Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-04-29
KANSAS AGITAT0R. GARRETT. KANSAS.

comparison between peace and war.
When all the reads are running on
peace (?) footing they kill or injure
1900 persons in half month That
would be three hundred persons killed
or injured by one-flfth of the roads
In the Debs strike, the losses were one
hundred killed or injured, or, one-third
of the usual peace-footing casualties in
the same length Of time, on the same
roads, under The usual corporate man
agement. '"' so
A strike is war. No war is just or
even excusable, unless there are good
and justifying reasons. 1t can never
be justified except as last resort for
the defense of just human rights
Why then do railway employees some
times engage in strikes? p
First. Because, ignoring the exist
ence Of the ballot box in this country,
they see no other way to defend their
rights against corporate greed; and to
maintain a scale of wages above the
point of starvation and nakedness Of
themselves and families. And it must
be admitted that the power OF the
strike, and, the fear of it on the part
of the corporations, has wonderful
influence in mitigating the hard lot OF
the over-worked aud under-paid rail
way employee OF this country.
Second. The strike gives the rail-
way employee time to wash off the
CRIME and blood and smoke, and to en-
joy few nights rest in bed. He has
time to become acquainted with his
family, and to learn the color of his
children's hair and eyes IN broad day
light.
And, third, as to the dangers and
casualties the men avoid two-thirds OF
the killings aud the woundings. On
this test comparison as to life and per-
sonal injuries, the savings by the Debs
strike of July 1894, were at least two
hundred persons. Such savings in
lshort, two weeks campaign of active
hostilities are worth counting. OF
course the slow tortures and murders
of men by overworlS, has, for the time
ceased. That, also, is net gain.
Reader, do you ever observe the in
famed eyes and worn aspect of the
half dead men at the furnace or the
engine after run of twenty to forty
hours without rest or sleep? Have
you ever imagined to yourself thai
that noble, brave and faithful man
has wife and family with whom he
would be glad to spend a whole day
now and then. Do you now see why
railroad men, bearing all the burdens
and dangers which are their lot, with
frequent insults from brutal officials
sometimes strike in hope of relief.
The whips, guns and bloodhounds o.
the old cotton states never worked
distressed and mangled the chatte
slaves as the white men who do the
work on our American railways are
now worked mangled and killed. The
old slavery recognized a race and color
line. Corporate slavery includes al
men, black, white and yellow. Chat
tel slavery never worked man tc
death or worthlessness, without less
to the matter. Corporate slavery is q
perpetual torture and carnage Of thou
sands per month with no sufficient Il
nancial or moral restraint to protect
them. 1t is but the swapping of dead
or manned men for sound ones, driven
to their tasks by hunger, and the spir
it of corporate greed maintains its well
ra tisied complaccncy. '.r. ',.
"Slavery amt o nary color,
faint the skin that makes it worse,
All it.cares for in a,feller,
Is to make him fill it's purse"
.nIt Hosea Bigelow.
Slavery is means by which the
master enjoy the earnings of the man
through unfair means of coercion, as
whips, hunger and other modes of per
sonal distress. Very Resp.
JOHN DAVIS.