The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1908-03-06
THE MISFORTUNE OF
BEING UNlEAfPL DYED
These Union Printers Are Now VITA
the True Democrat.


The two union printers, young men of
high order, came Immediately to this
Office and have been employed here
since they we're released from the Olus-
tee camp, about three weeks ago. We
have employed and worked ourself with
union printers for more than thirty
years-near forty, and in all that time
have never had better, considered from
every view point, both being morally
clean, honest, faithful, quiet, polite,
and attentive to their duties. This
treatment was a terrible outrage, COM
mltted in sunny Florida, United States
OF America and furnishes an ABUNDANT
PROOF that things are radically wrong
and disgraceful, and that Floridians can
find plenty to criticize; yes, land hang
their head in shame over. The True
Democrat does not criticize affairs for
personal reasons, or in q YenomOus
spirit. Citizens Of Florida open your
own ears and eyes, and investigate
some for yourselves, and you will find
our position on these public matters,
most times, If not always, based on
facts. There is machine within a ma
chine, in this state; a wheel within q
a wheel, or as it were, a ring within in
ring; and it is not working to the gen.
eral interest Of the people Of Florida.
Read the following from the Ocala |
Banner:
POVERTY, PANICs, TRAMPs.
A recent issue of the Times-D Dispatch |
Of Richmond, Va, contained the fol- |
lowing item:
'Besought from without by innumer-
able petitions for help and hard pressed |
from within by the condition resulting |
from nearly exhausted supply of |
funds, the Associated Charities finds
itself graphing with a situation that is
almost beyond its powers. An empty
handed throng comes daily to the doors
Of the mission, often bringing with
them empty baskets that speak more
elOquently than words of the want in
the home from which they come.
Proud men are humbled by unpaid rents
and hungry mouths"
And so the story runs, not only in
Richmond, but in nearly every COM
munity throughout the United States.
We saw a sight in Ocala the other
day that was shocking to our moral
sensibilities. We saw a gang of men
hle by us-enough almost TO fill a car
in handouts. Thirteen of this gang (
were strong, stalwart white men.
What was their crime? We repeat it !
in sorrow. 1t was the misfortune of (
being poor!
In the language Of the ststltes of
this state, made and provided for in !
such cases, these men had mo visible
means Of support. I
We are tod, and it is fact, that the I
wheels of factories in our larger COM q
nercial centers no longer revOlve. Lum-
Der mills in our own midst are closed |
Town. Turpentine farms have been '
largely curtailed. Railroads, owing TO r
D lack of business, have discharged /
many of their employees. Thousands (
and thousands of men, suddenly and t
without notice, have been thrown out v
If employment, and yet with strong r
arms and stalwart frames and a will
ngness TO work, as was shown before
he panic, they are now arrested as e
and sent to the chain gang o
md turpehtine farms TO labor as slaves 1
Isn't our very civilization a hollow L
nockery? Isn't our treatment of the r
those who are victims of q
conditions "a traVesty on
ostlceT Isn't our statute dealing with =
hese unfortunate people very night >,
mare OF ignorance and cupidity, =
Every four years a lot Of machine -
OPTICIANS visit US and tell US of their y
I'VE Of the common peaple," Of their a.
eviction and love for the poor mar" ~
nd after being clothed with the insiQ- ~
la Of high Office hasten away to the 81
Eat OF government and enact laws that =.
AXE poverty a crime! oL
We do not profess to be a saint. We -
gel unworthy and unfit to pretend 20 re
'lloW IN the footsteps of the "Man of p
alhlee," but we confess that sights ~
Re those we 30 frequently see chill us "a
our very marrow bones, and il seems u,
as are enough to make the heart of w
So sympathetic persons weep blood. P
lt seems TO US that these things Iil
ould arouse the laundering maledic- ~.
)ns OF the churches against them. ~.
ley ought not 20 be tolerated In a pc
tristan land and yet when we enter -,
csc sacred edifices and hear the am ~
ssad0rs Of the "Man Of SOrroWs'' ~
each on the little sins and frivolties - -
society, the great crime Of bridge P'o
list and giving prizes at the innocent ~
notions OF our society women, we feel Il. H.
most humilliated. -. II II
The last issue Of the Tallahassee Sun nor
We an account Of two printers, young tw,
N, members Of the International ty- aha
graphical union, thrown suddenly out mi
employment, were seeking work and mn
doing 80 boarded a railroad train and r
ed 70 beat their way to the next town. Chr
ey were put of the train by the con- y