The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-01-30
FREE SOUP HOUSES
WITH HARD TIMES
DAILY REPORTS BRINGS REPORTS
OF CLOSED FACTORIES AND
WORK SHOPS.
Daily Papers are Beginning to Read
Like the History Of Ancient Rome.
The Hungry Mob clamors for Bread
and the Politicians Vie With Each
Other in Their Ostentatious Char.
tiles.


and the Politicians Vie With Each
Other in Their ostentatious Char.
tiles.
CAT the Vine Street Congregational
Church, Cincinnati, last Sunday, the
eloquent and thuoghtful pastor, Her.
bert s. Bigelow, discussed the return
of hard times. taking for his text scenes
in the local police court. We here give
a few extracts:)
Hard times and free soup houses are
with us again. Every day for months
has brought us reports of factories
closed and wages reduced. Despite the
demagogue's assurance Of continued
prosperity, the depression which has
been predicted is here. The ugly facts
cannot be concealed even by papers
which have been preaching for so long
that hard times is a Democratic ma
lady.
Like Rome's History.
Our daily papers are beginning to
read like the history of ancient Rome.
The hungry mob clamors for bread and
the political bosses vie with each other
In their ostentatious charities. Here,
for instance, is news item:
councilman Michael Mullen, of the
Eighth Ward, Wednesday morning
established a free soup house at 436
Front street. It was instantly crowded
by poverty-stricken people with bas-
kets, broken-spout coffee pots, bottles
and tin cans to carry away solid pro-
visions. soup and coffee"
The condition of the unemployed has
become so desperate and thieving 10
epidemic that our machinery of justice,
which is usually so relentless in the
prosecution Of little criminals, has brol-
en- down. In our police court we have
had the remarkable spectacle of the
callous sleuth Of the law pleading for
the accused and the Judge, grown
merciful, dismissing acknowledged
thieves, whose hunger drove them to
crime.
Here is scene in this court. A man is
on the stand who was caught with
stolen bread. The officer who arrested
him ts called as the prosecuting wit
ness. He addresses the Judge. But, be-
hold, this Javert abandons his role Of
sleuth. He speaks as man and a.
brother. Listen:
people down there who are starving.
This man Jones lis q workingnan and
not a. thief. He was going to share
lt,lIlxg.:
entL worse crimes, suGiI burg ylar we
must, arrest these men. They are out
from three o'clock in the morning for
what they can find to eat. A loin of
pork was stolen Monday morning and
the grocer told us not to look for it.
Lord knows, they need it, he told us.
In the buildings at 3ls, 500 and 1922 there
are many who have not cent and who
have nothing to eat
What is the Judges reply to this
policeman's plea for mercy? The Judge
Is not a preacher. Perhaps he is not a
church member. He is a politician. He
Is member of the gang" Possibly,
he is worse than many he sends to
prison. But he is not without heart,
and this is his verdict:
THE stealing Of bread under such
circumstances is no offence!'!'
Another prisoner is arraigned. This
Is Charles Stevens, white man. The
night before he had gone to the Jail,
said he was out of work and hungry
and begged to be locked up. What
crime has he committed? None. He
Is here to ask the Judge for the priv
ilege of being treated like a criminal.
The Judge says:
''You may go to Jail, and when the
sun begins to shine warm enough, &c
to the tailer and tell him you wish to
be released. I will docket you as ccm-
mitted efor $50 and costs at your own
request
Later the Judge addressed a body OF
city officials before whom he defended
these strange DECISIONS why" said
he, nearly every morning at one and
two o'clock, policemen on thei. beats
find the men picking potato peelings
out of ash barrels. Why, gentlemen
| even I would not hesitate to fr acture
one of the ten comma andments If placed
in this position
A Preachers Confession.
And now listen 10 the words Of q
| preacher who visited the politicians
soup-house: "It is a sad picture.
have been studying this problem II
human misery all my life, and am nc
nearere solution than when began
I presume as soon as they eat thei,
bread and mola:ssss they will be thor.
| oughly contented and would not work
again until they are hungry"
That is the preacher Of it In q com.
Portable study ne has been seeking fol
| a solution all his life.. And the ripe
| fruit of all this research is the hack.
| neyed presumption that poverty MUS,
| be do to laziness.
Blind leaders Of the blind! They Of.
fer no solution which, is not an insult
! either to God CT ran. Sometimes thay
say there is not enough to go around
that poverty is inc"itable. and in thai
plea they plasphelne the Great y: But
if they save the reputation Of the Deit,
it is but to malign his creatures.
| I shall not charge the preachers with
dishonesty: A more charitable view !.
trat they have so long thought of them.
selves as the repositories of all wisd ,u
that they cannot become as little chill.
dren and enter that kingdom Of trrlli!t
| xuhoaa uafaSS -xaIcomo fhraa x,,ho -.