The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-01-09

ORDINANCE
AS Passed by the City,CounciI Dis
cussed by Square DeaI-An Ap-
peal to Board of Affairs.
EDITOR LABOR ARGUS:

EDITOR LABOR ARGUS:
A poor, weak public press, mas
querading as such, but really a
private institution run in the inter.
est of seltishneSs and greed. What
power the Mail and Gazette
could be if conducted in the inter
est OF public veal. Do not deceive
yourselves, oh men behind the
press; you betimes profess LOYALTY
and fidelity to the people but they
are beginning to know and when
they do know they will loathe you.
Frederick the Great said, .'there
were no neutrals in the time of
war, " nCr can there be neutruls in
matter of great Importance to the
people. The Charleston Home
Telephone Company has taken off
the lid, being not satisfied with a
fiat rate, they haunt a flexible
scale in the face of an indignant
public. and the press, weak and
lmbecilc like, has been chloro.
formed. Wonder not if some peo
pie do ask in their rhearts who edits
and controls the policy of the Ga.
I-S'oS riiid viz pId dllf anu IueSUlOn-
ing further their divine rights of
censorship in a republican commu.
nifty, do these men believe that the
public have any rights which they
are bound to respect7 Have these
men behind the press ever profess
ed a devotion to the cause of
struggling wOrlmcnl yes hundreds
of times upon the stump in the TO-
rum and elSew here, but be not de.
ceived ye demagogues and politi-
ticians, the working man is wiser
than you know. He will resent
your insOlence and disclose YOUR
base hypocracy. He will lay bare
your hypocritical pretences and
exhibit your duplicity and treach
cry to the scorn and imprecations
of an outraged people. He will
vote to nominate honest men at the
primaries and vote afterwards to
elect them at the polls. You men
of the press may bargain with each
| other to maintain silence, but do
not underestimate the capacity of
the people to think and to hold
you morally responsible for your
nmanly attitude. The truth like
murder will out, and crime
against the workingman like the
stain of blood upon the hands of
Lady Macbeth cannot be washed
away. We demonstrate, instruct,
and humbly petition and after ali
you ignore us with cold indiffer-
ence and a brutal and coarse con-
tempt. But remember you shall
not escape the consequence of your
own conduct; we propose to sol
emnly publish your conduct to the
world and let the great tribunal of
public opinion determine the ex,
tent of your crime and the retribu-
ton of your punishment to follow.
This thing of councilmep voting to
barter away valuable franchises
without any compensation in lieu
of it must cease. The working man
must receive some consideration
for the burden of your wrong do
ing falls with heavy weight, upon
his shoulders, aud the sweat of his
brow alone can requiet the demand
for a pound of flesh. When YOU
elevate our phones and take off
Soui ~ III Ihe heA1oie scale. you
make it impossible for us to afford
the luxury of phone, and if we
must retain it we must continue
forever to pay a continual increase.
Is it right or is it justs We do not
expect reply from the Mail, but
we have always loved and revered
the Gazette. With its loud and
bold professions of fearlessness,
honesty and sincerity, will it now
turn its back upon the laborine
man in the time of peril7 If you
ever spoke out in open meeting
you should do it now, for we need