The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-09-06

the wage-earners were burned. There
were left but few dwellings to house
mighty population and rents more
than doubled. There was no criticism
of the raise in rents.
The difficulty of transporting pro
visions throughout the ruined city was
great; provisions increased in price
and the cost of living nearly doubled
There was no criticism of that, The
laborer was compelled to charge more
for his labor to meet these conditions,
and there should have been no criti-
cism of that.
Moreover, the ruined city had to
be rebuilt, and there was ten times
the building that there ever had been
before. Following the universal law
OF supply and demand, the price OF
lumber went up and there was mo crit
icism of that.
Furthermore, the price Of brick
went up, and the price of concrete
went up and the price of iron and steel
went up and there were no criticisms
of that, although the steel magnate did
not live in San Francisco, and was not
subject to the trying conditions there.
But the union laborer did live in
San Francisco, and was subject to the
trying conditions there, and the price
of his labor was also subject to the
law of supply and demand. But when
the price of his labor went up there
was criticism and a mighty cutlery
against the unreasonable demands of
the unions.
my friends, the payment of high
wages to labor in San Francisco was
the one thing that saved the city
Those high wages were spent
literally at the stores and the
stores were profitable. The profits of
the stores were deposited in the banks
and the banks were prosperous
Despite the calamity, business doomed
and the city had as great an era OF
prosperity as it has ever had in its
history. The wages attracted thou
sands to the city which otherwise, be-
cause of its ruined condition, would
have been unattractive.
IF those high wages had not been
paid thousands would have been COM
PEELED to leave, the stores would have
been without patronage, the banks
without deposits, the city without pros
perity.This 'unexampled prosperity at
this unexpected period was caused by
proper distribution of wealth and a
proper circulation of money through
good wages.
Therefore, say, there should be
no prejudice entertained by the cap
italist toward the laborer, and there
should be no prejudice by the laborer
toward the capitalist. There should
be an appreciation of the essential
part which each plays in the creation
of wealth. The workingman is worthy
of his hire, the business man of his
profit. The man who digs the pre-
cious metal from the earth Is worth
his wage The man who tells him
where to find the gold deserves his
profit too. The great financial pro-
moters, organizers, executives OF
America, are worthy of recognition
and reward.
They work as hard as any of us, and
their work is absolutely necessary to
the full production of the riches out OF
which are paid here in America the
highest wages in the world. Through
many an anxious day and many a
wakeful night these men have planned
and prosecuted the great enterprises
which have developed the wealth OF
the nation and have given employ
ment to millions of men. Let them
have a liberal share of that wealth as
long as that Is the incentive which
them to useful activities.
Let them have wealth as long as it is
acquired through enterprises
that benefit the whole community The
riches they amass and call their own
are seldom spent in extravaganza and
luxury upon themselves, but are back
into new industries to produce more
wealth and give employment to more
men.
THE true captain Of industry is the
general OF our industrial army. He
frontinued IN Eleventh Page.1