Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-02

and untiring patience which form the |
stubborn stone into grand and stately |
columns, for you are not common work. |
men who do all this-you are artists |
Labor has accomplished much in this |
world of ours You have spanned the |
universe with that which was worth |
less metal before your hands made IL |
the servant of the telegraph. You have |
built the railroads that cross the con- |
tinent and you have dug the canals
and the tunnels, and carried the bur-
den of the day upon your shoulders.
Your parade and festivities of this
| day have been grandly successful, and
| trust that each year your celebration
will be as good as this one has been.
| | hope in the future you Will not fail
to have the barges filled with fair
nlaidens so as to emphasize the fact
| that they also are part of the great
| industrial masses" ~
| Mayor Titcomb's remarks were
warmly received and generously APP
plauded. At the conclusion he intro
| duced Hon. Samuel w. Matthews.
commissioner of industrial and labor
statistics. for a few remarks upon
| Labor Problems"
At the outset Mr.. Matthews congrat-
ulated his hearers on the fine exhibit
ton which labor had had during the
! day. In 1891. under the administra-
ton of Gov. Burleigh,'' said Mr.. Mat
| thews. Labor day was instituted.
| Since that time there have been a few
attempts to honor the day in this sec
ton. but never before was it SO sue
cessfully accomplished as it was, to-
| day. Your celebration, today, has done
| an immense amount of good. | defy
| any body of men in this or any other
| State to make a nobler or better dem
onstration than you have done this
day. II was an orderly, sober gathering
| Of orderly, sober men. | congratulate
you upon the successful termination of
your exercises, tonight. May your
unions long survive, bringing you a
higher degree of prosperity as the
years go on
After Mr.. Matthews came Rev. H. E.
| Dunnack. pastor of the Green Street
| Methodist church. who reused the au-
| dience to the highest pitch of enthusi-
| assn as different stages of his spirited
| address Mr.. Dunnack began by say
ing that he hadn't the time to make
| extended remarks, and he would there
fore confine himself by advancing in
brief form some thoughts for the con-
| sideration Of his hearers.
I'VE are surrounded" said he, "by a
civilization rich beyond the dreams of
| poet OF romancer. This civilization is
the result of the splendid heroism and
: | devotion of men who have taken adj
| vantage of the marvellous resources of
nature. Prosperity, measured by COM
| mercial standards, is all about u.s. Our
| population in 100 years has multiplied
Il times; our wealth has multiplied in
| the same number of years 30 times.
Our wealth is 80 billions of dollars,
| one quarter of which has been saved
| in the last 10 years. One-half of this
| wealth is controlled by l per cent. of
the people.
These facts tell you a story of en-
terprise and energy, of selfishness,
| greed and cruelty unparalleled in his
| tory. Consider on one side are n class
Of men--captains of industry, finan-
| ciers and capitalists, who are the own
| ers and managers of our vast indus
trial machinery. On the other side are
| the masses of the working people, con-
| trolled by Ricardos iron law of wages,
| compelling the worker to toll for the
| least amount upon which he can sub
| sist. In a word, profit and poverty
| constantly face each other in a land
! flowing with milk and honey.
This aggregation of facts and con-
| ditions. ideas and forces, have created
| and are creating problems the solution
| of which demands intellects keener
! than the past has known. These prob
| lens are taxing the genius of the re-
| public; straining every fibre of her
| moral commercial and intellectual
1
the republic survive while the solution
| is being worked out? l believe she can
| and will, because she can trust the
| strong, honest, intelligent, liberty
| loving Workingmen of the nation.
| IF the millions of working men and
women are true TO their own interests
| and the interests of the republic they
must recognize the following princi-
pies: They must regard all power as a
public trust; they must place principle
above requirement; they must place
public duty above personal allegiance,
and they must place intelligence and
| brotherhood underneath all things.
| IF the working people shall do and
observe these things Justice will make
them Victors in the great contest in
which they are engaged; if they shall
| uo anu opSerNe THESE lHliSS iluuSlTltil
| emancipation will surely come.
| 1T is given to you to speak the
| worlds hope; to lead the worlds adj
| vance; to declare the worlds deliver
ance; to create republic where COM
| petition becomes cooperation, and in
Independence of all gives true indie
pendence to each: where moral prog
ress goes hand in hand with intellect
| ual progress: and material progress
| elevates and enfranchises even the
poorest and weakest and 1owliest. 1t
| is given us to set our feet on old pref
udices, TO bury old hates, and to make
liberty, equality fraternity mean JUS