Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-01-03


The following questions were sent
to Edwin Markham, at his home in
Brooklyn, who wrote the answers spe-
cially for The Christian Herald. The
lines quoted in two or three OF the
questions are from Mr.. Markham's col
lected poems, published by Doubleday,
Page & Co., entitled ''The Man With
the Hoe and Other Poems"
1. On what questions should all
branches of labor unite for the good
of the country?
On the reduction of hours OF labor
per day; on compulsory arbitration;
on the study, from humane motives,
of the cooperative ideal in industry.
2. In what way, or toward what
end, should labor utilize its gigantic
strength?
They should resolutely will to come
into harmony and unity of aim and as
piration; they should make appeal
thru the ballot box for an enlargement
of the rights of man. They should
strive to so organize the world as to
keep open the gates of opportunity.
8. What opportunities should the
new century bring to the working
man?
Security in his work, and sufficient
leisure from his work to give him time.
to cultivate his moral and aesthetic
mature.
/ 4. What effect, in your opinion, will
great combinations of wealth have up
on the worlingman of the future p
will concentration of wealth, trusts,
etc, prove a benefit or drawback to
the workingman's progress?
Great combinations of wealth will
tend to make great counter combina-
ltions among the working classes.
Trusts will be decided drawback to
the worldngman's progress unless
|some means shall be found to make
them serve the good of the whole peo-
lple, as now they serve the good of a
livery few.
4. 5. To what degree should the work
lingman be made partner of wealn?
4 If l understand your question, he
should be made full partner. In
lother words he should receive as near
lily as possible the full value of the
things he makes or does.
!, 6. In one of your poems, The Man
Under the Stone" you compare a
workingman to man going thru life
pushing a great stone always up hill.
What is the workingman's real bur-
|den-what is the real stone in his up
hill life?
That great stone is his unequal
; struggle for bread today, still further
weighted with the fear OF penury to-
morrow and the dread of a destitute
old age. All this, of course, springs
out of the narrow margin of scant
wage and precarious employment.
Z. What kind of help, aside from
higher wages, does the laboring man
need?
He needs the contented mind that
comes from security in his work and
10y in his work. This necessarily car
ries the idea that he must have more
E leisure and more culture.
s. What would most help to light
en- the toiler's burden?
! Cooperation, in the place of compe
: tition, in the industrial world. Co
p Operation is the logic of Christianity
. g. How can the government best
help the workingman?
: AS first step, by assuming control
of railroads, telegraphs, ETC., and sc
moving wisely on toward government
Ownership of all industries which in
private hands have become menace
> to the public good and the public safe
lty.
9 10. What should be done with the
t idle millions? with the great army OF
: men who want work and yet can fine
: nothing to do?
s AS first steps, they might well be
i employed by cities and states, at liv
ing wages, upon public works. L
enough work of that kind is moi
Forthcoming let the public
powers establish shipyards and 9th
n er industries sufficient in number tt
employ the willing hands, OF course
l. if we had more effective organiza
# ton of industry working time for the
X now idle could be found by cutting
s down the excessive hours at present
J, forced upon the overworked. Keel
/. cutting down the hours of the, days
work unll everyone has work.
II, Are strikes, which are reall,
battles between workman and EN-
ployer, helpful or harmful to the toll
n er?
AS rule they are harmful to the
|. toiler. But at times they seem to BIZ
cruel necessities.
!. 10. Would the toiler benefit if, in
!,