The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-09-29

With Professional Organizations.
The Unioni~ts n~ Good Citizens
Discuss Public Questions, While
the Professional Merely Discuss
Matters Pertaining to Their Pro-
fessions-An Able Article From II
Thoughtful Student.
In recent number of the Medical
World, it's able editor, Dr.. C. F. Taylor
publishes the platforms of several la
Dor organizations by way of illustrat-
ing his remarks, and then says in part:
THE presumably 'educated' profess
sional men, as doctors, lawyers, preach
ers, teachers, etc., know very little
about the movements going on among
the laboring forces for better govern
ment. 1t is my purpose to give infor-
nation along this line from time to
time, hoping that the so-called 'edu-
Gated classes will follow the example
of the organized industrial classes, and
work for the improvement Of social and
political conditions Labor orga-
limitations take very active and intel
ligent interest in public questions that
should receive the same earnest and
intelligent attention from all classes.
Did you ever hear a question Of public
policy discussed at a medical cOnven-
ton? 1t is all right for physicians to
discuss scientific topics, but have they
no duties as citizens? Should they al
low mechanics to be better citizens than
they?
What do clergymen talk about in
theirmeeting? Do they ever discuss
the evils of child labor, and the NOR
al as weel as the physical Importance
Of factory inspection? Why are they
willing to neglect such important mat
| ters, and give their attention to an
other world that none Of us know any
thing about? We do not know that
God made this world and put us into it.
Then what right have we to neglect
the duties and responsibilities Of this
| world. When we reach another world
will be the proper time to attend the
duties of such new existence, and we
| can not do SO before, try however hard
| we may. Some who think they are
very religious consider politics worldly
and irreligious' The fact is, to neg
| lect making this world better is irrelig-
ious. TO neglect present conditions OF
child labor, to neglect unsanitary and
immoral conditions of factory and
workshop labor, etc.,is decidedly ire.
Iligious. The atryi s. 3 llla fTigh fsll con;
greatly mitigated, and the hours OF la:
gor have been much reduced. but the
| Iclergymen didn't do it--yet5 these are
| religious things that have been ac-
IcOmplished, and there is much more OF
| similar religious work to do. Why
leave it to the labor organizations tc
work for these things? Are mechanics
more religious than clergymen anC
the members Of their churches: This
seems to be true if we judge from prac-
tical work and accomplished results
The main trouble is that the bugbea1
jOf theology is such q burden upo1
those who consider themselves very
! religious that real religious dutie:
| (the task of making the world bette
place to live in) are crowded out
lQuestions Of humanity in this Worlt
are religious questions: questions per
l (ullflHS 70 Il lutuIc Illc Ill tIeOlOS1Cft
1--we don't know much about sucl
things. nor do we need to know unit
our duties are there instead of here
I'If we do well here we will do vel
Ithere,' covers most of the ground. ant
to do we'll here in the fullest sens
lof our duties to each other and to hu
Imanity in general will keep us Yer.
busy. Ben Adhem's Write me as on
Iwho loves his felloWmen.' turned ou
to be the most acceptable. and anon;
the names whom love Of God ha
lblest,' his name led all the rest
How many farmers know how vital
lily the railroad Question touches thei
interests. Not many, l am sorry t.
lsay. Yet their products may be trans
tported to the centers of population
land that process can be 50 manage
as to take practically all the farmers
profit. In fact: it is so managed. bu
1.-The average farmer is still stupidity is
Inorant. The freight on farmers pro
ducts could be much less if the water
II (tne fictitious capitaliza atiOn wa
'suueezed out Of the capitalization c
oui. railroads. But what do the farm
CTS care? They are paying the interes
on this fraudulent capitals ton, bu
| they haven't found it out yet, and the
wonder why they don't prosper as the
should. 1 will say. however. that III
Farmers Alliance was composed {
active and intelligent farmers, alive t
the interests of agriculture. and it di
Imuch good in the way of awakenin
! farmers to their own interests, but tn
Alliance has now quite passed out q
an active agitating force. Also tt
lGrange movement has done much goo
III in the same direction, but both thes
movements have included only a sma
N lfraction of our farmers. However the
Ills show what should be done among OF
farmers, but it can be done only whe
IL farmers quit wearing party collars an
learn to think: when they quit cor
II lining their reading to partisan pres
and learn to read books Nhere al
II plenty of them, and cheap on tt
II transportation question, the mono
IIuuestion, and other branches of pra'
II tical economics.
II r,,ipt I uiSh tn urge in tn