Idaho Springs siftings., 1902-08-02


Western Federation of Miners, Socialists
and other labor organizations, and their
| friends, under whose auspices Rev.
Thomas ]. Hagerty, the eminent Socialist
leader, gave his lecture on Trusts and
How to Handle Them.
Father Hagerty is one of the most
widely known and prominent Socialist
leaders in the United States He is
close friend of Eugene v. Debs, the great
labor organizer. Father Hagerty will
tour the state in the interest of the
Socialist party.
Mr.. Caveta, of this city, in few and
we'll chosen words, introduced to the
audience Father Hagerty, who was
greeted with round of applause.
Father Hagerty said in part:
eff mental honesty was more wide
spread to-day, the great mass would not
be shut out from the truth.
"There are two kinds of honesty: first,
inherited honesty-an instinct such as
animals possess; and the acquired hon.
esty, or through force or power.
intellectual honesty is best at all
hazards.
at is the lack of intellectual honesty,
through fear of Gems ure in the press and
pulpit, that Socialism does not make
more progress to-day. And if it was not
for this fact the masses would not be
shut out from the truth.
eve very frequently hear people say,
This is free country, and we have free
thought.
"There is no such thing as free thought,
but freedom of discussion.
Socialism is the association of CO.
hesion of elements to promote the happi-
ness and to assist in adding to the well
fare of every member of the human
race"
Father Hagerty spoke of child slavery
in the cotton mills of the Southland
most eloquently pictured the little boys
and girls, half starved, brains blunted,
with worn out bodies, robbed not only of
everything that makes life worth living,
but of life itself, for these children only
live about six years as 90 out of every
100 develop consumption.
In the glass factories of New Jersey
and the sweat shops of the grea, cities
we have the same condition.
Continuing he said:
"A short time ago in Coal Creek, Tenn,
$50 miners lost their lives because the
mine owners would not put in the ap-
pliances as recommended by the state
labor unions. The lumber and work re-
quired would have cost the companies
money, but laboring mems lives don't
cost a cent-for every man that lost his
life, there was another man willing,
ready, and anxious to take his place.
"In the coal district of Pennsylvania
not long since, there was an accident in
one of the mines, and one of the en-
ployees spoke to the superintendent and
told him that on the second level there
were $50 men that must be taken out.
The superintentendent asked: How
many and where are the mules?' The
foreman kept insisting on the men be-
in a flood of invectives said: TO hell
with the men, save the mules
"The majority of the working men
have been so overworked for centuries
that they haven't the sense and energy
left to kick, while good decent mule
will kick if he is overworked.
cat the present time it it is almost i'm
possible to get anything that is not adul-
terated. Even the soda bicarbonable at
the drug stores is adulterated with chalk
and gypsum. There is not one of you
present, unless you have lived in the
moonshine districts of Kentucky, that
ever drank glass of whiskey in its pure
state. We rarely hear any one speak of
drunkenness; it is always intoxication.
There is difference between drunken
ness and intoxication. Drunkenness is
simply a state of inebriation, and intoxi-
cation means poison. The liquors you
drink are made up of potassium nitrate
and acetate and other ingredients until
the system is in poisoned condition.
"The reason for SO much drunkenness
among the working people is on account
of the long hours and exhausting toll
that the tissues of the body demand stim-
,,1atiou man who works in the mine