The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-10-07
WAGE GARNER land SILVER


would be ready and apMiens to take your
| job. and every other job like it. at a
lower figure than you aSetEetting. if neces-
sary. There are politiea&lheasons why the
railroads do not just nOwaGorce down your
salaries dismiss y6d "and take some
other man who will work for less but let
me ask you: Is it human nature for any
other man or corporation to pay more to
you for certain services that they can get
other men, equally as competent, to per-
form the same services? Let the gold
standard once be permanently fastened on
this country, when the corporations and
the gold men feel safe. and as sure as fate
every man who is now in their employment
will have to accept a big cut in his wages
or be dismissed to give place to some other
man. equally competent who will do
the work for less
DsA not the history of England, and in
fact of the whole world. show and prove
that this has been the case in every coun-
try where and when the amount of legal
tender money in circulation was con-
tracted. 1t is one of the inexorabe laws
Of supply and demand which applies with
equal force to money as. to everything else.
Let me ask you what would you do to-
udy II you were ulSIIIlSSGu DIS conductor.
Which way would you turn to make a liv-
ing?
Conductor-God only knows. / would try
to find another job. but my family would
suffer if were to lose one months wages.
Senator-You would try to find another
job? But would you not find at least ten
men competent you are applying for
the same job? Then, how could your
chances be any better than one in ten to
get the job? If every other man were as
competent to fill the place as you, and you
had no special pull. then the only way that
you could get it would be by doing the
work for less than the others.
How destructive this competition is to
labor and, on the other hand, how great
| 1y to the advantage of corporations. AS
money gets scarcer this competition be-
tween labor grows greater, and the con-
ditions of labor will get worse and more
helpless.
Therefore, the scarcere money gets the
better it is for corporations, and the
worse it is for labor. The number who
are employed would not today be getting
even as much as they are were it not for
the force and power of labor organiza tons
Do not the corporations always fight these
organiZat tons? Who has always been
the friend of labor when it wanted legis-
atior? Has not every farmer in congress
always stood up for labor when it wanted
legislation? On the other hand, has not
every corporation attorney in congress or
i'll our state legislatures fought such legis-
lation demanded by labor?
Today there are millions of men willing
n w
have. jobs do not get as much as thew
deserve.
The fact is there are so many people not
employed that II you were to average the
wages paid to those now employed with
those unemployed the average pay which
labor receives would not be, more than half
of what employed labor. actually received
before silver was demenetized. When a
man whose only capital isl labor is forced
to be Idle a day that much of his capital
is forever lost: it is confiscated: it can not
be gotten back for him or for society: if
is as much lost as when building is burn
cd. Conditions that would REQUIRE q GER
tain number of houses to be burned eacb.
day would not be any more unjust or de-
structive to the owners of the houses than
present conditions are to the laborer whom
forced to be idle, though willing to work.
while his wife and children suffer for
bread.
The fact is that labor employed is to-
day forced to support labor that is idle
capital never contributes one cent to the
support OF idle labor. Those not en-
ployed must be supported by YOU. and
those who are employed. or they will suffer
and starve.
Let me ask you: Have you any sons who
are not employed?
Conductor-Yes, l have two sons. one 10
ana the other is. L have been trying to
get them job, but l can only get them
temporary work here and there,
Senator-Then you have to support those
two SONS in idleness out of your az s,l
airy. IT those two sons were emplovad at
good wages. or We're in business. YOU not
only would not be burdened to sunnort
them. but they could help you to send vour
daughter to school. and also to give their
mOnthcr more comforts and helm ~ bo,,o
than you do now out of your present sal
ary. But why is that you think of moth
ing but getting job for these bows. or of
getting job for yourself? Or. if Won
were to lose your job why would YOU not
A'hN"
them. where you could be with your family
more: and have more time of your own?
Conductor-I know of no business that
could go into in which l could make a
living. 7 would perish to death at farm
ing. though I was raised on a farm The
mercantile business is run in the ground
ana men with more capital and experience
than L have got are failing each day.
near all the drummerS complain of dur
trade and L see a great many others who
have been dismissed by their firms on
account Of falling off in sales
Senator-Then you admit frankly that
the condition of the country is very bad.
and even alarming. Now, your sons are
IDLE and cannot get Il job go into bus
mess, and where you are liable to have
Your salary reduced. IN fact, certain ia
have it reduced if the number of unem-
ployed men increase, and where. if Won
lost your job you won1f be at sea. and
would soon face want"
Only the other day a Certain class of
men who work for this r'oad who are paid
by the hour for eight hours labor each
day, were notified that they would be paid
hereafter for six hours only a day. This
is 3 per cent reduction In the wages Of
these men. If this order should be an
piled to you it would Mean a loss of SIS. :,
per month at one boW Those men are
submitting to this reduction and If it an
piled to you would YOU not submit alsoY
You would he forced IS Submit or be with
out job entirely. Y6u and these other
men are as helpless and as much compellef,