The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-10-27

why the depression we ask? Have
not we had seven years of Roosevelt,
who, according to Republican orators
and assistant Republican, as well as
Republican newspapers, is the great
est, wisest and best President the
country ever had? Haven't we had
twelve years Of 'standpatism' with
Hanna, Aldrich and Cannon sitting
on the brakes to prevent the enact
ment OF legislation not desired by
the gentlemen who are so conspicu-
Gus in their support of Taft and Sher-
man---iAIorgan, Rockefeller, Carnegie,
Hartman, Schiff? Do these men ever
make a mistake when they select
candidates? Which is most Likely to
be misled these men who say that
Taft is call right" that he is a con
servative, or the Western farmer who
/ is told that Taft is radical?
Where is the Astounding prosper
ity? Wealth has certainly increased
enormously, or, at least, prices have
been boosted to a point that ought
: to have satisfied the most avaricious
The fortunes of the few have became
| gigantic-bounded out of sight.
Morgan, we are told, has three hun
dred or so millions, Carnegie as
much; while Rockefeller is credited
! with a billion; a few thousand 9TH
| ers having from one to a hundred
millions each. These seem to have
had their full time and keep going
cards in operation, while they are
generally credited with having in
October November last gathered in
nearly everything in large way in
the shape Of banks, trust companies,
industrial and railroad combinations,
which had so far escaped them. In
fact, tho bulk Of the people have been
set a lively pace to pay the increasing
prices for the necessaries of life these
and a few others control.
"But what has happened to the
masses, whom you and other boosters
of Mckinley and Roosevelt assured
were to share in the prosperity? With
|
hundred and ten billions of the per
capita tables work out all right
| there should be enough to go around
for that's equal to about $1,000 per
family. But who has it? How many
of the millions of toilcrs have a
tenth of that sum free and clear?
How comes it that the bulk Of the
people are shy their proportion Of this
enormous wealth? Have they been
lazy, thriftless, or improvident, dur
ing these twelve years? If lazy, then
who created the wealth? Has the ay-
erage tanner, mechanic, salesman
clerk, teacher, or laborer, squandered
their portion in Tiotous living? Did
they spend it for automobiles steam
yachts, or even for diamonds? II not
what has become of It? Why haven't
they got It, how did they lose IL?
What has been the unseen subtle, but
apparently all-powerful force that
has taken it from them? Why have
matters become so appalling in Amer
lea that the so-called effete coun-
tries of Europe have felt impelled to
take official cognizance Of the de
plorable conditions in which so many
of our toilers are compelled to live.
The italian Government (as a result
of the shocking reports that reached
IT'D having sent a commission to in
vestigate. Most revolving conditions
we're shown to exist. Whole families
were found crowded into one and
two-room apartments, while not only
the women, but little children not
much more than babies, were found
working in filthy, unhygenic quarters,
helping to eke out a scanty living
for the family. Overcrowding was
shown to be the rule not the excep-
tion. In one case seven adults and
seven children were living in dark,
middle room, and large, bare rear
room.
"The daily press also tells us that
since October, thousands of entire
families have been out of work, as a
result, they have used up all their
savings, not their proportion--$7r0OO
as above-but a paltry $50, all they
had been able TO save during the
years OF boasted prosperity. The
president of the Association for I'm
proving the Condition Of the Poor, n,
n Cutting, says: i cannot remem-
her such a condition existing before
Not even in 1898 and 1894 did the
depression persist so long! While,
according TO Senator Foraker, on Ju,
ly /, $4,000 skilled workers are out
of employment here in Cincinnati,
Presumably the number of the un-
skilled was greater yet These IL
lustrations of unparalleled pros
perity have been duplicated all over
the blight There has been a tre-
mendous exodus of those who could
not find employment, three quarters
of a million more having immgrate1
to Europe than have .immgrated here.
! 'fWhy the depression, why the
blight? This marvellous prosperity
seems. TO have been wonderfully ef-
ficacious in keering the toilers poor
This unprecedent prosperity seems
to have be enmonopolized by few.
They have gone on pillng up millions.