The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-10

the ability of those w-io do purchase
10 buy other commodities is diminished
Thus ii is readily seen that il is the con-
sumer. in other worus the unorganized
laborer and the farmer who is robbed by
his fellow toilers In the unions. Even
the members Of the unions themselves
must ultimately sIlf*or l--- '.---o-
harm they work 10 industri dey elop-
II Mt Inc. ease III the c %. oduciion
must e. ssarily mean a decrease in out
put and the emp.o, rnent OF less abr.
To the general shrinkage of output occa-
stoned yorganized labor in the last year
is largely to be attributed the present
ebb in the industrial tide.
The necessities of our foreign commerce
also illustrate the suicidal policy OF or
ganiZed labor. If the cost of production
is abnormaliy increased the manufac-
turers find themselves unable 10 com
pete in foreign markets. The farming
communities have an interest in the de-
velopment of foreign commerce for If
more of our manufactured product can he
sent abroad more men can be employed in
the factories thus charging the home
market for farm products.
1t is to the interest of the farmers also
tina; tile domestic prices for manufsc-
tured articles be fair and reasonable
Farmers do not profit by a suspension OF
the law of supply and demand in their
own behalf and therefore it is not right
that they should be compelled 10 pay
tribute to others who reap a profit from
defying this law Of supply and demand
The farmer should understand that when
he buys a union made article he is in
the majority of cases paying tribute to
organized labor. Therefore farming com
munties should be among the last 10 sup
port in any manner the legislation which
organized labor seeks to obtain.
I wish to call particular attention here
to the Kansas eight-hour law. which
has lust been declared constitutional by
the supreme court of the United States
The provisions OF this law apply only
to public work, and the supreme court
has declared that the state has the richt
as an employer 10 make such terms as IL
pleases with those with whom il con-
tracts for services This appears 10 be
sound logic and common sense But what
have the farmers Of the state of Kansas
TO say as to the wisdom and the justice
of such legislation by its Lawmakers? Are
the men who work for the government
any better than other men that they
should be allowed TO earn their livelihood
by working less than they would If per
forming the same kind or work Tor pri-
vate Individuals Or IS ,nere something
about working FOR the government that
carries with il the right to plumber the
public treasury? 1t Is mere balderdash 10
say that men can do I'm eight hours as
much as they can do In ten. IL this were
true, then men ought 10 be able to do in
three hours what they can do in ten Per-
haps some men would like 20 have US be-
lieve that they can 90 a full days work
By giving no time TO IT at all The farmers
do rot conduct their daily toll upon an
eight-hOu basis and why should she taxes
they pay be used for the purpose OF pay
ing men the same amount for eight hours
work that is ordinarily paid for ten hours
work. Legislation like this Kansas eight
hour law is purely socialistc and has
been undoubtedly placed on the statute
books at the behest Of the socialists and
the membership q organized labor in
this state Il amounts 10 q robbery %
all the people for The benefit ~ a small
class
There IS pending in congress ~ ihia
time an eeht-hour bin which aims 10 use
the national government as the means fpr
favorinR q certain class in the sam" We
that this Kansas statute aims 20 use
the state government 81 this state This
proposed law provides that no matter
what the government purchases or con
tracts for 81 must have been made or
30 made b. men who work ONLY eight