New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-14
POVERTY TO BE ABOLISHED.
A SO-CALLED PLAIN CITIZEN ATTACKS
AN OLD PROBLEM
EVERY MAN WILL. HAVE CHANCE TO Wof'N
WHEN THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT j.
ADDED TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL

WHEN THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT u
ADDED TO THE coNsTrTUTIoN-pR
EMMENs OUTLINES HIS PLAN
scsnt dozen OF people and four reporters iouhse'
comfortably in srmchaIrs last night In room ~
2l7 on the second floor OF the Broadway Cei''"'
Hotel AMI listened for two hours 20 the deVe'0P
ment of plain citizens Ideas on the question VI
how 10 solve the problem OF the unemployed IL y
proposed TO dc this by stimulating agitation 10 SUI"
an extent that the whole Nation shall ultimately
rise az one man and one woman. II the suH'ae.
issue should prevail before 1t comes TO vote az"
demand the addition OF Sixteenth Amendment W
the Constitution of these United States. THIS aneu
men; shall have for ts chief object In the consti'u
tional fibre the abolition of compulsory pover'E'
That II what the plain citizen calls the professio"
Of gentleman ont OF employment. not the one WIZ
Is out from choice but the one whO Il WIFI '"1
outs by force OF necessity.
Seated at a long table was n wh!te-bearded. white
haired man who proved to be Dr. Stephen NJ En-
mems. who is distinguished the inventor OF efheh
site the mos, powerful explosive known to modern
times and only recently adopted by the Government
for use In torpedoes and heavy shells Tor use esp.
cial,y in guns for seacoast defence DR.. Emmens Is
scientific He is a practical mining engineer
and for some years was a resident OF California
The idea Of doing something to solve the labor proc
lem presented 20 the people Of California las
year by the fact that for three months they were
virtually prisoners behind the wall OF the Rockies
because there trains running 10 carry taeih
eastward. So these people without regard 70 POLITICS
have evolved a plan which is lovely TO contemplate
They do not urg Il upon the Nation nor insist that
Congress shall forego its noon luncheon to CONSIDER
II. but they do ask that !: may be looked Into
DENYING THAT THERE Is \ PULL"
Then" said DR.. Emmens, III 1t is feasible, Why
the rest will be easy" which is true The doctor
says that there is no Niger in the woodp.le' II
any one should ask who Is behind the movement
No one possibly have pull In the movemrh"
1t is disinterested In the course Of his two hours
explanation. which he wound up with burst OF
poetry, he cited the historic experiment Of Thomas
owen in Scotland. where that worthy employed
1000 souls ard made them happy with good wages
and consequent food and clothing and the comfort .
OF home Or Emmens he'd thai II one man e que
grand councillors to preside over a National
bureau of labor who shall give employment to the
employment In this country. No one IN the audi
ence coniradcted him.
The proposition seemed as sclf-evident as tha :
sentiment from tie Constitution which ne quoted
and which lies at the basis Of the American form OF
government VINO has not heard about those In
alienabe rights and about life liberty ana nth ths
holds that every child born in this country is on
TILED to fan opportunity OF living happy NE:
of food clothing she r and to some education ana
against this as an expansion Of the primal prln-
cipe enuncia;ed by the Fathers. Again every cli-
to employment or reasonably remunerative chat
acter
DOES THE STATE OWE ONE A LIVING?
The Re- s G. Law. Chaplain of the Tombs. who
presided at the meeting. might have drawn upon
the rich OF his experience to demonstrate
that this is not what the average citizen s looking
for but he did What the average citizen
probably yearns for is Governmental statute
wearing ronbound clothes which shall forbid WORK
every day n the year except on those days which
have already been provided with a statute OF ex-
empton. like Sundays. Christmas. Labor Day. the
Fourth of July But the plain citizen is serious
This proposed amendment must not attack the free
dom OF property OF individuals. firms corpora
tons. 1t must tend 10 the subversoB of any
existing law institution. II must not involve
any increase OF taxation.
The underlying principle of course comes into
conflict with the idea embraced in social economies
that every man owes the State a service. Yet one
can we'll believe that the prospectus declares. iii
Is as far removed from Socialism or Anarchsm as il
President Cleveland from Herr Most The latte'
may not feel complmented as this iuxtaposition
a plain citizen" Dr. Emmens further held that I.
compulsory poverty is dissipated before the dawn
OF a blessed era. when work shall be brough, the
door of every man In the country II will DO away
with the necessity for charity. II a asks
aims he shall be referred to the work that awaits
his hand. II he says that while work Is absolutey
repusnant TO his sense Of dignity the job offered
him is not TO his liking then he Is at once told no
work. charity and thus the necessity for char
table institutions passes 70 the realm OF the has
beens"
When Dr. Emmens had finished his poem which
ure pattern, two resolutions adopted one
approved the platform OF the plain citizen move
mcnt and the other asked the Senators and Repre-.
sentatves from this State to inquire into the prac-
tcability and expediency of sixteenth amendment
Of abolishing compulsory poverty. Both were SEN
siby worded.