Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-03-18


tural sources of wealth, the means Of
transportation and communication, the
| medium of exchange and the markets
Is it any wonder that the trusts which
thus command production and ex-
change should rapidly grow rich and
that those who have only their labor
to sell should, under such system, find
themselves becoming poorer and poor
er? Prof. Deleon makes the actual sit
uation clear in the following dialogue:
Brother Jonathan looks bright and
happy, and rubs his hands.
Uncle Sam-What bit of good luck
has fallen to you?
B. il am going to Hawaii.
U. SIS 1t that that makes you so
happy?
B. Yes; can't help feeling hap
py. Here I've been these last seven
months without work. That in itself
is bad enough. But 1t wouldn't be so
bad II before that I had had good
wages, and had been able to lay by
something. 1t happens. though. that
before that my wages were so low that
I couldn't get along with them. and
ran in debt. On top of that l was laid
off. Pretty tough, tell we. I never
went through such hard days.
U. S.-But what is 1t that makes you
happy?
B. J.-Now after all this suffering
am going to have good times.
U. S.-Where? How? When?
B. J.-Where? In Hawaii; when?
when I get there; how? because can't
miss good wages.
U. S.-Mc seems you go too fast.
Where have you got that certainty
from!
B. Don't you know that Presi-
dent Dole of Hawaii is in the country
now?
U. ST. do.
B. J.-And haven't You read what
he said to labor reporter in Wash
ington?
U. S.-No; haven't. Life is short;
to spend that shortness in reading tom
foolery were too long.
B. ]. Throws his arms up, tips his
hat back, and looks wild generality
Now, there you have it again. Here
comes a good man, with good news to
the workingmen, and you call that tom
foolery. OH
U. S.-Give us a rest with your
whimperings, and let's see what that
good news to the worllingmen" is.
B. il have learned the passage by
heart; so well did l like it; l can give
it to you literally.
U. S.-Do, by all means.
B. J.-He said: "The climate is sub
tropical that makes the conditions of
life easy; then also the planters are
rich and growing richer. Taking these
two things into consideration there is
nothing to prevent white labor from
finding at all times profitable employ
ment, work and high wages" There,
now!
U. S. raps with his knuckles on B.
Us forehead
B. J.-What are you doing?
U. S. Craps again)-Hollow! hollow!
B. J.-What are you at?
U. S.-Poor Jonathan! Because Ha-
wall has "sub-tropical climate" and
because the planters are rich, therefore
you believe you are there sure of work
and of high wages?
B. J.-Why not?
u. S.-Man alive, you don't need to
go to Hawaii for sub-tropical climate
or for rich employers; we have both
right here. Isn't Louisiana's climate
sub-tropical enough for you?
B. J.-Well, it is sub-tropical
U. Sand has labor there steady
and good employment?
B. J.-Darn it, no; 1t is just the low
wages paid down there that our bosses
are now giving as ground for lower
ing ours up here.
U. Swell said. And are the bosses |
here and in the sub-tropical South not
every bit as rich as the bosses in Ha-
wall?
B. J.-Guess they are richer.
U. Sand yet that does not insure
permanent work or good wages, does
it?
B. ]. falls into brown study.
u. Snow, Jonathan, you have been
working almost lifetime, and still
you have not yet got hold of the lesson
that your daily experience teaches on
wages. You have not yet learned that
the wages of the workingmen do not
depend upon the wealth of their en-
ployer, in so far that their wages do |
not rise with his wealth, but that, on |
the contrary, the only relation that |
exists between them is that the richer |
the employer the poorer the working
NAH
B. J.-What?
U. S.-Are you better off than TWEEN
ty years ago?
B. Jim worse off; but
U. SIS your boss richer or poorer?
B. Immensely richer.
U. S.-There you have it. Now the
matter Is this wise in a nutshell The