The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-06-20
SYMPATHY FOR THE TOILER
Bill Arp on the Conflict Between
the Laborer and the Capitalist.

back in history there was a war that
lasted thirty years, but this war has
lasted longer than that and seems to
grow more bitter as the years roll on.
In the good old;timcs it did not affect
the South, but like pcstllcnce IL
spreads and there seems TO DC no
remedy. All of the WOmcn-m0St All
of the men, outside Of the capitallsts-'
have heretofore sympathizcd with the
toilcrs in their demands for less work
and better pay. They have bitterly
denounced the hcartlcss managers VINO
would wear ont the life OF Il child be-
fore it gets ErOwn--whO would keep
Them Gagged in factories from early
morn till lamplight, with not an hou:
Tor recreation. No May day, no play
day, no ball game, nor marbles, nor
fishing, nor frolic OF any kind for the
boys; no hunting wild flowers or black-
berries for the girls, no youthful pleas
ures, no recess, no Saturday; but from
year to year IT'S
"Work--w k--wurk, in the dull pccem-
Der light.
And work--wOri>-Wu work. when the weather
is warm and bri8ht.'
How sad it is TO sec them toll aS if
in trcadmill, and to hear them sigh
rs they glance from the windows OF
their daily prison, and with longing
eyes, whisper
"Oh! but to breathe the breath Of the
woods and flowers sweet
with the sky above my head and 'hc grass
bcnca n my iccl
Aud this is sad, pathetic, and but
for hc.,rt)cse legislation and Legislators,
would have long since been rcnlcdicd.
1t is the good side OF human nature
that arouses sympathy for th" poor,
and Leigh Hunt never wrote Il Swectcr
line than that OF Abou Ben Ndhcm's
plea for entrance into Paradise:
"Write me as one who loves his fellow
man.
In Illuminating about The wants of
the poor | have often thought that ihc
greatest want and the best boon TO Il
Lollcr was il home. Home c--onc of the
sweetest words in any language. It's
best definition is in the heart, for
language fails TO express it. Indeed
there are some languages that have no
word for it---no synonym. The French
has none and substitutes only an abode
or dwelling place. The best definition
dialect Of the IIindoos and Pcrsians.
The word is kshcma and means Il per
manent place of rest and security.
Would that all tie poor, all the toilcrs,
al the women and children in the land
had that a permanent aDo,iC--a place
OF rest and security. No landlord to
call for rcnts--no expiring lease, no
uncertain title; but a home where the
good wife can plant her own vines and
adOrn her own yard With flowers and
feel that they are hers and her chill.
drcn's. Why didn't MIR. Carnegie think
of this and give homes to the poor, in
stead Of books. Fifty millions Of dol
lars would have given comfortable
homes TO one hundred thousand poor
families-and given a permanent place
Of rest and security TO at least half Il
million Of The toilcrs. The time was
when d Methodist preacher was not
entitled to home no more than 4
Roman Catholic priest was to wife.
lie must abide Tor year in any house
that was cheap and vacant. lie must
he the cxemplar of humility and un-
:selishness, for they said that the Savior
was born in a mangcr and his softcst
scripture that demands the best Of
that says: "Touch not My anointcd,
and do My prophets no harm" A
better civilization now provides good
comfortable parsonage in almost every
town and village and | am glad of il,
not so much for sympathy for the
preacher, but for his good, long suffer
ing and patient wife and growing
children. Woman loves her home and
loves to adorn it with fruits and flow
ers. When the Mclhodists get strong
enough to build parsonage they
should not stop at the finishing Of the
house, but have a permanent COM
mittee Of ladies' to plant vines and roses
and make gravel walks, and establish
a garden with euch things that do not
pass aHay and perish with the year.
Plant fruit trees, make an asparagus
bed and don't forget the straw.
berries and raspbcrri.s, and here and
there plant some of the old time
garden herbs, such as sage and
balm and parsley and calamus for
sweet breath and mint for the chill
dren'e collie. Fix the place up for a
home and when the good wife leaves it,
of course. she will leave it clean and
leave it with regret, and her successor
will be happy and talk about her to the
neighbors. If was bishop | would
alludc to this at the general conference,
and lay much stress on what John
Wesley said, that " Cleanliness was
next to Godlincss."
That is not IN the Bible, but might
have been and done no harm.
Yes, the kindheartcd people have
generally been sympathizng with the
strikers, but the case at Dayton, O., ,
has discouraged them. We sec that
Mr.. Patterson dic,l suddenly this week.
He was only sixty-ninc years old and
the opinion is that his grief and morti.
ficatlon over the great strike caused his
death. A noblcr rich man never lived
or died. He was the president of the
National Cash Register Company, that
employed 2,300 men and women. For
apVen yoarS he has souVhI IN mokn hie