Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-09-09
Mr.. Dunnack's Address,

struggle IN which humanity has in
every epoch stood triumphant.
A great evolutionary force has been
at work slowly fitting the race for an
ideal social state; a state which has al
ways had it's prophets. The first
prophet was a philosopher, Plato saw
an ideal republic. its laws were to come
direct from heaven, all rulers were to
be philosophers. The second prophet
was theologian, Augustine saw rising
on the crumbling ruins of the Roman
Empire city Of God, all were to be
citizens of it. all rulers We're to be
priests. The third prophet was poet,
Dante saw church and state united in a
holy Roman Empire, all should be
members of that church and subjects
of that state.
These imperfect conceptions have
passed, but the ideal lives on Before
Dante's time slavery with its untold
horrors held sway, then feudalism was
enthroned, not slaves, but surfs, not
ownership of souls but of land con-
stituted the Barons wealth. You may
learn the wretched condition of the
people of those times by reading the
literature of the period. Chaucer jests
at the corruption of the court and the
arrogance Of the upper class; but he
also shows the strife, the aspirations,
and the defeats of the common people.
Langland in Piers Ploughman shows
the grim battle waged by the humble
for life, this great poem was the leaven
that produced the peasants revolt for
the aspirations of the poet had become
the aspirations of his people,
Feudalism came to an end with the
passing Of Napoleon. All over Europe
there followed a rising among the peo-
| pie against their rulers. In Germany
they demand increased privileges in
Hungary, Kossuth strikes for liberty, in
Italy MaZZini declares the people have
no master but God, in England the
Chartists are demanding more
democratic constitution. These move
ments failed of their purposes, but not
before the people discovered their
power. EVOLUTION IN POLITICS
HAD CROWNED THE PEOPLE
KINGS, SOCIAL EVOLUTION HAD
LEFT THEM WITHOUT A KING
DOM.
A new period of industrial develop
ment opened with the birth of inven-
ton, machinery and the factory system
We're the result, labor had been the all
important factor in production, now it
was capital. The laborer became de-
pendent. skilled workers were replaced
by the unskilled, women and children
were added to the list of workers.
All this created unrest, poverty and
revolution. 1t was these changes and
condition that gave birth to Mrs.
| NH ,r,e, no ,f e
and Hoods 1.-THE Song of the Shirt"
| The direct result of these conditions
was organizations founded for mutual
protection. Look at the situation,
organized capital which is far from
unselfsh, on the one hand, and
organized labor on the other they face
each other in a cruel contest a contest
more bitter than the world has known
before. With these conditions about
us we ask who is responsible? is
capital, or labor? The rational answer
to this question must be- industrial con-
ditions rather than persons. We must
look for relief to changed conditions
which will bring about equality.
The last dozen years has witnessed
changes in the methods of manufactur-
ing, commerce and finance which have
made possible vast accumulations of
wealth. Our wealth is estimated as
ninety billions of dollars, one quarter of
which has been saved the last ten
years. These facts tell you a story Of
enterprise, energy, greed and cruelty
unparalleled in history. While this
prosperity has come there has grown
up intolerable wrongs and there has
come to thousands terrible suffering,
so that today the we'll being of society.
| is in danger. 1t is an observation of
economists that social and industrial
liberty must be the fruit of all whole
some organizations. This is the de-
mand and the absolute need in re-
public like ours. Two forms of recent
organizations are filling our people
with doubt and unrest; the trust and
the labor unions. The trusts put UP
the prices of commodities and the
unions the price of labor Charges and
counter charges are being made by the
friends of these combinations seeking
to show the source of all industrial
trouble is with the other side. Perhaps
it is we'll to consider this question
briefly. First shall we study the
causes Of the
Present Unrest.
Marshal Field the eminent Chicago
merchant, thinks that the chief peril
lies in the attitude of organized labor.
II is a question whether Mr.. Field does
not blame labor TOO much. If any
thing is certain. it is that labor, con-
sidering the high price Of living caused
By the effort to earn great profits on
capital, never really invested in pro-
duction, has thus far received less than
its share of the boosted prosperity.
Look at the facts as found in the Au-
gust Review of Reviews. Dun's
Index number shows that the general
level OF prices rose 40 per cent. from
July, 1851, to November, 1901, and has
been nearly stationary for year and Il
half. But there are very few unions
that have secured an advance as high |
as 30 per cent. UnskilIed organized |
workmen have made advances of 40
per cent. to 100 per cent, but |
skilled trades generally have adj |
vanced 10 per cent. to 30 per cent. |
Railway net earnings per mile of |
line increased so per cent. from 1897 TO
1902, but it required another year for