The Tucson citizen., 1902-09-02
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

it. The country may be filled with
the sounds of industry, the yachts of
the wealthy may be plowing the waves,
going from capital to capital; palaces
may adorn the cliffs and drives of
Newport, but unless the great toiling
masses are earning enough to en-
able them to clothe their families
decently, to give them sufficient food
and to send their children to school,
there is no such prosperity as will adj
vantage the nation.
\ An article in the September number
Ipf the magazine published by eX-Post-
master General Wanamaker describes
the dwellings of the miners in a GER
tain village in the coal region of Penn
sylvania as follows:
They live in houses built of sheet iron
and boards, about fifteen feet square
and sunk about three feet in the
ground. OF course there is but one
room, and in this room the family
anywhere from six to ten humans
+
is plenty of space, these hutches are
crowded together like troopers hunks
on a transport. The streets are so
narrow one may almost touch house
on either side simultaneously Behind
these hutches stretched a great heap
of ashes-the dump from the furnaces
that ran the engines-a reddish brown
heap, packed hard by the rain. For
obscure reasons parts of it were yet
hot, and steamed under the contact of
the veil of wet And this mass, in
cooling, threw off a stencil like that of
burning bones; an acrid, foul odor,
sweet with nauseating, revolving
sweetness, powerful unacceptable, that
pervaded the entire community
/ It may be that the employers of the
men who live in these habitations, the
arrogant and naughty coal barons,
sail around in their yachts, live in
winter palaces in New York and sum-
mer palaces in Newport, buy their
clothing in Europe and spend for
tune in American Beauty roses for a
single dinner. But this is not such
prosperity as country may boast nf
Or that uplifts the nation. This gov
ernment depends upon the toiler, and
true prosperity can only exist with
happy and comfortable homes and a
contented people Fortunately for us,
there are not many such communities
as the Pennsylvania village described
in Mr.. Wanamaker's magazine. But
even one is too many. Such a place
is plague spot, a running sore, on the
body polite. 1t may spread it's can
kerous growth far beyond the limits OF
the loathsome village where it has its
j, beginning
The American government princi-
pies, said President Roosevelt, embody
the principles of fair and square deal
ing with all men, so that men shall
have their rights under the law, ant
that all shall be given fair and ar
even chance in the struggle for 1ife.'
1t is the conviction of vast number o.
toilers in this land that all men do no
have an even chance in the struggle
, for life. nor equal rights before the
law. They complain of unequal an(
unjust taxation and unequal and ur,
just application of the law. The Law
should be framed and administered
with especial regard for the veal
against the strong. But there is {
feeling that this is not so, and there i!
great unrest in the ranks of the toilers
In the case of the Pennsylvania village
referred to, if the description given i.
true, the law should come in and wipe
it out and punish those who are re
sponsible for such conditions. Their,
are good men and women who visi
jails and look after the comfort anC
health of criminals and law-breakers
There are good men and women whC
are alert to protect dumb animal
from cruelty. But those poor toiler
who spend their days in the bowels o
the earth in hopeless, ceaseless toll
they and their wives and little one
seem to share the fate of the man VIII,
travelled from Jerusalem to Jericho
and was left wounded and in distres
= on the road. Those who should hav
: helped him passed by on the other side
-O
o An absurd character in st. Louis a