Evening journal., 1908-04-11
Organized labor.


quainted, that while sympathizing with
their kick" and trust that they will
orsanize, yet their belated action. their
refusal to organize long ago. reminds
one OF the old story OF the farmer
locking the door after the horse had
peen stolen" Under existing condi-
tons, the individual in the
lndusu trial world is helpless. No
wealth producer can or win receive
Ialr treatment as an individual. De-
spite an the trumpet blowing as to our
alleged progress, civilization. Chris
tlanlty, the toiler in the industrial
world who cannot WELD a club IN the
shape OF organization will be trampled
upon and oppressed. Not that the
average American is brutal by nature
out simply because Of the poison of
our atheistic political economy, which
drives from the individualistic heart
the milk of human kindness 1 notice
IN one Of your editorials that you spoke
OF an excuse that corporations could
not pay wages and that some Of them
We're overcapitalized
Pardon me If / say that practically
an railways are overcapitalized. Street
car companies and public service cor
porauons in general are conducted on
system that is usually termed over
capitalization, but / term it downright
robbery. Look up few examples
That eminent financier. Hartman, of
the Chicago and Alton railroad. ac-
cording to the New York World Of
April s, added to the capitalization of
that railway over S40,0000O0 by the
swoop Of his pen. Then brokers sold
these bonds to savings banks and up
TO date II is said over S12.O00,000 have
been lost 70 the savings banks on that
mastery stroke"
Consider overcapitalization Of some
railways. The Philadelphia and Read
ing in 1896 was capitalized, including
bonds, at over $4,000 a mile. That
took the lead. The Erie railroad was
capitalized at $1S5.000 a mile, then
came the Pennsylvania with S1S3O00
the mile, and they run down the line
to $4,000 the mile. A few years ago
an American contractor built a rail-
road in Canada at the contract price
Of $4,000 a mile.
General Leess, OF Lincoln, Neb.,
gives the figures Of the cost of one
mile Of railroad, based on the purchase
price Of the Union Pacific, at S15,9S
the mile the cost Of construction.
Comment is unnecessary. II is dim
cult to decide which group TO despise
most--the fellows who have plundered
the republic, or the common people.
who permit It. Now let us look up
the Illinois Central Railway. "Finan-
ciers" in 1850, aided by Senator Ste
phen A. Douglas, jammed through
Congress an Gct whereby those "finan-
ciars" received, without cost 1855, 900
acres Of the best land in Illinois. The
"financiers" then sold to settlers-that
Is, to the American working people--a
portion of these own lands, whereby
the "fnanciers" received from the peo-
pie, for their own land. over $7S,000.-
900 up to 1873. Splendid in its daring
brigandage has been the record Of our
"hnanciers"
First, through plant tools in Con-
gress, they take the public property
the lands. Up to 1878 over $4,000, 900
acres Of the public lands had been
stolen. Since then It has practically
all been taken. American citizens are
renouncing the Star Spangled Banner
and becoming subjects Of Edward VII
over in northwest Canada.
Then they issued bonds, secured by
the remainder Of the peoples land,
made valuable by the presence and toll
of the people, and the people really
paid for the railway. And then the
"fnanciers" proceeded TO "skin" the
people They passed laws that III the
earnings OF the road shall exceed a
certain percentum. fares and frelghts
shall be reduced, etc" They then
watered the stock created on the Har-
rlman plan to spread out the earnings
OF the road. And then they proceeded
TO increase rates and decrease wage
because "the road earns so little on its
stock" Such proceedings have been
duplicated by many railways. street
car and public service corporations I'm
the country. The real reason why We
have so-called "panics," hard times"
why we have strikes" "lockouts,'
why Socialism" and Anarchy" grow,
why labor must burden itself with the
enormous cost and great worry OF "or
ganization," lies deep down at the bot
tom Of all the social questions. Pri-
lmarily IL Is a moral question. When
workers-that Is. all men who work
who give service for service whether
they be sewer diggers or editors, paint
ers or actors, blaoksmiths or mer-
lchants, or clergymen--when the work.
ers give earnest thought 10 the social
problem from the standpoint OF. the
teaching Of Christ. they win solve the
problem. But If even those men who
have a certain amount Of Independence
OF education are mystified at the mag
nitude OF the problem. what shall be
said Of the average toiler2 The me-
chanic, farmer, street car or railway
meng The primary need Of these men
Is a mode Of self-defence, TO prevent,
by organization. the exploitation OF
themselves and their dependents. And
they obtain that in organized labor.
The second purpose OF organization Is
70 teach the great common people 10
think. to engender feeling OF conf
dence in their fellow -toilers, and or
ganized labor does that. SO / say 10
the trolley men, TO all toilers, Organ
lizel" without organization you can
do nothing. With organization you
are in a position TO at least defend
yourself and your family. You will
also, II you are wise, study, think Use
your power of citizenship.
Organized labor considered simply
Der Sc. will not solve the social prob
lem. but Il IS a means to that end, and
a Is to-day the only means opened TO
the toiling millions. You hear OF diff
fersnt schools OF reform, OF Social
lists" "Single Takers" and "Populists,
protection" free trade" sound
money" free silver" Remember or
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