The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-05-12
Emile ZoLa's - -
~ ~ Latest MoyeL.

kNeh It's ughtful hnnors and Justice, IN
stead OF tyranny founded on usnrpation.
ruled Labor" Is a mighty book, that
must be looked upon as more than narrativ,
nc'lcn. II is study aud n prophecy. You
may quarrel With the solution 1t offers.
Non may doubt the correctness OF It's dag
nosis OF labor's disease. but you can NOT
doubt the disease No right souled man
can look unmoved upon che picture Xnla
draws Of the iron workers Of Beauclalr.
III Labor the pit the steel factory OF
inc cuirgnons, symhollzcs. In the fashion
GOA is master OF. the Industrial enslaver
VI men, 1T lay just on the edge of Tho
Town OF Beauclalr, a town OF 5000 souls.
oouo OF them poor, dark souls confined IN
suffering bodies, dcformed and degraded Ia,
Tue cruel labor of the pitt The wage
'a'uers are put FIRST before you, comina
BACK 10 work after an unsuccessful strike OF
Two months-drunkcnness, dishonesty. bru.
'ahty stamped upon most of them. They
pour into the little town on the evening or
huc Fromcnt's coming to spend the few
cents they have earned In riotIng after
starvation. Froment, burning with zeal TO
advance the cause OF labor has not vet
thought out a solution. While ON this wish
TO Jordan, master Of tho blast furnace nj
la Crecherlc, he Is studying details. going
about among the people and learning thetr
ways of living. In these Journeylngs We
accompany him.
! After that FIRST view of the workers we
are taken to the pit, there 10 see labor
hlindly worshiping It's idol men dlllgpntly,
even lovingly working at pursuits that
never bring them even enough daily bread
In the horrid heat the terrible routine.
they are hroilcd, burned, made imbecile.
yet they go on, not knowing why, enslnye,l
by the god of the furnace We visit tho
prosperous middle class IN their lnqnitous
leisure aud poisonous pleasure, wlnine
dinlng, dancing. rarely giving thought to
the source Of their wealth And when ,h,,
few charltably inclined turn to thoughts OF
labor they plan souphouscs. hospitals and
betterbuilt almshouscs, The pit swallows
live men aud colns them into gold for the
mcrrymakcrs at Gucrdacho.
Not SO wicked as these. but blnmowortht
because negative, comes la Crrchcre with
Its master, the scientist Jordan. wrapped
up Ia his scientific pursuits, all he wishes
Is leisure 10 work at his invention for fusiug
by electricity. He is on the eve of selling
his hast furnace aud the mineral land ON
which IT Is situated to the owners Of Tho
PIT. when Iuc Froment arrives. II that
sale is consummated the entire district viii
fall absolutely Into the hands Of one man.
an exploiter of labor In the worst sense
of the term
In the discussion held at the different
houses he visits Iuc gets the ncncdt OF all
sides Of the labor question. he hcars the
capitalist argue that the race Is 10 tho
strongest, that the burden of the Iaborrr
mnst naturally Increase to the limit OF his
endurance. He hears the priest argue that
The crushing burden OF labor carried TO
extremes Is placed upon man for his sins.
The teacher holds tina, discipline requires
this breaking Of man, the sclenHst that
'hings are ordered as they are by forces
greater than man can control and that
discussion will avail nothing. The mayor
and the soldier agree that la1or's com
plants should he stillod at the mouth OF
tho gun. Instead Of sharing the Gallons
indifference of the magnate. the reslgna
tion Of the preacher, the dlsdain Of the |
scientist, Luc Froment feels dlvincly i'm
PEELED 10 put his shoulder to the wheel
and unllft labor
No one Is at his best In the system that
prcvnils. The rich at Guerdache are not |
happy They feel the chilli Of apprehension
Everywhere tho worker feels the sting Of
injustice. The corro1ent discomfort * cat
Ing into the heart Of society Something
must give way. when men arc ground
down until they can be ground no longer
and still the press Is applied, prlmeval In
stincts rise and man turns brute again lie
cnres nothing for laws or constitutions.
government or property. Tho distinction
between mine and thine Is swept away.
The masses, possessing when once started
in motion the greatest momentum, can
crush the classes like pun balls
~
In the novel Tabor" you have the bru
tnlized or maddencd workman plotting vic.
lcnce. the money grabbing careless en-.
ployer squanderlng the fruits Of labor with
criminal lnvlshness, the recnse
shutting himself away from mankind. In.
different. wrapped up In scientific pursuits
The opinion Is general and Justified that
abor Is degrading. dshonorinR, accursed
Puddlcrs Hike Ragu envy the wealthy he.
'ause Of their ldiencss They would dis
place the rich and themselves live in Idle.
ness BEING slaves they would lie mas.
prs, that they IN turn might have slaves.
superior laborers. like Bonnaire and Lange
eel the wrongs OF their Kind and wish to
lbollsh undue wealth altogether, but would
ise the weapons ~ revolution.
Jordan, the scientist, alone OF all the
Workers appreciates to lts fun the real
,eauty Of labor Work Is life itself Every.
hing In the world works the ocean, the
ivers, the fields, the trees. work Is
orce in perpetual activity, good In all
eligipns, working out the final happiness
I which we feel the imperlous necessity.
There ls no such thing as happI
ess unless we place II In the united hap.
ness OF perpetual united labor And that
! why ! wish that some one would preach
o the world the religion Of labor. ana ]
Ing hosannns TO labor. as to savior, the
My true source Of health, peace and hap,
mess
~
During this paean 20 labor Lue PIGMENTS
houghts have crystallzed in plan. The
lew has been given. Labor Is blessed II
len can choose their own occupation, vary Z
as they Wish, rest from It when they
hoosr. Man Is not lazy, but he must J
nllow his Instincts. The thing to do Is