The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-27

short-iived harvest. Every ton OF
coal they mine does as much harm to
the western miners, as II the West Viz
glnla miners took their places. The high
price paid In this state Just now will
not last, unless a general strike Is sue
cesstul. The operators are paying the
price TO secure the market, but II the
strike falls, these same West Virginia
operators viii have their miners at their
mercy. The West Virginia miners may
strike. then, but they will receive no
help from the western miners. The OPP
orators Will know this and their men
will be powerless to resist, The opera
tors are paying the price demanded
now, but II the strike fails the West
Virginia miner will be alone In his
fight.
Debs chose rather to look upon the
brighter side OF things. He eloquently
told OF day TO come when labor would
be blessed with freedom and happiness,
The day would come, he said, when
wOrklngmen, intelligent and patriotic
would find relief-not by crime or law
lessness, not by the bullet, but by the
ballot.
HIS eulogy OF labor was a gem OF
metaphors and chaste dictlon. He pie
tured the work done by every branch
of toIlers on land and sea, and hts
hopeful words for the ultimate better
ment OF the struggling. discouraged
miner. reused the crowd TO wild cheers
He urged working men to make good
use Of their leisure time. ''There Is ma
ignorance" as Shakespeare said, but
darkness" Good books, advised Debs,
are cheap More books are needed and
less beer. Il know" he said, "for nave
tried both.
wendell Phillips has said that re-
forms and reformers do not spring from
the upper classes. They don't come from
the dudes and children. They might
possibly come from the kind of men
Mark Twain tells about, in his character,
who proposed to put down the rebellion
II It took all his wlte's relations. Re
formers come from the men who read,
the men who think.
Read the primer first, II your educa-
tlon has been neglected. II you can't
read, get your wife to read to you. Be-
gin with yourselves to elevate your
selves There is good literature in all the
book stores very cheap. You have too
much idle time on your hands, but spend
II In reading. Do the best for yourself,
and stand beside suffering brother.
There Is too much selfshness In lhls
world. Extend the helping hand In
prosperity, and you may expect II In ad-
verslty. Every man who Is trying to do
right Is your brother"
The Unemployed.
After drawing graphic picture of an
ideal working mans home, Debs la
mented the great number of men out of
employment, unable to secure work at
any price. A system which allows so
many Idle men, or worthy tramps, is
wrong, and anything the speaker could
do to right this system, he said he stood
ready 10 do.
These remarks were preparatory to n
talk upon the present social conditions,
upon which he then launched. He has
been an extensive reader OF political
economy. and in support OF his arGu-
ments for better conditions, by system
OF socialism, he quoted from many emil
nent authorities. He noted the deca-
dence OF small merchants In cities,
driven out of the business by department
stores, thus driving business into the
hands OF the few. This fact, he said ac-
counts for the large number OF bank
ruptcys every week.
He referred to the recent protests OF
railroads anent the antI-poollng bill, in
which the railroads alleged that they
couldn't exist II the eHt-threat system
went in vogue. II the railroads can't
stand the effects OF rate cutting. how Is
1t possible. Deb5 asked, for poor laboring
men tn exist when their wages are cut
far below living wages.
Going back TO the strike he said that
the cause OF the coal miners will not
down. The men may be beaten, but
truth crushed to earth will rise again"
There Is only one way to settle a ques-
ton, as Ella Wheeler Wilcox put 1t, and
that IL to settle 1t right. The cause OF
humanity is a cause that can't be driven
back and the coal miners will eventually
be given their just rewards. Humanity
is as far above gold as the stars above
the mounds. The cause at stake Is the
cause OF all. and the responsibility OF
each Is the welfare NJ all.
II don't like Churchlanlty. but I do like
Christianity I think preachers should
preach more Of the gospel Of Christ, and
/ sometimes wonder II Christ would
come on earth with his simple robes and
sandalcd feet. II He would be admitted
into the rich palatial edlfices supposed TO
be built for His work; whose preachers
seldom speak upon labor. and when they
do II Is counsellng labor to be peaceful. to
be calm. and law abiding They do not
tell the capitalists to be peaceful and
law abiding This class Of preachers.
thank God. does not embrace all who
wear the cloth. There are some good men
who are not afraid to preach the gospel.
who are not afraid TO plead the cause Of
down trodden labor. Some day II - to
be hoped there will be less OF Church
ianity and more OF Christianity"
The government ownership OF rail-
roads found him an advocate, and incl
dentally he denounced the abuses OF
court lnjunctlons He said, Uncle Sam
In late years has become repair shop
for wrecked railroads. and he Thought Il
he could take care NJ wrecked railroads
he ought to he able to take care Of rail-
roads In good condition.
The Supreme Court.
The supreme court next came In for
his respects. Time was, he said, when
the supreme court was an august trI-
bunai. but at present It IS in the hands of
the money power. He said the syndl-
Gates aud trusts, and not the business
men and working men, appoint the fed
eral Judges, aud make them do their
bidding The supreme court Is not
elected by anybody. and It has usurped
the place Of the government. It was not
In touch or sympathy with the common
people,
lie then went on to state that the cause
Of the common people was his cause. lie