The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-11-02
SOME ADVICE
TO CARNEGIE

Mr. Carnexie is said to be willinp ha-
fore he dies to devote one hundred mi,
lions Of dollars to the public we,fora
AZ soon as this was announced a great
many people commenced to busy their
brains with giving Mr.. Carnegie good
ADVICE. AS a matter Of course. a nun.
Der Of propositions have been forth
coming each requiring the expenditure
OF some hundreds Of thousands Of dol
lars. n OF such schemes hundreds
n even thousands might be evolved
But q hundred million of dollars in
ready money. all under the control of
one man. is such a vast sum-. such a
glorious opportunity, that something
Tar more important ought to be achiev-
ed, something that will benefit the
country, not only for a time. but per.
notwithstanding that should
greatly hasten our evolution in civiliza-
ton, though we deem it impossible that
this evolution can be given a new
trend. 1t Is to such great schemes that
Mr.. Carnegie's attention should be
called.
We a think Of but two such ire
mendously important subjects, to-wit-
h matter Of the unemployed and the
matter Of national education. About
one-fourth Of the hundred millions
should be devoted to the former and
three-fourths to the latter.
But the subject of the UNEMPLOYED is
important enough in itself, though it Is
only Of temporary Importance. Observe.
however, that this matter is the great
est stumbling block in the path of our
civilization at the dawn of the twentieth
century. The state of being unemployed
has now become a chronic one in our
country, as it has been for a long time
in Europe. The unemployed we shall
have with us as long as the present
competitive system lasts. The able
bodied man. willing to work, but unable
to find work, Is, in fact, the social prob
lem in epitome.
What is here the real trouble? It is
this, that no maj Is at present allowed
to live by work unless some other man
can make a profit out of him. This
cannot be denied. Observe, we speak
strict yof the unemployed" By that
term we do not mean a man who can
not work or who will not work, but the
man who both can and will work, If he
can only find the chance. These men
may properly be divided into two class
oa-fho ofHciont mon opd Tho loo, o@
Gent men. OF the latter class there are
always plenty to be found among the
unemployed. The former class are
found there generally only during hard
times. But mark this important point
these two classes, Furthermore, are
always a threat and a danger to those
who are 50 lucky as to have employ
ment, because they always are ready
to take their places and cut down their
wages. They constitute the so-called
reserve army of labor who cause
the most righteous strike to fail-and
there have been most righteous strikes.
Consequently they are in some sense
the pets Of capitalists. But we devoutly
hope that Mr.. Carnegie in his proposed
benevolence will rise above the preju-
dice Of the class to which he has be-
longed.
Our point is this: We say that an I'M
employed in our sense can always earn
his living, and that of his family, If he
al only get the chance; and, more
over, that besides this he can restore
the OUTLAWS, made in his behalf. All
that is necessary is to give him the
chance. Give him simply what a Penn
sylvania statute gave him 120 years
ago (Which, however, was never en-
forced, raw materials, tools and a
workshop. That is all. If the states
would copy this Pennsylvania statute
and enforce 1t, there never would be
any more really ''hard times" There
need be no competition with private
employers, for the unemployed would
be a sufficient market among them
selves. AS to the OUTLAWS to be restored
that can be done from the labor OF
the unskilled laborers, fit to create the
country roads we so much need.
The great trouble consists in these
outlays. To raise them, the states must
either tax themselves or issue bonds,
and they will do neither. Now, let Mr..
Carnegie devote twenty-five of his hun
dred millions Of dollars for these put
laws, It will be in the highest n
enlightened self-interest; and never for
get that it is not only the unemployed
to whom MI. Carnegie will be a provi-
dence, but he will render an essential
service to the employed-and, most OF
all, to society.
But the second matter. that of ma
tional education, is Of infinitely greater
Importance, and richly deserves three
fourths of his bounty, If not more. BY
doing that Mr.. Carnegie may become a
true national hero, always to be re-
membered and venerated, far more SO
than Admiral Dewey. or course, we
are not thinking of n educational In
%stitution, Of either high or low degree
here and there; we are thinkin OF
nothing less than Of a true primary ed
ucation Of a whole generation; OF u
children. say. from the fourth to the