The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-03-22
A Laborer Speaks.

E0tt0T Herald: Would you kindly
publish this communication as it is
the sentiment of q man that gets his
living from day labor.
l read in the Journal an order to
vote down the water franchise, and
the more / read it the better I was
convinced that the only reason that
paper has for wanting the franchise
defeated is because the editor was
beaten in the ward caucus for an
office. The very tactics this man
adopted are severity denounced. 1t
looks to me as plain as day that the
opposition to this odinance Tor water
franchise comes from source that
is not reliable and is not in the in
terest of the mechanic or the labor
ing men of Oskaloosa; first, because
these men overate their Importance,
and second, they do not offer any
thing that appears to me as good
reason why the laboring man should
be instructed as to his vote on this
or any other question.
Let us look at it fairly; the city
council has gone over this whole
matter carefully and has been joined
by a number of our best citizens,
and as itsnow stands it has all the
objectional points cut out. There
fore believe that it is all right and
if the laboring men will do their own
thinking for little while they will
see that it is to their best interests
to vote in favor of the ordinance.
1t will to certainty give employ
ment to large number of men at a
reasonably good pay, and that is n
factor that should not be overlooked.
Now I want to ask these men who
SO persist in advising us how to
vote, what have they to offer us as a
substitute? Can they give US this
needed employment? Certainly not!
They have nothing for us, and it is
not likely they ever will have. So it
occures to me to follow their advice
would be wrong on general princi-
pals, and serious determent to us
as individuals. 1t is much better as
l see it to cut loose from these false
advisers and use some common sense
in our own interests. In doing that
we get bread when on the other hand
we get stone, and stand around in
punches finding fault with the very
things that would be to our advant-
age to support. 1t maybe better for
the city to own their own works but
it is very we'll known that for the pre-
sent that is out of the question.
But should the city get in condition
to buy these works the provisions in
the ordinance fully provide for that
and is safely guarded. The great
question is this, if the ordinance car
ries we are safe guarded on every
important point, and the improve
ments provide for US big lot of
work, which we certainly want. Then
on the other hand these kickers have
not now and never will have anything
to offer us as a substitute, SO my
friends look at, it carefully, and if
you do, feel pretty sure you will act
for your own best interests. What
we really need in Oskaloosa, more
than any other one thing, is for the
laboring man to do more thinking for
himself and pay less attention to
these would-be leaders who have no.
thing to give US in return for our
support. Property owners are en-
titled to and should have all the fire
protection necessary. Their interests
are our interests to the greatest ex-
tent, and what we claim for ourselves
we must by right accord to all others.
In closing let me say will vote for
and do all l can to help carry the
franchise safely through, and so will
every other laboring man if he studies
the question LABoRER.