Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-09-03

now operating their own public utilities
in one form or another to prove that
the question of the wisdom of munich
pal ownership has passed out of the do
main of the problems.
THE PRESENT QUESTION.
The imperative demand of this hour
upon us, as representatives of the mu-
inequalities of America is that we shall
set ourselves to the task of so changing
our system that, through the medium
OF public ownership, the wealth of the
people may again come into the hands
OF those who have produced it, and the
realization of the dreams of our fore
fathers shall be fulfilled, and we shall
have the perfected republic in which
every man shall be secure in the possess
sion of the fruit of the labor of his
hands. | believe hat the great neeG of
the hour is that tn, people shall be edu-
Gated upon this subject of cooperation
in the social service, and no duty rests
more clearly upon us who are charged
with the responsibility of representing
the people in an official capacity than
that we shall labor to bring about such
conditions in our respective municipal
tiles as will make it easy for the people
to do right. AS matters exist today,
there are thousands of people in our So
called lower classes the term, by the
way, should be forever tabooed from
the vocabulary of any true American
for whom it is a thousand times easier
to do wrong than to do right. They
are not of the worthless classes neces-
sarily, but even among our workers.
Think of the countless thousands who
toll long, weary hours at hard, exhaust
ing labor for mere pittance, barely
enough to keep soul and body together
without hope or ambition. Certainly
we cannot look for very high class of
citizenship from this great and ever
increasing army. Our warfare, known
as competition, is responsible for this
condition: but it must be succeeded by
more just order, if this nation is to
be saved and the republic is to perma-
nently endure. The little children must
be rescued from our factories and sweat
shops, no less than from the slums and
saloons, if they are to grow up to an
appreciation of their responsibility as
citizens. All the horrors of our present
day industrialism must be changed.
Patriotic men and women must no lon
ger be willing to live by robbing chill
dred of their childhood and young girls
of their maidenhood through taking
their toll in stores and factories at $3.50
to s. week, and the very fact that the
children and young girls may be hid
den from our gaze or the profit that We
make come TO our hands through the
thin gauze of a corporation, should new
er for one moment hide the wrong from
the quickened social conscience of the
man or woman who truly loves his
country deny the right of any man
or woman living by such means to claim
to be
PATRIOTS.
And upon the patriots who from all
over this land have SO nobly responded
to their country's call TO go and fight
for the relief of the Cuban reconcentra-
dos grateful people is now lavishing
its wealth of love and affection. But
why does not patriotism call for service
in the time of peace AS well as war?
Why should the soldier go out to face
pestilence, danger and death in order
that the good of all may be conserved,
while the financier is honored and
counted great for remaining at home
amidst the luxurious appointments of Il
only his own good? Why, If We truly
love our country, should not our hearts
be moved to pity as We contemplate our
own great army of disinherited, of dis
heartened, discouraged, hopeless ones,
beaten in the race of life? Why should
our enthusiasm not be aroused for
them? And why should not the
patriotism of the financiers who have
shown conspicuous and marked ability
in providing for themselves SO inspire
them to come forward in the hour of the
city's peril and offer their services for
the good of all of the people in the min
istry of social need in building public
lighting plant, managing a street rail
way or financiering any work of inn
provement for the benefit of all Of the
people? | confess that can see no
good reason why. ! confess that | can
not see how man can love his country
or love his state who uses the people Of
his city, his state, his country, merely
for what he can get out of them. / be-
heve the time is coming, and may God
hasten the day, when our eyes shall be
opened to the iniquity of this sort OF
life; when we shall make clear dis