St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-09

closing with the land, the machinery
and the shops, which means the in
strument and the opportunity of in
dustry. centralized in the hands of a
few people, controlled for the pur-
pose of making profits for the men
who own and manage the enterprises,
with very large share of all the
population without place to put their
feet, to say nothing of where to lay
their head; with no share in the man.
agement of any public or private bust
ness enterprises. He said that labor
was prior to capital. independent of
capital and producer of capital. In
nearly every Southern state and in
all Northern states the majority of
all the people live on their own land,
and in their own houses, employ their
own labor and take to themselves for
their own use and their families the
product of their labor without asking
any faVors of the capitalist on the one
hand or the hired man or the slave
on the other. 1t was then fact, but
1T is no longer a fact. The people Of
the United States do not live on their
own land or in their own houses, and
have practically no interest in the
products of their own toll.
Fifty years ago the home In New
England was made up something like
this: A long, rambling building with
apartments for the people in one end
and the cattle in the other. In that
building was not only a place for the
people and cattle, but a shoe shop,
blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, spin
ming wheel, ETC., as well. The boy on
the New England farm learned to la
Dor under the direction and with his
fathers companionship. The boys and
the girls who learned to labor were
instructed by the man and woman who
n
than any other people on the face of
the earth, Today, according to sta
tistics, the average earnings of the
New England inhabitant are only two
thirds Of the average expense of main
tanning his family. What happened?
A man came along and invented
spinning wheel, and the old-fashioned
spinning wheel was put in the garnet.
The loom the same way. Machinery
was invented that gave the planning
MILL The shoemaker lost his job when
machinery was invented to tan leather
and manufacture shoes. One by one
these industries departed and the fac
tory towns created. The boys and girls
went down to the factory towns and
worked there. No longer did they la
Dor under the direction of father or
mother. but under the watchful eye
or man who never saw them before
took no other interest In them except
by their sweat and work to coin out
OF their toll the largest possible num-
Der Of dollars.
The divorce question was only a.
very small item in the disintegration Of
families, Stewart said down in the
New England towns he found some
towns which were called "she towns"
Upon inquiry, he learned that a. "she
town" was certain manufacturing
city that employed women and chill
dren, but had no employment for men,
The men had to live elsewhere and do
homework in order to earn a living.
The process which in fifty years has
destroyed the small manufacturer and
built the great manufacturing towns
Is today destroying the small farmer
and building great farms. 1t is more
over today destroying the smaller
merchant and building the depart
ment store. The small merchant
should have standing in the face of
the great and destructive department
store.
The wages paid American labor to-
day are less than sufficient to buy out
Of the market. with labor, what the
toll OF the wages put in the market.
Mr.. Mills will lecture to a mass
meeting at Market hall tomorrow
night on Direct Legislation"