The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-09-06

that while the mill owners have organ
lied themselves on a vast scale TO ad-
vance their interests they deny 10 the
working men the right to do the same
thing for themselves. OF course, / know
that this is strenuously denied by the
mill owners when out IN this naked
form, and that they claim that they are
only resisting an attempt b. their EN-
ployes to dictate how they shall
their business-but. after ali, the true
issue is as l have stated it. aid there
fore the question presents itself. If
these great trusts with a combined CAPT
tai of countless millions are TO be allow
ed to exist and to control the amount
of products and their price in t:e mar
ketS-in other words. TO dictate to the
how much of a given prod
uct shall be put on the market and
what the price shall be, and at the same
time to fix the wages of their employees
according to a schedule of their own-if
they are to have such power through
their combined and organized capital,
then why should not the employees have
a. similar right to organize themselves
for their own protection? But this is
not a matter exclusively between the
mill owners and their workmen. .
THE great body of the people who do
not belong to either Of these classes
the nsume of the Country-are IS
much the sufferers as either, and there
fore. aside from the disorder and the
danger to the public a Caused by
these conflicts. hey have a very large
interest in the matter. Whelner they
can do anything to remedy the evil 1r
not remains to be seen. but if tie situa-
ton does not improve they VIII be CON-
PEELED to try some remedy. Certainly in
this day of enlightenment. ard in 4
country that boasts OF Its minence
in all the arts of civilization. some way
-L~-,1l ~-,- - It-E %nI ~
ences between the parties. Trusts are
creatures of legislatures. but is would
would seem hat they have the power to
either control or to defy their creators,
which is a browning evidence Of that
| power of money which IS the shame and
scandal of his age. AS / have often
said in public addresses. he Is a bad
man who would seek to array
against capital, or capital against labor,
but he is a coward and unworthy OF
citizenship who would keep silence in
the presence of a great wrong to his
fellow citizens through fear o. offending
any organization, however great and
powerful.
"No Intelligent and self respecting
man can have any prejudice against an
individual. or combination CT irdivid-
uals, solely because he or they possess
wealth, but when the wealth is used for
purposes Of injustice CT oppression OF
the less fortunate, every intelligent and
self-respecting man feels outraged.
ut is, and always a been, Il stock
| with the sleek and we'll fed
be~nefciaries of fortune. and especially
| of those who feed upon public bounty,
to decry every n VINO raises 4 voice
of warning against public evils, even OF
the most apparent kind. and 10 ridicule
or denounce them az calamity ho"l-
ers'' or the like.
TT disturbs the sere:ity Of such peo-
pie to near a note Of olarm. ard it ap-
| gers them to realize that the people
have their ears open 10 IL. Alas. the
people are too often deaf TO the cry
until the trouble is upon them. IT Is an
ungracious and proitless task TO utter
this cry Of warning. and he who Goes II
must expect to become \ target Tor sa-
tire and abuse, but until patriotism and
| manhood perish from the earth 1t Will
continue to be heard whenever the pub
lie welfare is imperilled- For myself L
will say that although for many years
past I have spoken my mind more iree-
". in regard TO the subversion
OF our political and social fabric than
any man in North Carolina, 1t las been
done not with any expectation OF ever
seeing again the government which our
fathers established-for hat has been
dead ever since 1SS1-but in the hope
Of retarding the progress Of disaster as
much as in me lay. I recognize the
fact that you and I and the people OF
our state can contribute but little to-
wards arresting the course OF events
or changing final results. but We owe
il to the memory Of our fathers, 20 our
selves, and our posterity to do all we
can in that direction"
At the conclusion OF Colonel Wad-
deIps address he was cheered and fire.
quently during its delivery the audi
ence manifested their approval and
sympathy in no uncertain way. This
concluded the fornoon programme.
THE AFTERNOON PROGRAMME
The afternoon was given up entirely
to athletic vents. The first contest
was a Tug Of Wan between the naval
Reserves and a picked from
| Southport The latter crowd won n
received as a prize. q fine box of cigars.
The pole vault was next and 1t was