The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18
vOX POPULI
MR.. BENEFITS REPLY.

Editor Pensacola Journal:
Not knowing your correspondent,
Arthur W. Davis, from the domestic
feline that was wont to greet Adam
with a careSs across his neither limbs
as he emerged from his Edenic kitch-
en-, 1 cannot be sure that he has not
at one time been a citizen of the land
of Folk and Stone, but it is evident
he is imbued with the characteristic
of the people of that commonwealth in
that he must ''be shown His recent
communication is a veritable cate
chism of captiOus interrogatories.
Mans superiority over other crea-
lures is proven by his possession of
the power to reason. This power is
more highly developed in those who
are able to cultivate their intellect by
reading, study, travel, etc. The pres
ent capitalistic scheme of things de-
MES to the majority the opportunity
to thus better themselves mentally
and incidentally materially, because
of the necessity OF constant labor
from dawn to dark for a subsistence.
Long hours with attendant bodily
WEAKNESS precludes a disposition to
acquire culture or a knowledge of
ethics-thus is it impossible for
EVERY one to work out their own
salvation materially, mentally, physi-
cally and spiritually.
Yes, the law as 1t is written, recog-
nizes the right of all to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness, but in
its construction, application, AND EN-
FORCEMENT, it is blind as bat.
For proof note the daily chronicling
of the consignment to the chaln-gang
of a starving. bounded, out-of-work
father of family for seeking work
and the commitment to q private san
itarium of bank cashier for embeZ-
Element.
Yes, we "gratify our desires accord.
ing to our capacities" with the en-
phasis on According. Society's but
terfiies see the fulfillment of their de-
sires and caprices because the menials
are robbed of their Just recompense
at about the ratio of to /. Census
reports show that in one year goods
of a retail value of s14 ,055, 161, 436. 90
were produced by 4,250,7S3 workers.
In round numbers, each created 3d.
10000, and received but $437.00-one
eighth.
Who received the other seven
Fights? Why, those who, In every
comm unity, who gather unto them
selves riches they do not create while
Ch1ldren SJarVe anu are denied even
the rudiments of an education-embryo
criminals in the making and dis
patches tell us that today, Chicago
harbors 10000 such starving school
children.
Yes, there are examples of wage
earners attaining to power and the en-
joyment of enloluments of thrift
they are but the scintillating exceptions
that Drove the rule
There is no denying the worker is
better paid today than when the pres
ent captains of industry were forming
the nucleus OF their fortunes. Better
paid in dollars and cents, perhaps,
BUT HIS WAGES WILL NOT, AND
DO NOT, PURCHASE AS MUCH
any species of the genus homo blind
in one eye and sightiess in the other
can see THAT.
The proposed revolution of the in
justrial scheme would benefit the
worker IN that il would accord to
EVERY one the right to work, compel
EVERY one TO work and remuperate
each one by the full value OF his
labor. As to incentive. There Is in
centive now for one to put forth ones