Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1907-01-03
LABOR WARNS ITSELF.

The good wage for the good
working man is one of the founda-
tion stones Of the higher civiliza-
ton. Step by step the toiler has
been advancing from slavery to
independence, until today he has q
life of comfort with ample leisure
for eelf-improvement and relaxa-
ton, and with assurance that moth.
ing but his thriftlessness can pre-
vent bis being Independently we'll
TODD by the time he has reached
the decline OF life. OF course, we
are speaking OF the average work.
ing man, and not Of some individu-
81 case where misfortune intervenes.
Particularly in this era OF great
prosperity in this country is the
toiler to be congratulated upon the
large returns from his labor. Wages
ere higher in the United States to
day for manual and sentimental
toll than ever before and any where
in the history Of the world. Broad.
~ speaking the man who works
deserves all that he gets; and
thinking men, capitalists a. we'll AZ
toilers, are proud Of the working
man Of America and proud OF the
glorious civilization under which
he enjoys such magnificent rsturns
upon his work and possesses such .
sublime equality Of rights among
mankind.
But occasionally warning note
is sounded, and usually by the
working man himself. There is
such . thing as killing the "goose
that lays the golden egg" and this
fact occasionally escapes the con-
seriousness Of the toiler. Here is
San Francisco attempting to up
build; and the working men, not
content with receiving higher wages
in their vocations than have ever
before been paid using their endeav-
or tolprevent the incoming OF men
In their own trades, to facilitate
the restoration of the city, lest a
sufficient supply Of labor shall in
some fashion initiate against the
extraordinary wage payment Of to.
day. 1t is true that everything
which the working man buys in
San Francisco is beyond its normal
price; but it Is also true that q part
of this extra charge is due to the
scarcity Of labor and to the extra.
ordinary returns which labor de-
mands. Therefore TO resist the
incoming Of sufficient labor sup.
ply is to maintain the very evil up
on the ground Of which labor
makes its demands for the higher
wage and for the restricted labor
market. Proper consideration OF
the subject should prompt all the
directing minds in the labor forces
to see the justice and self.interest
in the proposition that the more
rapidly San Francisco can upbuild
the quicker will normal conditions
and normal prices for the laboring
mans living be restored, and they
should use all their ability to this
end as work of local loyalty and
enlightened selfishness.
News comes from Goldfield that
the miners are walking out to
emphasize their demand for mini.
mum wage of five dollars. 1t il
true that in the camp OF Goldfeld
under existing conditions, living is
extremely high. 1t is so Of all new
camps and it is especially so of
Goldtield at this moment, because
of the shortage of fuel. But it
would be a calamity affecting labor
more disadvantageously than CAPT.
tai would be affected, if there were
now to be breach between the
Goldheld miners end their EN-.
ployers. That camp has been the
mining phenomenon of the world.
Its output of gold exceeds any thing
which has ever been witnessed be-
fore in the same length of time
since the discovery of gold. 1t
would be piteous if now the record
Of Goldfeld be married by an un.
necessary conflict. The miner has
right to demand his wage, and
70 insist that it shall comprise q
sufnciency for his legitimate needs,
but minimum of Eve dollars Der
day with . maximum stretched in
70 the indefinite figures Of finance