The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-12

course they are not, and they know full
well that not only never said they were.
but that Mr.. Payne deserves no thanks
for assuming to protect them from an
impossible charge. His bid for their ia
vor as a champion will need take some
other line. It is not necessary for him
to say that they are law-abiding men.
I impute lawlessness to those who per-
petrate it; to those who instigate it; to
those who consent to It; to those who
apologize for it; to those who could stop
it and do not, and to those theories of
labor and life which call good evil and
evil good. I did call on all the COM
munity to assist to put an end to the
present destructive warfare, and 1 told
all present how to do it, only probably
Mr.. Payne was writing down his refec-
tions at the time and did not hear me.
said that all who write with intelligence
and authority on labor matters agree In
this, that the way to bring peace is for
both employer and employed to be kind
ly. brotherly. just, and to seek good and
friendly understanding, and I urged all
to have and diffuse this spirit. Then I
cited the cases of two employers, known
to me, detailing that one of them en-
ployed about three thousand men and the
other nearly as many, and they never
had strike of their wokmen.
l said of one of them that he told me
that they had never had any trouble
with their employees. and that the reason
why was that they never hired a cheap
man to do important work. If they could
get second class foreman for fifteen
hundred dollars and a first class one for
twenty-five hundred. they always took
the high-prced man, because the cheap
man might spoil as much in one day by
incompetency as his salary for year.
And of the other, I said in much detail,
that though millionaire. he was known
to all his men as worker who worked
as hard as any of them. He always had
for them a kind word and courteous
salutation, and nobody grudged him his
money or struck against the interests
which he shared in common with them.
This and much more. I said on the same
line. And this I steadfastly believe: That
the spirit of Christ In employer and en-
ployed. doing unto others as we would
have them do to us. recognizing the
manhood of every man as of equal worth
in the sight of God, the absence of pride
and envy and disregard of the rights
which between men are always mutual.
this, and this alone, would bring peace.
Mr.. Paync's closing flight of fancy is a
personal description of what he supposes
to be the interior of my house and my
possessions. and the implication that
these, such as they are, forbid me to
know and to sympathize with men who
Industrious men who work under any
conditions. and who know me, are well
aware that none of them lack both my
respect and my fraternal goodwill I am
not willing now to enter into the details
of my personal history as proof that I
have always worked for my living, and
sought to give an equivalent to society
for my place in it. But should 1t be ne
cessary to do so, I. might tell enough of
personal experience to show how utterly
silly is the demagogc cry of Mr.. Payne
that ! should now work at any special
trade in order that might treat my fell
low-man as a man. The thousands OF
men in this country and this valley who
have by industry and glorious struggle
leveled up. instead of grading down,
who have taken the disadvantages over
which idlers mourn and have by labor, In
hours and out of hours. advanced all
their interests are amply able TO remem-
ber their experiences and ready to cheer
any brother who is diligently seeking to
do the same thing. Does he mean to say
that men who began as miners and who
now have a large income and costly fur
niture. do not know what miner eX-
periences? And what has my house or
my income to do with the facts which I
stated? 1t Ia the idea of some to pull all
men down; it is mine. In common with
many, to lift all men up. ] will not seek
to do 1t by fattering their vices. by envy
ing their prosperity. by decrying their
gains, or seeking to rob them of their
lust deserts. 1t is better to try to UNDER
stand than to try to misunderstood, to
allay antagonisms between we'll meaning
men rather than to excite them. and to
seek by plain words rather than by
wordy fancies to bring IN the era OF
peace and goodwill
Very respectfully yours,
]. j. Lansing.