The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-02
POWELL TO SOCIALISTS.
White HEAVIER Discusses the Status
of Labor.

of Labor.
Dr. Frank Powell, in an address to the
Socialist Labor party Sunday, SAID
among other things
The name Socialist was the outcome
of wide discussions on the labor problem
in England from 1877 until l039-disc US
sions in which even members OF the no
biiity joined with Robert Owen.
From 1272 until 1920, almost 500 years,
that is from the reign OF EDWARD l. untI
the time OF George ~, the pandlng 70
gether of men in trades unions was cali
ed conspiracy by the common law or
England, and men who openly dared JOIN
such associations were subject to impris-
onment and fine. AS late as 1olE th3
farm laborer in England was an object
Of pity The skilled artisans had formed
unions, education was teaching them theiI
rights and they dared maintain them IL
was daring, not concession, that had BET
tered their condition. And that daring
came from education. That is the key
note to the true solution OF the dinefenceS
between labor and capital. AS long IS
men remain ignorant they will make a
god OF the dollar, and as long as they
worship the golden calf and. bend the
knee to money just SO long will they
vote for it.
While the kingdom of the Bourbons
was sinking into the sea of oblivion,
weighted down with the ffivollues, the
Righteousness and the crimes OF genera
lions Of debduchery and mlSrule, the IN
telIect of France was at work. The state
sIumbered in imbeciIity, while the mind
of the nation awOke and began question
ing the right of. 100000 noblemen, to en-
slave 26,000,0 GEO of people. There was for
every three miles square noble family,
and that these might live in luxury and
idleness the despised masses toiled: Up
to this time the Frenchman had, as
Guizot states, lived in the midst Of
facts which inspired him with caution
and repressed mis- tendency to move
ment."
I9,,+ r-bo., 4ho +lioI,ore = ETro,oo bood
ed by d'Alembert and Diderot, began
their investigations and published their
conclusions to the world, the people arose
in their might to emancipate themselves
from the class superstitions and tram
mels of the past, determined to create
a new order of things of which the
crowning glory should be manhood and
liberty asserted in freedom from degrad-
ing vassalage.
As has been truly said the cruelties
and horrors of that terrible revolution
must forever darken the pages Of his
tory. but darker and biacker We're the
causes leading up to it.
Legalized serfdom has vanished from
the face of the civilized earth. Feudalism
became a thing of the past when kings
fearing the growing power of their no.
bleS, forced them to become courterS
but Mammon still reigns. For serfdOm
we have trustdom, for feudalism we have
dollarism; but, over and above all, We
citizens of the United States of America
have the freedom of the ballot and with
it the public school. In the name of hu-
mainly let them both be we'll used
Let the ballot teach legislators, state
and national, that a constituency be-
trayed will avenge itself at the polls
That no man, however high in power he
may be, can cOnspire with the enemies
of labor and escape political death at
the hands of his dupes But to be sue
cessful the workingmen must stand to-
gether. When no outside, foe is in sight
the financial sharks swallow the smaller
fish. Capital fights capital corporations
war with corporations but let the alarm
be given that capital is embarra ssed, that
money is in danger; when, like pack
of hungry raving wolves disturbed at a
carrion feast, they compact,y mass to-
gether, using teeth and claws to repeI
the weaker invader.
Is it so with worlIingmen? I saw mol
In the past they have stood by each 9th
er. Petty wrangliags and insigniicant
chickering's, melted by the hireltngs of
their enemies. have divided them on the
only battle ground where they can ever
hope to win and that is In the political
The past of ehor was Uttered with tho
tear-rusted shac kIes Of slaves and Grim
soned with the knuot-drawn blood of
serfS.
It's present, a season of disouietude
uncertainty and mutterings. presa ging
the awakening of the lion and the tiger
In man, f0reboding disaster to those who
demand 81 in labor for 81 in wages
The people of France rebelled against
the tyranny Of a nobility whose demands
were insignificant co!npared with the
exactions of monopoly today.
The profits Of the Carnegies We're up
wards of s21 100000 for a single year. and
the bulk of that vast sum can be traced
back to the treasury of the United States
of America, the protector of Carnegie &,
Tricks infant iron industry"
By advancing the price OF coal oil three
cents a gallon the Standard Oil people
were recently enabled to declare a divi-
dend of $i7,000,000.
And the country is filed with like YAM
pire trusts. which rob the people under
sanction of the law
George Washington said mo punish
ment is too great for the man who builds
his fortunes upon the ruins of his coun-
try, but in these later days the word
punishment has been changed to pro
lection. And yet we are told that times
are good and the country prosperous
prosperity that made imperial Rome a
ruin. The kind of times and prosperity
that is driving our men to suicide and de-
structfon and our women to the devil
Let those who cringe to the financially
powerful and who, ignoring merit bow
low to empty honors, money-bought. in
the vain hope that thrift NAV follow
faWntng, read the editorial on pros
perity in Harper'S BaZar, dated March
H. 1900 a fair sample of columns and
pages that might be culled from the
press, Then let them pirate of prosper
The future of labor In this country
rests absolutely with the voters them
selves. If they are satisfied with exist
ing conditions, let them hug their chains
and lick the hand that whrls the lash
but if they wish for better times for
happier times. for honest times, honor
ably gained. let them remember that the
future of labor can be made bright as a.
cloudless midday sun through education
along proper lines and the judicious use
of the ballot.