Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-02-18
HARVEY AND WALSH.
These Socialistio Stars Talk to the People
OF PhiIbrook.
Phllbrook, Feb. l6, 1903.

Philbrook, Feb. l6, 1903.
As previously announced, A. Il.
Harvey and j. II. Walsh Of Lewis
town, addressed the people OF Phil
brook last Saturday evening on the
subject OF socialism. Mr.. Harvey,
your local philosopher and reiormer,
was the first to break the ice I'm a
sho ort address. He dwelt upon the
discomfort OF the people ut the pres
ent time, probably lamenting theta
that he was not holding n public
office. az is hard to discover any
great OF well-grounded discomfort.
He claimed that all advancement
was due to discomfort. Owing to
science had made great
strides. But for 1t we would have
been one hundred years behind In
scientific discovery. Yet he forgot
to mention that many Of those ad-
his doctrine hold that dis
coveries In menchanical nventions
have worked an injury to the labor
Ing class by lessing the demand for
labor. Discomfort that breeds evil
is not akin to that which has ad-
vanced science.
After working over few stale
ideas OF ethiopian character Mr..
Harvey subsided.
Mr.. Walsh then took the floor.
Whether he should have been arrested
for cruelty to animals or for murder
ing the kings English was not put
to n vote. This ethiopian chaser
urged the farmers to form unions and
gave a general sociallstic talk. He
favored government ownership OF
banks and railroads and said 1t was
slime for an evolution" Whether
he meant revolution and was afraid
to say so, or not, we do not know.
Evolution" Ii slow process, a
growth, u development from lower
to u higher state. Possibly thespeak-
er did not know what he was talking
about. But as he said 1t was "time
for It," he probably meant revolu-
tion, because IL can come suddenly
and the doctrine is preached by the
more radical among socialists. But
he hoped evolution" would "come
quietly without trouble or war"
Think of evolution" bringing on a
war. Hethought our national bank
ing system was an outrage on the
people.
Mr.. Walsh claimed that the statis-
tics of this state showed that every
laborer earned SIS per day for his
EN- ployer and received $3.50. This IL
q false and misleading at tatement and
to reach such a conclusion the earn
ings Of the great mines are included,
In which but few Of our population
are Interested. This In the kind OF
sophistry and falsehoo1 that could
be expected from an ignOramus.
Even II true possibly Mr.. Walsh
thinks the employer should divide
evenly. We understand Mr.. Walsh
does not pay sheepherder's wages
to those in his employ. II so, he
should be the last to find fault with
the wage scale IN Montana. In other
words he should move out Of his
glass house before he casts a rock at
Others. The speaker then exhibited
his ignorance about combines and
other questions before the people.
He said that neither of the old par
ties had done anything for the
masses In forty years. falsehood to
tell the intelligent people OF this COM
munity In the light OF the prosperity
enjoyed by everyone In the past six
years and by the country except at
brief intervals In the last forty.
The following figures sho wing how
the scale OF wage earners has ad-
yanced in this country refute the
gentleman's statement:
The best skilled mechanics now re-
ceive from 81 TO % day. In 1860
they got, occasionally, SO a day. In
1880 they commanded 8 day. In
$500 they received less than 5Ocents a
day, and just before the revolution
they could be employed for 20 or 30
cents n day. Not only have wages
thus doubled and quadrupled. but
the price of almost every commodity
which the workingman needs is less
than ever before. Meat and butter
about hold their own. Rents In
cities have not come down, but this
IL because the tenements are far bet
ter than they used to be.
Mr.. Walsh did not explain how he
was going to correct all Of the evils
he complained OF. He said good,
honest men who would not hold
their init out for bribe would be
put In office" Here his natural mod
esty caused him to blush, while
Harvey awoke from his reverle OF
future greatness.
The speakers were given respectful
attention but they did not make any
converts to theiy dangerous doctrine.
They will have to invade a commun-
ity OF greater illlteracy than this.