianity. But men say we must not ViO-
late the rights of property. 1 agree that
the rights of property may be sacred, but
l also believe that the rights of humanity
are more sacred. And when it comes
down to a conflict between the two
stand for humanity. There is but one
way to bring about our reform, and that
is the old way of accomplishing all re-
forms. simply by methods of education,
bad that men cannot organize better
than they do. They err in letting little
differences divide them when in the main
they agree with each other. Two men
feel a common bond of sympathy, yet
one is a Catholic and the other is Pro-
testant and so they fight for the love of
God When two men quarrel about their
religion it is a good sign they haven't
got any. We must learn to put aside pet
ty differences and stand together.
Eve must learn again that there is no
difference between Democrats and Re-
publicans. They are both the plutocratic
band. When politicians pay the piper the
people will have to dance to the music
n ic To II
and organize into trade unions at first.
If you have not organized into trade
unions you have not taken the first step
in helping yourself. Carry the same class
spirit into your politics that you have in
your unions. 1t is useless to try to con-
vert politicians. You cannot reform the
old parties and SO you must hustle for
yourself.
In socialism lies the only road to free
dom and to the oppressed of the world it
points the way for shaking from the linn b
of industry the letters of serfdom.'
JEFFERSON HAD HIS REVENGE.
Joseph jefferson, the actor, was once
asked to spend week with Scotch
peer. Among the guests were q brilliant
and hearty lady who was the daughter of
an earl Il suppose" aaid MIR. Jefferson,
there must have been something in my
American manner that amused her, for
she made a dead set at GuizZing me. l
did not detect it at first, and answered
some of her absurd questions about Amer
lea quite innocently. She kept her face so
we'll that l might never have discovered
this but for the idiotic grin upon the
smooth face Of one CT her admirers, and
then l felt, for the honor of my country,
that if she made another thrust at me
l would parry it if | could. l had not
long to wait. for. emboldened by her