The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-09-07
SCORES OF WRONGS
THE LIBERTY OF OTHER DAYS Is
BADLY NEEDED.

Myrtle stewart Discusses Labor and
Libefty-We Need Not Talk at
ish Poor-There 10 NO More Strik-
ing Contrast Than Within the
Borders of Own Country. ~, ."
We have witnessed the dawn and sun
set of years, but for once and once only,
have we witnessed the expiration of
| century. We have seen the book Of the
nineteenth century closed. It will re-
appear only as the past, not one more
word can be written nor one erased.
Then we close our eyes and reflect up
on it's contents.
Oh, what a record! Nothing to equal
it since the dawn of time. The march
Of time has been swift and significent.
1t has been an era of discovery and
transformation. especially in the me
chanical and Industrial world. 1t has
been pre-eminently the century of
science. Steam and electricity have
| revolutionized the globe, and time and
distance have been greatly obliterated.
| 1t has been an era Of education.
Few pages have been quilted with the
blood of wars, yet they have existed.
and cold chill creeps up our spinal
column as we recall the wars of 81 and
'sS. Before us are the noble, beautiful
faces of those men, who still bear wit
mes to these wars. We have them; we
honor them, because they left home,
| friends-all, to protect and uphold the
honor of that f1ag-that sacred emblem,
| that impersonator of liberty, baptized
| by the holy baptism. that all men are
| created equal and should be equal, but
today we lower our heads in solemnity,
as we realize too fully that more
startling inequality does not exist in
all the civilized world. The old liberty
has vanished, the old equality has gone
We do not need to talk of the British
aristocracy or the British poor, there
is not in all Britain so striking a con-
| trast as exists in our own America.
! There is no one man in all Britain
| who Is weather. than some half dozen
we could mention in our own continent
and there cannot be more desperate
poverty.
! And again we gaze at the fluttering
| banner of liberty above our heads and
ask ourselves, where is that liberty
gone? Where is that equality gone?
That liberty which was purchased with
the sacred blood of our dead heroes I?
Sold! sold! gone into the hands of cap
italists, trusts, syndicates, anywhere to
| get; 1T out Of the hands Of the honest
- sss ~ !.
We are no longer the free America
we once were. 81 We no longer have
equal rights. The ballot is sold from
the auction block to the highest bidder.
Rings Of every description in the poll
tical world combine for general spoili-
alton, and the laboring mans money
jingles in every pocket but his own.
We no longer have equal rights, we
kneel to mighty king, a tyrannical
emperor, mighty king-King Dollar.
1t is no longer a war between two
nations. but an intercine war. Destroy
ing the principles Of it's own defense
and making enemies of those who
should be brothers. It is impossible for
| any practical thinker to deny this con-
| clusion. And this is America; this is
the country whose life began in search
of freedom and processes equal rights
to ALL
| Let us walk down the street of any
city today, and our eyes will meet two
disgusting specimens of humanity, roll
ing in the filth Of intoxication, one the
son of capital, the other the victim Of
labor. The young man with the gold
jingling in his pocket is quietly taken
to some place of seclusion. where his dis
grace can be covered up, while the man
of toll is thrown into the patrol wagon
and hurried to the calaboose. Why this
difference, is it because the officers feel
more friendly toward the SON of wealth
All, no. But they feel more friendly
toward his pocketbook; it may help to
buy them more votes at the next cleo
| tion. Is this Justice? Is this equality?
Don't blame the officers, but blame
yourself, voting for the man that is a
friend to capital and an enemy to labor.
by such things and allowing them to
| exist.
Brother and sister laborers, when
your lnnuence goes out TO the man Of
capital you are only lashing the black
snake of tyranny across your own back,
not only your own, but do you not
tremble for the coming generations?
At this age Of the world education is
the power, but though we boast of the
greatest free educational system in the
world, what good will it do the sons
and daughters Of the laborer, If when
they become the age to begin to grasp
it's significance, they must quit the
school room to help earn. the daily
bread, for fathers wages are too small
to supply all the wants of home; but
the child Of capital keeps right on until
he finishes all the public school can
teach him, and then he is OF to college,
Is this free education? IL this equali-
ty? At least this Is what exists In AM
erica today, and no one can deny it.
But the present situation cannot en-
dure long, for irresistible forces are
steadily pushing matters to q climax
and a final struggle for the mastery is
inevitable. .:g5g .. ssexas
These rival forces hate each other