Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-11-20
MANY shall run to and fro and knoiciedge
shaH be increased Dan, XII. 4.


shall be increased. Dan, XII. t.
No one in this present age needs to
be informed that capital and labor are
each striving for the mastery. Capital
has held its own with but little loss,
while labor gradually struggling up
wards, strives to gain the upper hand.
AS a natural expectancy, popular dis
content has manifested itself and to
such an extent as to demand a reason
able consideration of it's causes and
significance Among working men
whether in the city or country organic
efforts have been inaugurated to pro-
tect, better and benefit themselves.
We might undeniably say this is true
of capital with all of its combines. In
the case of capital, the numbers slowly
increase. 20 per cent. of the wealth of
this country is in the hands of less than
100000 men, out of population of
76,000,000 No longer do we count the
organic aggregate number of labor adj
herents by the thousands but by the
millions Men see this unequal divi-
sion; they also see at times an enforced
micidespotism;s discontentment
arises and political platforms heralded
the issues to simply stir up the unset
tied minds. The press adds materially to
Reinforcement by disseminating knoWl-
edge of the principles involved Dis
contentment utters itself in many
strikes and riots. Millions of employees
have been in strikes this year and
thousands of establishments have been
affected. In the years 1881 to 1886, in
elusive, 1923, ,203 employees struck for
higher wages, affecting %, ,304 establish
ments Very few of these obtained
their demands but to-day the number
of adherents number five or six tines
as many and are getting the advance
us a general rule. New York, Pennsyl-
vania and other states have had to call
out their militia more frequently than
ever before. 10000 men were thought
to be necessary to guard 147, 900 and
their dependents, which swelled the
number to 800 000 Nor is this only true
ofthis country. France, Austria, Russia,
especially the latter have used exten-
sive measures to put down riots.
The argument that hours, wages, and
prices of food show the people to be
twice as we'll off as twenty or thirty
years ago, and so they ought to feel
satisfied, is met by counter argument
that men who once considered $50, 900
fortune and sufficient, now are worth
ten or twenty times as much and can
not be satisfied. The time has come
or is fast approaching when brother
betrays brother to prison. st. PauPs
exhortatiOn "to use the things of the
world without their abusen is lost
Money can buy anything, even to a
mans soul "yet what does it profit a
man if he gain the whole world and
lose his own soul"
The working man realizes in q meas
ure that he is better off, possibly twice
as we'll off, but when he considers how
men are getting far above where he
hopes to stand, he desires more TO be
like them. The first Indians who
traded with Columbus and his follow
ers were more Satisfied with a few
yards Of cloth and some trinkets in lieu
of little value given, than the mechan-
ic of to-day, who owns his own house.
Is it greed that makes man desire more
and narrows him to unreasonableness.
Or is it not rather in the fact that a
great change in the circumstances
which surround men themselves has
taken place and broadened their ideas,
or in the words of ourteXt: "Many shall
run to and fro and knowledge shall be
increased
The educational feature of the
present age is an influence often for
gotten in this respect When we think
that only three hundred and fifty
years ago some of the mobiles of Eng
land to whom we owe so much, were
less informed than the average laborer
of to-day, not knowing how to read or
write, we see at once the value of the
increased advantage of knowledge.
Out of twenty-six barons who signed
their names to the Magu Charta only
three wrote their names and twenty
l., I
mobiles of rank were given voice in the
English parliament, even though
they could not read or write, simply
by the plea of the benefit of the acts
Now after the application of steam to
the improved printing press, intelli
gence of the worlds lite, thought and
action are cast abroad within a few
hours Of events, and in each house
hold the press more or less molds the
ideas of its people. No longer does
isolation blind with ignorance the
selfcentered little hamlet
The press has meant the enlighten,
ment Of the many, for the first and
only time in the worlds history. The
total number copies of papers issued in
this country in 1890, including dailies
weeklies, triweeklies, semi-weelSies
monthlies, etc, is estimated at three
ullllOH, Intee nunbfeu ana slAly -tlgul
million or litty-four copies to each in
habitant. What the circulation is now
would indeed be wonderful 20 know
rs this is a literary epoch In the worlds
history With such an uumeasurablt
amount of popular intelligence, there
Is given the lower classes, the same
stimulus as was given the upper CLASSES
in the 10th century. An energetic de-
sire for literature not especially Of tht
classic Of Shakespeare, Bacon, Raphae
0r Angelo, but the literature Of indus
try-that which is nearest the lifa u
the people.
Travel Is another educational iuau
eucc, The ancient crug1das viVidlS
accomplished Wha. written b1ak
could not u gave Europe uoW 1ut
enlarged ideIf Many of tbc miiiIou
who swell tue vast amount Ii trayr
are working men, How true Is ou