The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-25
a JAN THE ONLY REFUGE.


il Is an Old saying that facts do not
lie, An ounce of testimony is worth
ton o. reckless statement Mr.. McI<iMcy's
Ieco.t remark that labor was not now
soakipg employment, but employment WAS
seeking Labor" 81 met by peculiarly
striking end pathetic case which was heard
IN one OF tho police courts OF New York
City the other day.
a local account in one OF the New York
papers tells us that an educated man, by
name Charles Schmidt, stood "on the
briige" in tho Jefferson market police
court lpet week and asked Magistrate Sim
mons TO commit him 10 Jail at was not"
says the report. that he was conscience
stricken; that he had committed any crime
against eociety, for which he felt he ought
TO DO punished He was simply poor. 20
poor t'nnt starvation Threatened, and he
took this course solely to provide himself
with tho only means that he could see of
keeping body aud eoul together"
The mhn was a5 years OF agc, strong and
willing to work He spoke three languages,
aud was skillful accountant, His own
story spelks volumes. He had lost po-
siton through long Illness. Upon his
final restoration to health. he sought work.
of any kind, but conl1 not fiud IT, Hore is
a, part OF his ptiful story, as told to the
magistrate:
When recovered my strength and my
ability 10 work, ! could get 10 opportunity. !
have walked miles every day. I have an.
swered countless advertisements have per-
m al far my, 10
lodging. But despite my unvarying search. |
nave been unable to obtain position which
would assure mo adequate food and lodging.
II have no friends. no resources. The cold
weather makes sleeping In the parks and
Railways an inpossihility, am hungry
weary, half H. Never having committed /
crime. yet pray that Your Honor viii sens
me to prison II Is tho Anal resort OF a mar
superfluous TO the cty's life, who yet cling,
to hope for the future"
The magistrate oharitahly committed tn,
n,sfN TO prison for six months.
How many more cases in Greater New
feak Ike this mans? How many In Bos
tor, in Chicago. in ST. LOUISE How man,
In this city? The press OF the large citle
tell us that the unemployed who are hon
esty seeking work number tens OF thou
sands Yet the president of the Natiol
boldly declares from the stump that "w,
nave gone from labor seeking employment
10 employment seeking laborl'
WHIST Is wrong n the economy OF soelet
IN comparatively young, rich. resoureefu
and not over-populated country, where
strong, educated man. or thousares @
strong men rather. who are anxious to oh
tain any kind OF employment, can no, SO
cure even the mental service that will pre-
vert Starvation IL there not somethln,
radically out Of joint In our Industrial an
financial systems?
But can any relief be obtained so lon
as . party is kept in power whose leaae
tefs us that the country Is in prosper
osis" condition, that there is no need OF
change. and that labor does not have I
seek employment, but IL IN demand every
wherey In the light Of sad and gloom
facts, such as tho one just disclosed i
New York, Is not the baseless and off-han
stump oritory OF Mr. McKmley an insult /
the Intelligence Of the Nation?