The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1907-05-30
Robert Burton Bruce Does Little
Talking to the Educator in
The Carpenter.
PLAIN WORDS AND PLAIN TRUTHS

they believe are being mcrcilesslv
todden upon by the tyranny OF
sordid capital.
Before one of this class of un-
fortunate humanity, the writer of
this article stands an ideal reprc
sentative of the lamcntable division
of simulated nStructols-James r.
Day, chancellor of the university
at Syracuse, \. Y, and as the
gentleman speaks in the first per
son, so now will I. Plain words
are my preference, plain truths
my support, facts my reliance and
honor, honesty and candor my APP
peals for appreciativc attention.
Imprimis. / am tempted to move
the high court of public opinion to
appoint a lunacy board to inquire
into the sanity of the gentleman
who by his conceived or influ-
enccd utterances has brought him
self before the bar of the court,
basing my application not SO much
upon his attacks upon the laboring
man and labor unions and their
members as upon his assertions that
!
of the dcpraved conditions and the
scenes of debauchery in many of
the universities" that "while
heads Of colleges seem Jealous in
guiding the student along lines of
study, few place morals first" and
that eff college presidents would
unite along common line of
thought and action, dissipation
among students would be wiped
out in thirty days"
On, God, if these things be true,
in Thy mercy send home our sons
and daughters, whom we know
were undefiled when they left US,
lest the blot fall upon their un-
sulIied souls, and the "unwritten
law' prevail.
Ringing in my ears are other
utterances of this man, who may be
free born, and, there are not being
the slightest doubt that he is OF
lawful age, may have some claims
to being an educator, though it
seems clear at least to me that his
tongue and his pen rattle off things
that do not commend him and his
efforts as of good report, hence my
soul is stirred to regret that he is
. real and Of my sex.
81 think,' he says, "the poor
. are getting wages for all they do.
. and that a great percentage are
, getting payment for more than
they do,n which | construe tc
t mean that the employers are hon.
: est enough not to cheat their EN-.
: ployeS out of what they earn, but
+ that the latter are stealing from
the former what the law will not
? allow the workman; and l seen tO
hear the "poor'' I am one Of
: them) answer: "You, chancellor
5 are getting well paid for what you
5 say, but better paid for evadine
| truth -
, sIt is no longer you say, q;
| question with him (the laboring
t man) of how much L can do fol
e the man who gives me employment
: ra her how much L can do for the
: most money!
: Well now, Mr.. Chancellor, yor
= surprise me | had thought yor
+ could see no honesty in the work
n ing man; still l am ungenerou'
q enough to ask, Are you, sitting ii
a Won elegant Office at the university
$ at Syracuse, endeavoring to SCI
< how much you can do for the lcas
+. money Let me indulge in Slang
r and shout "You bet you're not !.
O Anyhow, l am anxious to have
y you answer me, since you prcsen
!, Il problem new to the lnduStrla
e world but old to your capltallstl'
/. friends. who have been and arr
l. working their brains to their ut
l. most capacity to discover how the,
:. can compel their employees, skilled
d and common, to do the most Wori
4 for the least money, and an
e ready at your call to back up M,
.e assertion upon facts statistical an'
Ir otherwise. Frankly, [ am bolt
n enough to challenge you to answe