The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-01
LET US REASON TOGETHER.


LET US REASON TOGETHER.
Tho public school system is doing moro
Than all agencies combined to raise wages;
otherwise It is n fiat failure. The children
Of the land are now being educated at the
public expense. Every child now has the
opportunity to get a common school edu-
cation. and in some OF the States educa-
tion is compulsory. The children OF this
generation are being prepared for a high
er life They are learning something more
Than to read and to write and to cipher.
They are acquiring tastes. Especial at
tention is being paid to aesthetic nature.
Children are taught rs far as possible
to love music and pictures and all things
which tend toward culture and refinement.
But when tho children are taught to love
such things, when their desires for the
comforts and Injuries of life are slim
ulated and encouraged; when they are
taught that such desires are commend
able; in short, when they are fitted for
the higher life we cannot expect them,
after they have grown up, to be willing
to live in a one-room hut. with none Of
the furnishings which they have been
taught to admire and to love. and to
live on coarse food.
But in order to have n comfortable
home. furnished in good TASTE they must
have the means Of renting such a home
end furnishing 1t and maintaining It,
Society ia responsible for the public school
system, and, therefore, for the instruction
that is given, and. therefore, for the de-
sires which are thus created, and society
must pay the cost.
We hear a great deal about the SELFISH
nesr OF the age. about the greed of gain
and all that, and we hear great deal
OF fool!shness on that subject. In point of
fact, 1t Is desire which stimulates man
to action. Without desire for education,
nobody will study; without desire for
food and raiment and the comforts and
luxuries OF life, no man Will work. The
greater his desires, the more earnestly
will he strive for the means to crafty
them This generation desires more than
any generation which has preceded It,
and under our system of public education
the CeSlEeS OIL LILO Iche bVIcihN'oh WI
be greater still. But II education, which
creates these. desires and stimulates them
falls to 1t men for work that will give
them the means of gratifying their de-
sres, 1t ia a failure.
There is no sort OF doubt that tho con
dition of the workingman to-day Is bet
ter than ever before. Tho worklngman Il
no longer regarded as n beast of burden
IN this country he is not slave, but {
freeman; ne Is clothed with tho right o
franchise; he respects himself. and he Il
respected. He is living better than eve
tefore. and society recognizes the fac
that he Is entitled to a sufficient wage t
keep him and his family In comfort
Public sentiment therefore, has much t
do with fixing the wage of the working
man, and as our civilization advance
wages will necessarily advance.
But for all that there are certain eco
nomic laws which govern wages an
which will always govern them. One 0
these laws is that under normal condition
no man in any craft can get highe
wage than other men in the same Graf
are willing to work for. 1t is competition
among workmen at last that fixes tn
price Of labor
This seems to be .aptly illustrated In tn
strike of the street car men in Richmond
They demanded higher wage. and inall
struck because the company refused
give 1t. it then remained for the CON
many to demonstrate that 1t was able I
obtain other men to operate its cars q
the old scale OF wages, and 1t claims thf
there is no difficulty In obtaining suff
cheney of such men. If that be true, an
SIC have no reason to doubt the company
statement. 1t would appear that the cue
ton of labor supply involved In this col
test has been settled.
At the outset attempts We're made by
few lawless men and boys TO prevel
the company from running It's cars vii
other than union men. but that attem
was npped in the bud by the government
Under the protection OF the, eovernmel
the Company is maintaining a fairly goo
schedule on all It's lines. and the serv
is being rapidly extended In the outyir
districts
Two points therefore. seem to ha'
been definitely settled, The company ca
And plenty OF motormen and conducto
who are willing 10 work at the old WAC
and the government will see to 1t that Il
company is not molested In Its operation
Tho struggle has now reached mo
Interesting phase. The company declar
not ka rlr down. and in tril