The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1899-02-16


workingmen OF TIE tive countries, that they
might recognize their commonality Of i7ter-
ests and stand by each other for common
good. He was aware that different men all
anxious to attain good for the working
men looked at the problem Of labor from
different points Of view. Men did not all
think in the same mould and this wo-ld be
a very dull world if they did. On tho
Other hand, too, much diversity Of opinion
on matters where there was little room for
disagreement was useless and unprohta-
BILE. He assumed that many in his au-
dience did not agree with him in his
theory Of economies, and, indeed, if it
We're not so, it would be a waste of raw
material to come here to address them.
Many workingmen held that the remedy
for the stas OF conditions existing with
them was trades unionism, and he did not
under estimate the Importance Of proper
organization in settling the labor question.
The manufacturer wanted as much work
for his money as possible. The working
man wanted to get as much money for his
labor as possible. Here was diversity of
interests likely to lead to conflict, and such
conflict was likely to be unequal because
the manufacturer, although his business
might for time be stopped, did not have,
in most instances, to worry about where
his breakfast was to come from until the
difficulty was settled.
/
The speaker then referred to the strike
in the General Electric foundries here,
saying that he was glad to know
the men employed there had been
willing for the common good of their
craft to sacrifice something in present
wage in order to bring about the aboli
ton Of the piece work system. He
knew and had seen the evils of that sys-
tenn, a System which put a premium
on the strongest back and weakest
brain, fixing Il average of wage not from
the production Of the average workman,
but from that Of the man able to crowd the
most work into the shortest time. 1t put
premium on dishonest workmen and scamp
workmanship, and it was to the credit of
the moulders OF Lynn that they had been
willing to give up something in pay for the
sake of doing away with piece work. He
hoped they would be successful in the
struggle.
Men were being daily slaughtered in the
great shops and factories because selfish
employers neglected proper appliances for
safety We had come to worship property
and disregard humanity. The men who
founded this republic did so in wisdom and
patriotism and its institution as framed by
them were fitted to the conditions Of the
times 1t did not follow that those institu-
: tions would under all circumstances be fitted
for all time to come, yet we stupidity and
sullenly continued on our course forgetting
that what might have been true 100 years
ago would be radically untrue under the
different conditions existing to-day. Be-
cause those men did the best possible for
their day and generation it did not follow
that we must go to sleep on their work.
Each generation has its own social and
economic problems to solve. If the
men in this country to-day would ex-
y ercise the courage, fearlessness and
wisdom Of the men who founded this re-
public, the problem of this generation
could be solved and solved rightly. No man
could right the workingman's wrongs but
himself, and he had in the ballot the lever
with which to do it.
Trades unionism declared for the prin
ciple of fair days wage for fair day
work Adam Smith had said that thu
rightful wages of labor was what that labo
produced. The American Indian was fur
Their ahead in this respect than the working
man Of day, as the savage received abso
lutely what he worked for. II ha kanted h
had what he killed, if he fished he Sad wha
he caught, if his squaw made Hloccasin
y, they owned them. The people who mad
the modern moccasin in Lynn shoe facto
ries o-day were very far from ownin
them. We had become the slave of the ma
chine, he said, and while we boosted of on
learning, we were in actual knowledge {
nature and her wonders, far behind th
wild man who roamed the American fol
ests 100 years ago. How many of us coul
tell one tree from another, or tell the sigr
of the heavens at noon or midnight.
They had in England a respectable o
lady named Mrs Guelph, better known
Queen Victoria She and her family Dire
from the English people an average
IS, 600, 900 yearly. When the Queen jul
lice was celebrated the newspapers,
praise of the sovereign, had dwelt ON Il
fact that she had never attempted to me
die with English institutions. In 9th
words, she had drawn S., 900, 600 yearly {
. fifty years for doing nothing. w
this fair days wages for fair day
work. Continuing, the lecturer said that
researches made for parliamentary pu
poses he had found that the average
come of British mine owners was s.
till per week, while the miners had to stru
gle to get one dollar and half da
en- What was the cause and the remed
Before we could eat we must have land
ave produce food. We must have capital
ling carry on production. The trouble was Il
hem land and capital were in the hands of a CO..
&C. parative few, who were enabled to ask
oint inordinately high price for their use. Nh
en- tenths Of the produce of labor went
bal tribute to capital The remedy was W
lent laborers themselves. Many who appl
usal the term of scab to fellow workmen w
lie to scabs themselves when it came to vote {
re- allowed King Capital to rule in the coul
}, as where King George was deposed.
( in Socialism, in his opinion, was the re
ivep edy for the existing state of affairs.
Uncle Sam Wears Ten-Foot 81