The Saint Paul globe., 1905-04-17
RACE SUICIDE IS
EXCUSED BY MORGAN
Minister Blames Economic Con-
dltions for Bachelor Maids
and Bachelors

"Old maids and bachelors are crea-
lures of circumstances. In all my wide
range of experience l have never met
a single man and but one woman who
said that he or she was opposed to
marriage. Old maids and bachelors
are the result of economic conditions,
which are also the roots of the present
race suicide evil so strongly spoken
OF by President Roosevelt"
Unlike the president. Rev. David
Morgan of the Bethel did not place the
blame for restricting population on
the people of the country, but went TO
the bottom OF the matter when he ad-
dressed an audience at the socialist
headquarters in Metropolitan hall,
Eighth and WabaSha streets. yester-
day afternoon on the subject, Present
economic Conditions and the Cure for
the Evil"
The uncertainty of being able to
support wife and later a family de-
ters thousands of men from marrying
women. too. are adverse to marrying
when they are in doubt as TO the abil-
lty or their prospective husband to
support both wives and themselves and
later children.
Many Unable to Marry
The immigrant problem is a great
one. The 1,000,O 900 Immigrants who ar
rive yearly in the United States enter
--ANO Will WOTh-
men and lower the wage scale, making
conditions harder every year. The av-
erage unskilled workman who earns
only $500 per year cannot be said to be
wrong in abstaining from marriage.
1t is estimated by government ex-
perts that 100000 persons live in an
underfed, underclothed and lily housed
condition during each fairly prosperous
year; 100000 persons live in a condi-
ton of abject pauperism; 100000 are
unemployed from four to six months
out of the year; 100000 children are
forced by circumstances to assist as
wage earners, and 100000 women
must help their husbands in the strug-
gle for existence. One half of the fam
ilies in the United States during such
years are without property; 100000
die OF the preventable disease, tuber-
culosis, and 100000 workers are killed
while at labor. Appalling as these fig
ures are, conditions during bad times
are infinitely worse.
The price of cattle was never so
low, and the price Of beef never so
nigh as at the present time, as the re-
suit OF the operations of the beef trust.
President Roosevelt is making stren-
uous efforts to regulate the trusts, but
ne VIII never succeed through the
means he mas takn. All that can be
done is TO stop combination and re-
move all restraint 10 competition, but
as the supreme court recently ruled.
nothing can be done to force competi-
ton. II the captains of industry find
1t to their advantage to remain friends,
and chose to do so, nothing can force
them TO fly at each others throats In
a great trade battle.
Touches Up Standard Oil
LAS an example of some of the evils
OF the great powers that control the
markets, government experts have esti-
mated that oil which costs the consum-
er from IL to 10 cents per gallon at
present, at which price it brings the
standard Oil company enormous divi-
dends. could be brought direct to the
consumers doors for cents per gall
lon and pay the trust per cent divi-
dend. The best anthracite coal could
be delivered to the consumer for SO
per ton and pay large dividends.
There is only one way to remedy
the evil and that is to place the source
of all wealth and the means of produc-
ton into the hands of the people
The Glasgow (Scotland) municipal
street railway system is an example of
the manner in which the cure can be
worked out. Fares for a half mile ride
are only L penny, and for the entire
length of line pennies. Transfers
cost l penny. The motOrmen and con-
ductors receive big wages and are pre-
sented with free uniforms each year, a
ten days vacation with pay, and acci-
dent and benefit insurance. The sys-
tenn when purchased from the company
that owned the franchise was operated
with horse cars. When the city secured
the system electricity replaced the
horses. With all these improvements
the system is earning nearly $4,000 per