Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-06

| no ping up Oh money 10 COEtIOl tHO
courts and the legislation Of the coun-
try. Trusts, like labor agitations. are
| the chreatures of modern times-of
modern conditions and of modern jul
| dicial decisions This great country,
| from its very organization, grew rapid
| " in wealth, but never more rapidly
! than during the last two decades.
| They talk to you about the great in
! crease of wealth in this country, and
| it is true that the per capita OF wealth
| is rapidly increasing, while the condl-
| ton of the great mass Of the people
| is steadily growing worse. When the
! federal census of 1860 was taken this
country had population Of 25,OOO,OO0,
and the per capita Of wealth was
! 1897. When the census of 1880 was
taken it was found that the per capita
of wealth was S753 for population OF
3S,000,0C0, and in 1890 the census re-
turns showed this to be a great re-
public of 62,000,0G0 people, with
wealth of more than $1,000 for every
man, woman and child in the coun-
try. From 1870 to 1S90-twenty years
the per capita wealth of the country
more than doubled-it went from $500
to s1.O39-and yet the condition OF
the labor of the country, which pro-
duced that wealth, was constantly get
ting worse and worse.
"In 1860 the world marvelled at
the wealth of the Astors; it was about
| $4,000. 900. That was an age of MIL
! lionaires. The wealth Of the country
increased, and in 1880 we had the age
! of the multi-millionaire. Wealth went
on Increasing. and in 1890 we had the
era of the Observation-Disclosures, and
we are now beginning TO talk about the
possibility of billionaires. That is
the way the country is going-there is
an increase of wealth, but how has 1t
grown in respect to labor? How
has the compensation Of labor grown?
In 1890 there were 1850 peoDle out of
GO 600 600 that owned S12,O00,O 600 of the
$50 100000 of national wealth, and
there are figures for that in the CEN
sus reports for that year. In 1880 one
per cent.-one man out OF 1OO-one
per cent. of the population owned fifty
five per cent. Of the wealth of the coun-
try. Twelve per cent. Of the popu-
lation owned 81 per cent. of the wealth
of the country, and SO per cent. or the
population owned 13 per cent or the
wealth. Think of that.
"My fellow-countrymen, those fig
ures alone contain a volume on the
economic condition of the country.
and the effect of the legislation in this
country during the past thirty years.
How could it be possible, under proper
and honest conditions, for Il per cent.
Of the population to own 81 per cent.
of the wealth of the country, and SS
per cent. Of the people to own only
13 per cent. of the wealth? 1t could
not occur, under proper economic legls-
lation. 1t was only possible ueI1er
conditions that established an unequal
distribution of the profits of toll and
of the products of labor.
II say this strike is a protentlous
strike. There is more hanging on its
results than you think of. 1t is
freighted with possibilities of pros
perity for the masses, or with posi-
bilities of a deeper degradation and
! a more grinding sorrow than labor mas
vet experienced. There is abundant
reason for the fact that the leaders
of every labor organization are taking
a deep interest in this strike OF the
coal miners for better chance to live,
for on their success or failure depends
the future condition of the masses OF
| toilers They understand this, and
every man who is imbued with the
principles Of good citizenship or tlnc-
tured with that cornerstone or Chrls-
tianity. DO unto others as you would
that they should do unto you, Is on
the side of the strike and is praying
for its success. (Applause) And on
its success or failure hangs the ques-
tion of a peaceable or bloody end OF
this labor trouble. (Applause) l am
NO Anarchist. l have lived in this
oommunitv for more than fifty years.
7 have gone about among this people,
! and no man can say that ever
harmed another or did injustice to a
living soul: no man can say that |
! ever wronged him, or deprived him
Of a nickle of his property. But L
am interested in this present labor
movement. because our future depends
on the success of this contest, which
means harder conditions if it fails, or
better conditions and a happier and
more enlightened citizenship if it sue
ceeds." (Applause0
Col. Poorman enlarged upon this
! idea in a variety of ways, showing
clearly the drift of the times, and
the perils which lay aheddI sand COM
ing to the disposition OF the courts
to grant injunctions against the wage
| earners, he said:
1T is astonishing how mems opinions
| change. daughter For eighty years
| the Supreme Court sustained and JUS
tilted the idea of an income tax. In
this age of multi-milliOraires the SUI
preme Court decides the income tax
| law TO be unconstitutional. (Laugh-
teri The Supreme Court Of the United
States used to consider that all consol-
| ilations Of capital were against the
| public interests and in violation or
| the statute against fraud, and con-
| demned them. Now the great railroad
! corporations, or great trusts OF any
kind appeal to the courts of the coun-
try whenever the laboring men or
| ganize for their rights and tell the
| courts that the working men are in
! terfering with business and that the
corporations are liable TO lose money.
| They cry: We must have protection
or we will lose money and the courts
protect them. Oaughter.) Suppose
would go TO one of these judges-like
Judge MasOn-and say one OF these
big corporations is interfering with
nv rights. I want to organize some
of the workingmen so we will get our
rights and better pay, and l appeal