Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-12

a. businesses and trades are specialized. In
the big undertakings Of today the capacity
required IL greater than ever before"
what do the laboring men think OF their
chances Of eventually becoming their own
managersT
II don't think their ambition runs that
way, at least not as mass. Individuals
do rise and will always rise as long as Gcd
gives men different capacities and taionts.
We shall have Carnegies and Schwabs as
long az brains married to Drawn bring forth
great fortunes. The peculiar brains WIN
come to the top however hard you stir the
business ana labor kettle to keep them
down.
A Story Of Abram 8. Hewitt.
"But as to the masses Of laboring men
owning and controlling factories them
selves. they are afraid Of it," Mr.. Pow
derby continued.
workman Of the knights OF Labor. Abram
8. Hewitt, Peter Cooper's son-in-law. who
owned some Of the greatest iron works OF
the country, offered to let his men IN the
iron works at Trenton take that plant and
run it. Mr.. Hewitt was noted for his
friendship to the laboring man. He never
had any serious trouble. notwithstanding
he employed thousands, and In hard times
he carried on his furnaces at loss rather
than close them and put his men out. Well.
he offered to let the men take the Trenton
works as they stood and run them on the
condition that they were to pay the ex-
penses, manage them and have all the prof.
its. At first thought tho men were very
enthusiastic and they brought their propo-
-sition to me. / advised them to think the
matter over before they accepted.
Who among you understands the busi-
ness Of management said I. They had not
thought Of that.
what do you know Of the markets,
how to advertise. when to buy cheapest
-. 4 \
not know. Well, to make a long story
short, they thanked Mr.. Hewitt, but re-
fused to take the MILL
But in working for wages Mr.. Powder
ly, does labor gets its share of the profits?"
"Who can tell?' was the reply. Some
times it does, sometimes not. I think the
working man should be well paid and that
his life should be made easier in every pos
sible way. 1t Is to the interest Of all that
he have good wages, for good wages means
more money in circulation, greater con-
sumption Of all kinds of goods and good
times. Again. II the wages be too high
the business cannot pay, and the reverse
OF all this is the CASE
Wages Steadily Rising.
but wages are steadily rising the world
over are they not?'
Eyes. especially in the United States.
Take this carpet" said Mr.. Powderly as he
kicked a Turkish rug at his feet. There
was nothing like carpet in the poor mans
house when / was boy. My father was
rather well off for laboring man. He
came to this country from Ireland in 1926
and settled in northern Pennsylvania, OPEN
ing up the first coal mine in that part Of
the state. He had twelve children, and we
had none too much Still, we were as we'll
off as laboring people generally. We lived
In cabin with no plaster or paper on the
walls and no carpets on the floors. 1 slept
In the loft, and the STOW came through the
lcof In drifts upon my bed. often covering
the floor. l remember now how cold it was
when 1 stepped out on that snow. Contrast
that with the working mans home Of to-
day He has his carpets, his comfortable
furniture, and often his piano. He lives
better, has books, newspapers and maya
zines, and can educate his children"
Never Saw the Stars.
How about your education, Mr.. Pow
derly?"
Il went to school until I was thirteen"
replied Mr.. Powderly, and then stopped on
account Of trouble with my eyes. 1 needed
glasses for I was born near-sighted, but
I did not know what was the matter for
years afterward. could see nothing we'll
at a distance. Indeed. until 1 was
eighteen years of age I never saw
the stars 1 had heard of them, of
course. but 1 looked upon them rather
as poetical fiction than as visual reality
One day I took up pair of glasses that
happened to fit me, and, like Columbus.
discovered a new world. I could see things
had never imagined any one saw-the
leaves on the trees in the distance faces
across the street. Indeed. 1 never really
saw, as you see. until 1 was eighteen
Il don't understand how you could work
with your defective eyesght"
II can see well enough at close range"
was the reply. Il can take a red cent,
and by mailing it with brads to bench,
can file off the nose of the Indian without
cutting the edges. The Indians nose is,
you know a little higher than the face of
the cent 1t takes good eyesight and good
nerves to so file it off. and this we often
few who can do it without cutting the
edges of the coin. l also used to pick out
with my knife the splinters of steel that
flew into the eyes of my fellows. That is
also delicate job
The Story Of Labor Leader.
when did you become interested in or
ganized labor?"
Il joined the Machinist and Blacksmiths'
Union in 1870 thirty-four years ago, and
was soon elected president. Then I joined
the knights Of Labor, and in 1879 was
that Office until 1893"
WAS there much money in it?' I asked.
Sam Parks would have done well if he
had had that place"
There was nothing in it but the salary"
replied Mr.. Powderly, and when left the
Office I was 81 900 in debt. I was paid prac-
tically nothing for the first four years. then
$500 year, then 81 800, and finally 5000,
but the 5000 was not always paid. The
position was not financially profitable. AS
to Sam Parks, it is not fair to use him as
type of the labor leader of that time or
now. He is villain. The representatives
of our unions of today and of the past are
and have been men of the highest sense of
honor Indeed, they are philanthropc and
are conscientiously doing what they can for
their fellows"
1.-The knights of Labor was the mother of
the Federation of Labor, was it not? Are
not the two bodies very similar?''
NO. the knights of Labor had not only
representatives of the trades unions. but