The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-10-03

they know also that those who will
laugh at the hypocrisy are fewin number
beside the mum Der of those who are Hat
tered and duped at the same time.
Does any one ever hear the great ma
.jority Of employers talking in anxious
tones about, the workingman's wages
after the election? During the four
years intervening between presidential
contests how much fret and worry do we
observe on the partsof the employer as
to the wages of his men? Not fret or
a worry. The employer goes on in the
even tenor OF his way, smiling If bust
ness is good and frowning if 1t is bad.
In either case, however, he is always
thinking how he can best. without iHr
jury to himself, keep down the wages OF
his employees. AS said before. there are
a few employers who do not DO this,
but on the contrary treat their employees
fairly and pay them the highest wages
generally received in their particular oc-
cupation. That is the exception and not
the rule, however The rule is when a
man presents himself for employment
the employer fixes the rate and fixes 1t
at the smallest amount. Should the pros
pectiye employe demur and say that he
cannot support his family. on the amount
offered does the employer at once change
the rate and make it commensurate with
the applicants needs, or does he raise IT
at all? Not he. He coolly informs the
applicant that he need not take it If he
Goes not like it.: that there are plenty OF
others he can employ TO do the work at
the same rate, and 80 the applicant must
either accept what is offered or let him
self and his family starve or he must
seek elsewhere for another place, and no
doubt to meet with no better results.
It may be truthfully said that the en-
ployer has perfect right to get his
work done as cheaply as he can; that he
is not in business for his health; that
philanthropy cuts no figure. 70 Ger
tain extent he has a right to get MS
work done as cheaply as possible, and
legally he may starve a man into sub
mission, but morally he cannot. And In
answer to this the employer may say,
20 d-n the morals" He is not run
ming his business on a religious basis,
and in the most cases he is not, as we
have abundant examples furnished by
such men as Mark Hanna and thousands
of his stripe. But If he is not in busin-
ness for his health or for philanthrop.c
but for the purpose Of making
as much out of it as he can, then, in
heavens name, let him stop talking
about his anxiety for the workingmans
wages, because such a statement Is the
biggest lie he has uttered during the
four years preceding, and that may be
saying a great deal. Let him. be honest
and cease chatter.ng about the working
mans wages The workingman would
never be heard Of in a campaign any
more than he is after 1t is over were 1t
not that there is more OF him as a yot-
ing quantity than of any other portion
of the community. That is the only rea-
son he is so much in evidence; that is
the reason that editors who are we'll
paid for it bestow upon him so much at.
tention at election times. And the
cases are not rare in which newspapers
which prate so much about keeping up
the wages of American workingmen are
at that very time cutting down the
wages of their own employees. /
The pity of it. is that so many work.
ingmen believe in these campaign Les
that are told them about their wages by
politicians on the stump and mercenary
newspapers. But they do drink 1t In and
those who peddle out the lies knew they
would. 4,
Think of Bourke Cochran, in this city
and elsewhere, lashing himself into a
fury and perhaps a fever about the
work:ngman's wages. 1t is enough to,
make an Intelligent workingman split
his sides with laughter. A mali like
Cochran, who gets $250,000 for few
weeks work on the stump so that he
may tell the workingman how anxious
his party is for their welfare!
Bah! Will the age Of reason never:
come?
IT'S THE PEOPLE NOW.