The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1896-09-15

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Chicago, Sept. THE labor organizations
of Chicago celebrated Labor day with a
parade in which probably 10000 men par
ticipated
The chief attraction of the day was the
speech of William j. Bryan at Snapshot
ers Park this afternoon
Mr. Bryan began speaking at 2:2o p. m.
choosing for his subject
THE Dignity of Labor
Labor day has become a fixed thing
among our Institutions and it is we'll that
it has, because on this day all over this
nation those who are engaged in the pro-
duction of wealth meet in order that they
may commune with each other, discuss
those questions in which they are especially
interested and emphasize before the W Jrld
that there is nothing dishonorable In the
fact that one earns his bread in the sweat
of his face. l am glad 10 stand on this
day in the presence of those to whom this
nation is SO largely indebted for all that
it has had, for all that It has now, and for
all that it can hope to have, | am not IN
dulging in idle tlattery When l say to you
that no part of the people of the world
are so important to the welfare of man
kind as those whose labor and brain con
vert natural resources into material wealth
| might quote to you what Mr.. Carlyle
said of these people in 1878. He described
them as the struggling masses who pro-
duce the wealth and pay the taxes of the
country He did not praise them too high
ly The struggling masses not only pro-
duce the wealth and pay the taxes OF the
country in time of peace, but the struggling
masses have ever been, and must ever be.
the nations surest protection in time OF
peril. Let me quote you what another
American has said In speaking of labor
and capital Abraham Lincoln. in mes
sage to congress, used these words:
'Monarchy itself is sometimes limited at
as a possible refuge from the power of
the people. In my present position | could
be scarcely justified were | to omit to
raise warning voice against this approach
of returning despotism. 1t is not needed
nor fitting here that general argument
should be made in favor of public institu-
tions; but there is one point with it's con-
nectiOn not so hackneyed most others
to which | ask brief attention. 1t is the
effort to place capital equal footing
with, if not above, labor, in the structure
Of government 1t is assumed that labor
is available only in connection with capital;
that nobody laborS unless somebody else
commanding capital somehow by the use
of it induces him TO labor Labor is prior
to and independent of capital. Capital is
only the fruit of labor and could never
have existed if labor had not first existed.
Labor is the superior of capital and de-
serves much higher consideration. No men
living are more worthy to be trusted than
those who toll up from poverty; none less
inclined to take or touch aught which they
have not earnestly earned Let them be-
ware of surrendering a political power
which they already possess, and which, ii
surrendered, will surely be used to close
| the door of advancement against such as
| they, and to fix new tasks and burdens
| upon them, till all of liberty shall be lost"
These are the words Of Abraham Lincoln.
| They are not intended o arouse animosity
against capital. but they state great
truth that is always TO be remembered,
4Y.a al c Int +Iro fpJIit Of ahn and
| you cannot destroy labor without the pos
| sibility of destroying capital. | have
| quoted from two American authorities.
want in an ascending scale to reach higher
authority still. Let me qIote to you what
| that man whose words have entitled him
| to be called the wisest of men, Solomon,
| said on this subject:
"GiVe me neither poverty nor riches;
| feed me with food convenient for me, lest
| | be evil and deny thee and say who is
| the Lord; or lest | be poor and steal and
| take the name of my God in vain"
want you to remember that Solomon
regards not the eXtrem2--but l was about
| to say. the golden mean-l will say the
| golden and silver mean, rather. He regards
that condition best which is not at either
| extreme but lies in between the extremes.
| Neither great riches nor abject poverty
| furnish the soil in which grows the best
| civilization. Those who are oppressed by
| poverty lose the ambition, the aspiration,
/
| one on to the greatest achievements; and
those who possess too great wealth lose
/ the necessity for labor, that labor which
| is absolutely essential to the development
| of that which is best in human nature.
| Solomon was right, therefore, when he
| prayed for this intermediate condition. The
| great middle classes are the DulWark or
| society and from the middle classes has
| come almost all of good that has come to
bless the human race.
hon Mi mo mi
| 70 the common people. You know when
we use that term there are some who say
| that we are appealing to the passions OF
| the masses; there are some who apply the
| name demagogue to anybody who speaks
of the common people. My friends, let me
call your attention to the fact that when
| the meek and lowly Nazarene came among
men, preaching peace on earth good VIII
/ towards men. he was not welcomed by
| those who were described as people who de-
| voured widows houses and for pretense
| made long prayers. But when he gave
| that great commandment that thou shalt
| love thy neighbor as myself, whe listened to
| him. The Scriptures fell u.s. and in so doing
| pays the highest compliment ever paid TO
| the Masses The Scriptures tell us that
| the common people heard him gladly. And
| tho common people are the only people who
| have ever heard gladly any person who
| nreached humanity and equal rights | do
| NOT mean to say that there are no eXcep-
| lions to the general RUE. 1here nave al
| WAYS been found among the richer classes
/ those who were filled with the spirit OF
| philanthropy; there have always been found
| among them those who were willing to
| spend their lives in the uplifting of their
| fellows But / speaking OF the rule
| that reforms do not come from ana are
| not supported by those who consider them
selves lifted above the common people. Nor
| do / mean that You have never found among
| the common people those who would De-
| tray their fellows. You have found every
| where-ft is one of the unfortunate things
/ ,....., of history