West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-04-28

N~sooV, Out Wnen ne aSAeu Tor DidS ne
found no contractor who would touch
II for less than $3,5O0. The extra thou
sand is for higher priced materials and
bigger wages There's a lot OF people
I'm Lincolnville that want to build, but
are In the same fix"
Brown is on salary of $1,000
year" muscd Colonel Monroe 'IIe Is
fair type of the so called great mid
die class which Is so proud OF itself
and which Is fond OF assuring the
world that it settles oil problems and
rules the destinles OF the republic.
The great middle class is all right and
has my respect. but at the present mo-
ment IL Is getting the worst of It. Most
OF its members are on salary. with In
comes ranging from $500 to $1,000
Their share in our prevailing prosper
ity consists In drawing the same stl-
pend as IN former years and I'm paying
from 10 to 80 per cent more for every
commodity purchased and for every
service rendered by the great lower
class They are thus being ground be-
tween the proverbial upper and lower
miilstones and do not seem to relish
IT,"
There seems 10 be a decided differ
ence OF opinion about who is the more
responsible for this general rise In the
price OF everything we use" said
Judge Sawyer. "rhe manufacturers
claim that they have been forced to
advance their prices on account OF the
higher wage scale, and the workmen
assert that they have been compelled
20 insist on more pay on account OF
the increased cost of living. / am Gu
rlous 10 know how Il Will end"
THE unions will have 10 give In and
work for less money. That's how 1t
will end" declared Postmaster Jenkins.
'They have kept ON striking and de-
:nanding more money until they threat
en- to ruin our prosperity. 1 notice that
the government has not raised my pay,
aud / have TO work twice as hard as
l did three years ago. / don't go on
strike
Perhaps that is the reason why you
are worse of than you were.' suggest
cd Colonel Monroe. Capital organ
ized and went on a strike, and n sue
ccssful strike It was Then manual
and skilled labor followed suit Both
OF these factions claim all the credit
for the prevailing prosperity. and. rea-
sOning from cause to effect, II Is Diff
cult for some 20 refute their argu-
ments
You are the representative OF
class, Friend Jenkins" continued Colo
mel Monroe. who by reason Of the fact
that they draw fixed salaries have as
sumed that II was not necessary TO dis
turb their minds about the questions
which concerned the employer and the
wage earning employee. Secure In the
knowledge that thousand dollars a
year was coming 60 him. the salaried
man has watched the long drawn fight
between capital and labor without ad-
mitting that he belonged to either fac
tion. Realizing that his thousand must
come from the capitalist, his sympa-
thies when bestowed - have usually
been with his employer. but, as rule,
he has not taken sides or wasted any
time in thinking about the problem. If
the corporation defeated the strikers
the salaried clerk or petty official drew
his salary IN regular instnllments. II
the strikers won, the programme was
not changed Tie therefore closed his
eyes and ears TO the sights and sounds
Of the conflict which ragged about him.
He was hattered by the repeated dec
larations that be was OF the sturdy and
practical middle class, which stood be
tween the contendlng factions and by
the force OF public opinion compelled
obedience 20 his wishes Once I'm awhile
he arose and found himself ~ the up
per, or employing. class. Then his
views changed. His attitude OF calm
disinterestedness disappeared. Then
again he found himself crowded into
the lower. or wage earning, class. and
be saw a great light He learned that
wages were determined by the law OF
demand. that the more he demanded
the more he would receive. and that
conteutmeni with existing rates was
the sure precursor OF reduction in
wages. lie wondered az the calm which
prevailed in the division OF salaried
workers and marveled that he had not
been able TO better understand the
bims Of the wage toiIers.
"When the present era arrived Il
found the lceions Of organized labor
Triumphant over the scattered and m
organized workers and able not only
70 say who should work. but also for
how much be should work. For tho
first time Ia modern history the ma
iority of workers were enrolled IN n
highly disciplined army. The serenity
OF the salaficd division was stin un-
disturbed Organized capital over,
whelmed the individual owners Of
wealth and was 80 firmly intrenched
that st was able to dictate prices. Il
had tho alternative of fighting organ.
.rt. So. ,t,i..,. o..