Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-09-06
LABOR DAY.

uordov was tabor day IL was
r,o.ra,ly observed with parades. social
gatherings and such other enjoyln'nS
as generally go with a holiday LABOR
daco was instituted as a result oil 'o'
EXPRESSED desires Of laborers ana d. is
a testimony 10 the high regard In when
lohor and laborcrs are held IN mis-
country The day also furnishes O
grand object lesson regarding the intel
llsence and power labor has attained
under FREQ institutions. 40 country M
tho old world can show such parades
If labofers MS can this country That
IL one OF the lessons OF labor day
II Is sad 10 contemplate however
that at this time. labor Is menaced 10
the highest privilege attaina0le-i'S
freedom. In Chicago. FOR Instance the
most deporable conditions prevail IN
consequence of the conflict between Ia
Dor ana capital According 10 all ac-
counts women and children are story
ing there. because their husbands are
being forced to remain idle, against
their own better judgment When lo-
bor is thus enchanted, labor day has
lost much Of its real meaning. Festive
parades and joyful strains Of music
seem almost out OF place, until The
war is over and victory won for Justice,
According to Chicago dispatches only
the other day woman invaded the
headquarters Of the union at Forty
seventh street Chicago and told her
story OF despair you must let my
man work. she said You must ]
have three children aud they are stary-
ing. They are dying Do you hear
My three little children are DYING Of
hunger" she shueked and you Will
not LEI him go 10 work lie would go
to work II the union would let him, /
came to have you hS It so he can go
back to work The only reply was:
Hell have to take his chances with
the rest" The fact was that the food
distributed was not sufficient to keep
body and soul together The com
misarlar had been closed for several
days. and WAS to remain closed for sew
orRl more days. Rent was also due
aud landlords were pressing Tor pay
mcnt under the threat OF eviction. The
consequence is suffering and despair
among the families Of many laborers
who would gladly 90 TO work. were
they permitted TO do so.
The insanity OF the conflict between
capital and labor appears IN the con
dtions prevailing We are living in a
land Of plenty where food and clothing
and all the necessarlcs Of life are album
dant. and where the opportunity to
work at high wages, comparatively
speaking, Is almost unlimited And yet
women and children, dependent ON Ia
borers, are brought TO the verge Of
starvation, simply because dispute
perhaps about a trInng matter has
arisen between the employer and his
men Is that not am insane way Of
meeting a difficulty? why do not the
laborers OF the country as one man de-
mnnd legislation In favor Of compu-
sorry arbitration and no strike? Why
not? Is It because some shrewd aglta-
tors are making profit out Of the
sweat and blood. the agony and de-
spalr OF the women and children Of la
borers, by keeping mp strife TO the ut-
most point Of public endurance? n that
IS not the secret OF the failure 10 meet
the labor situation by civilized methods.
what is lt? Let the intelligent laborer
consider the matter and strike for the
liberty OF labor under the sufficient pro-
lection Of just and equitable laws