The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-11
NO WORK WAS FOUND.
The Rev. Charles Nj. Sheldon
Spends a Week
In Looking In Vain For Any
Employment
For a Man and Team-Ee Talks From
His Pulpit About His Fffort-Sug-
gests Roadmaking by the Gov
eminent as a Solution for
the Unemployed.

Rev. Charles NJ. Sheldon spent last
week in the vain endeavor to find work
for a man who appealed to him
He wildly brought the subject of the
unemployed in general and of special
case in particular before his congrega-
ton at Central church yesterday by
giving the following recital of his ex-
perience:
"A few days ago a man came to me
and asked if [ could find him a job. He
had a team and wanted work for that
also.
ST have just spent a week in this city
trying to find a place where this man
and his team can get work and have
failed. have been to the railroads,
the coal yards, the Touring mills, the
new bridge, the street department., the
city railway, the lumber yards ana tne
newspapers. 1 have inquired at stores
and banks and offices, of men IN pubhc
and in private life and have not founo
any one who could tell me where a
man with team could find any STEADY
or temporary employment.
This man has a family. He has lost
his two oldest children recently after
long and expensive illness. He will
lose his home this spring. He is adr1ft
in the world, only one out Of thousands
of such human tragedies all ABOUT US.
What will you do with him? l ad-
dress this question to the city OF 10
Delza, and the state of Kansas and the
limited States of America. Is he simply
an object of private charity or county
SUPPORT? What is the duty of the
community to him? Has it any? What
is the duty of the state to him? Has it
any? In any case. there is the man
And what are you going to do with
Suppose you say to him, Tt is your
own fault. Get out and find work
There is plenty of work for honest, cap
able, willing men,.
ic 1iS ar iS the
swer of two million other men who are
in the same condition today. Can we
manufacture places? Can We create
jobs? Can we get work if there is
none?'
Suppose you say to this man, Rest
easy. We will see to it that you don
starve. We will give you food and
fuel
What is his answer? He says, I
don't want charity; 1 want work L
don't want to be pauper; want to
be a working man. don't want to
lose my manhood. I have too much
self respect And his answer is right
How many of you average citizens.
bankers, grocers, railroad men, doc
tors lawyers, clerks. legislators, col
lege professors, would like to receive
your food and fuel from the poor COM
missioner
This man with a team who wants
work and cannot get it is a human in
terrogatiOn mark to this city and state
and nation. He is one of the two mill
lion. He is to be found in every state
of this nation What is the nation go
ing to do with him?
For myself, I believe this man ought
to be given work. The supreme court
has affirmed the constitutionality of
road building by the government. In
deed it could not well do otherwise
with such a precedent as we have in
the building of the great Cumberland
road started as early as 1906 and passing
through the states of Virginia, Mary
land, Pennsylvania. and Ohio. This
road was constructed and repaired at q
cost of over 81, coo 600. Besides this, the
| following states have at different times
| had built within their territory roads
at government expense; Maine, AIichi-
gan, Arkansas, and Florida.
These roads were not built on pur-
| pose to give men work but the building
! of them at government expense en-
| ployed men and established the prece-
! dent for an indefinite extension of the
same function of the national govern
ment.
What are you going to do. with this
| man who wants a job2 He is facing
| one of three things He can beg. He
| can starve. He can steal. Any one of
! the three is a terrible choice For my
| self, as I say, I am in favor Of legisIa-
! ton that Will give him work at the
/ public expense if there is no private
| opening for him.
why should not our legislature do
something? Here is a human problem
| that calls for some good statesman
| ship. Gentlemen of the legislature, this