Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-27

the Editor Of the Register.


AS good deal Of the prejudice and
undue consideration which Judge jack
sons position would naturally COM
mand for his opinions has had time to
pass away and allow the people to
view his remarks from the light OF
reason, ask the privilege to present
few counter expressions, and hope
the people will give them due consider
alton regardless of the difference be-
tween the social standing of the writer
and Judge Jackson. With his judicial
duties and decisions l have no fault to
find, but as a free American citizen,
exercising the right of free speech,
want to take issue with some of his
expressions. He says: IF the rail-
way company says, We are paying too
much and will have to reduce your
wages, you have right to quit. Ii
the laborer says to the railway COM
pany, You are not paying me enough,
you ought to pay me more, and they
refuse to do it, you have right to
quit. That is your right-your inalien-
able highlander our institutions"
According to the above EQUATION the
employer can command his employees
to work for starvation wages, and we
are told that the only redress he has
is to quit. Talk about strike demoril-
izing labor. What can be more demon
alizing to labor than to make it so
cheap and insignificant that the laborer
is accorded no more consideration than
to be told by his arrogant employer:
"If you don't accept what offer quit?"
What can be more detracting from the
dignity of labor than to tell the laborer
after he has been robbed of his rights
and means of livelihood that THE law
allows him to starve." Verify the
working man ought to fall upon his
knees and offer up to God prayer of
Thanksgiving that there is yet one
means left by which he may free him
self from the cruel oppression of his
tyrannical employer and relieve him
self from the excruciating pain of hun
ger and poverty-"A right to starve."
I would suggest that some modern phil
anthropist or humanitarianist devise
some means by which the laborer may
be deprived of this right so as to make
the oppressors joy complete. If we
have no right to form society to COM
pell our employers to pay us a fair and
just wage, then what rights have we?
Surely we have right to live, and if
we have right to live We have
right to demand sufficient means with
which to live. l have always been
taught, and nature herself reveals to
me this truth, that that upon which
human life depends is not the produc-
tion Of capital, but are the gifts of God
brought forth by nature and mans
labor. Could we not cast into the
depths of the sea all the capital or
money in the world and never miss it
only as a commodity. Why, then,
should capital be considered so import
ant and labor so Insignificant? Is it
not evident that labor it more import
ant than capital? If the civil laws las
Judge Jackson admits) gives the la
borer no protection against the inoes-
SAINT encroaehments of the employer,
then he is compelled to use his own
strength to secure justice This he
has done in a peaceful and lawful
manner by uniting together to secure
just consideration for his rights and
fair compensation for his labor And
no one can deny any American citizen
the right to organize for his own pro-
lection, and any one doing so antag-
onizes one of the most vital American
principles, for unity is the bulwark of
this republic. The men who operate
the road and handle every cent of
money taken in by the company ought
to have fair idea of what the COM
pany can afford to pay, and when he
says that they have no idea of what
the company can afford to pay he re-
fleets upon American intelligence. But
even if they did not know this, they
know that they are entitled to fair
days wages am a human living, and
any concern that can not afford to pay
its men living wage has no right to
exlst-it is menace to the public well
fare. If the Wheeling Railway Com