The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1899-11-15
FOR EQUALITY
OF WAGES
An Address to tho Working
People Of tho Country.

kANsAS CITY. Nos. f.=Ths SUI
prrmo council Of the American
Equal Vase Union. recently ineor-
porated under the laws Of Missouri.
with headquarters in Kansas CITY.
today issued an address to the
wage workers Of the United States
The union WAS founded upon tho be.
.iiet that to eradicate the practice q
paying lower wages Ia women f0f
the same work performed BY men
means revolution in the sociology
cat conditions % the country It,
main object 10 to secure justice 10
= emsn who WORK Tor wages 10 pro-
tsct children from unnecessary IN
duHirtsi seryituie and TO discourage
strikes, and accomplish It's work by
means Of education. agitation and
moral .uasion. Excerpts from the
address follow;
In an Industrial nation like this.
where q waists majority - people are
wage workers. the value nf = days
work bearr an intimate relation to
the prosperity OF the country. and
for that reason. becomes a matter
81 supreme concern to ali.
when wsSes are W times are
prosperous. II 10 common mistake
TO regard Increasing dividends ana
activity In stock. aa reliable iniica-
tors Of good times The prosperity
that Hiuminet the cottag. and the
tenement and dinuses It's blessings
among the poor l. the only genuine
prosperity.
The hcsriies. and unjus, discrim.
nations practlced BY large employ
erH ot labor IN almost every depart
mcni Of the Industrial world are
prolific sources Of discontent among
working classes. All manner % in
iquifous schemes are deliberately
employed 10 reduce TIE WAGE stand
ard The American iaborcr IL re-
quircd to submit to the unfair com
petition - men who hold no hope in
life above mere existence. and the
cnslavsmen' of women and children
Ia encouraged. that thereby the de-
maudn of men for fair wages might
be ignored. A. consequence. the
iAhorcr lz paid according to his ne
cssstty or hlH defencelcsaness. and
not according to the work he per
forms The importation Of pauper
labor. or tho pauperiHation OF our
own labor. are equally 10 he CON
demned
The wages 81 labor should bear
some equitable relation to the
amount OF brain and muscle espend
ID in its performance. without re-
gard 70 the aFe. scr. creed, color or
nativity OF the laborcr.
The current theory Of the rcla-
tlnns Of capital and labor must give
place to one that shall secure the
laborer fair n not fun compensation
Tor his toll. And the methods ~ Ia
Dor and capital with regard 20 tho
enforcement OF their respective
rights and demands must be re-
formed and made TO III higher ideals
and a noblcr standard Of justice and
civilization,
The unnatural and lndefcn-
slhlc conflict between labor and cap
ital must cease. Instead ~ nsHaillng
each other, q purer purpose and a.
better civilization VIII direct a unit
Ell attack against the condition now
binding the employer az well ms the
employed Labor should know and
capital should earn that the high
est mission 81 mankind IL to make
the world happy
"sclf-preEervatlon being the hrat
law Of nature, tie American laborer
II Justified In demanding compensa-
ton for his toll sufficient In amount
e. provide for him, at least. the
common neceasaries
1t Is not only hls right. but II
is his duty To protest against the
unbcarnbie conditions imposed upon
him, aud no one shall Justly qucs-
tlun his patriotism because he In
tcrprets n defense against an inva-
sion OF his rights"