The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-05-22
it has been protected and fostsrsa, !,

/
Mark Hanna and ask the careworn
men who earn IS cents day and live in
novels where the plutocrat would not
house his horse. Look into the sad,
listless eyes of the wives of the sc
miners, and read your answer there.
Go to the factories of the East, where
men, women and children work from
ten to eighteen hours a day at starva-
tion wages, and huddle in poorly venti-
lated, ill-smelling rooms and read the
answer there.
Go to the cotton fields of the South,
and the corn and wheat fields of the
West, where men labor and women
toll, where children stay away from
school and barefooted share the bur-
den of the farm work, and read the
answer there.
Go into the 100000 homes where
there is not enough to eat from years
end to years end, and there read the
answer.
Go to the recorders book and look
over the list of mortgaged homes and
there you will find your answer.
Go to the almshouses, where old
men and women jabber in senile idiocy,
aud read the answer.
Go to the 1000, 900 tramps who wan
der up and down the face of the earth
with no place To call home, out of work
human wrecks cast forth upon life's
great pulsing sea-and read the an
swer.
Go to the graves of the suicides and
there read the answer.
Go to the half million women and
girls who have been driven to lives of
shame by the boasted capital, and read
] your answer there.
What has capital done for labor?
Go to the railroads that stand like the
highwaymen at every crossroad of
commerce and order the public to
stand and deliver, and if you are wise
/ you will find your answer.
Go to the Vanderbilts, the Rookie
fellers, the Goulds, the millionaires of
the land, who have grown rich off of
the toll, the sweat, the groans, the
prayers, the tears and blood of labor,
and you will find an answer there.
Capital has made slaves, abject,
helpless slaves, of more than 20, 900
of our fellow.men.
Capital has ground the faces of the
poor, robbed the toiler of his bread,
gathered all the wealth into the cof-
fers of few, and now stands like
greedy, grasping Shylock of old, de-
manding his pound of flesh.
He plunges his knife into the bosom
of labor to cut therefrom his pound of
flesh, and at the sight of the bleeding
victim the masses cry aloud against
the terrible outrage, and the minions
of capital shout. anarchists! cranks!
fanatias! fools!"
The people are told that they must
calmly and patiently submit to the
fetters which are being forged for
them, and that if they protest, if they
do not quietly submit to slavery, they
will disturb the business of the coun-
try and do great violence to capital.
But, Mr.. chairman, the revolution
ary war disturbed business.
When the gallant Lafayette was told
that if he took part in the war which
our forefathers were waging for free
dom it would disturb business, he did
not act the craven's part and idly fold
his hands, as we are doing, while men
men !-are being butchered and wo-
men outraged, as is being done in
Cuba, for fear that we may disturb |
business, but he came to our rescue.
When 100000 black slaves were
pleading for freedom, Wendell Philips |
and William Lloyd Garrison were told |
that their agitation would disturb bus
iness: but, fearlessly and undaunted, |
they raised their voices in protest
against the foul blot on our civiliza-
tion until the slaves were freed.
Today there are more than 10000, 900
white slaves in this country, and when
we dare plead for them we are told that
we are anarchists-tha we will disturb
business.
And what business is it that we will
disturb? The business of Shylock!
The business of the men who are reap
ing where others SOW! The business
of men who rob labor of its just due!
The business of men who control all
the money, and thus become the mas
ters OF all industry and commerce.
The business of the stock gamblers,
the foul trusts, the corrupt monopolies,
the parasites of society, the human
g1ouls who follow to the very grave
the toilers of this country.
Yes; it would, perhaps, disturb their
business. And let US pray God break
t up
know that it is not popular in some
quarters to agitate this question-to
lemand justice for the laboring people
VI this country. l know that the pub
ic man who favors special privileges
% capital and who 6atters and bends
he cringing knee to plutocracy that
hrift may follow fawning, though he
'e an empty headed clown, will be
tyled by the plutocratic press "a great
tatesman." And that the same press
will bark like pack of hell-hounds at
he heels of the man who dares stand
p for the rights of the masses. But 1
ell you here and now that labor is
DING to have its day in court. It. is
at the door demanding q !,
caring, and it will not take 'No" for. I
nswer. zusrz S
Labor is tired of wearing pauper's :
ags while the garments it has fash r
'ned are worn by those who are not
ntitled to them. 1t is restless as it
lnguishes in novels standing in the
1adow of palaces which it has built.
The people have asked for bread, A
nd we haYe given them asstone; they
ave pleaded for fish, and have been r
lswered with serpent.
And how has capital done this? By
aking money so scarce and so dear
lat it robs the people of all the fruits
their toll, to get the pitiful dole II
hich Shylock measures out from his l
'eedy fist.