Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-06-24

o1lng 10 nght the cause of the trouble
l would not minimize the great respon-
siblhty resting upon the shoulders of
the capitalist, but do not agree with
our poet when he places the entire
blame here, and cries out almost with
the voice of fanatic:
20 trade! o trade! would thou vert
deadl
The world needs heart. it's tired of
head"
To my mind some good common sense
IN the heads of the working Door will
DO more to right the wrong than any
thing else.
III you ask me the prime cause of this
evil, shall answer without hesitancy.
Ignorance. This joined with lazipess
and drunkenness on the part of the
workingman, and with love of money
on the part of the capitalist, brings men
and women to state of poverty where
the children must earn something or
starve- These poor people have lived
TINS way for so long that they are ig-
norant of the fact that anything better
for them exists; they are ignorant of
the fact that people can be happy and
comfortable without initiating all the
fashions and foolishness of the wealthy:
they are ignorant of the fact that while
thousands of human beings are huddled
together in one acre in a city. thousands
OF the nations acres lie wasted and I'M
haoited; that over these acres rests an
abundance of fresh, pure air; that the
birds sing, the flowers bloom aud the
sparkling waters flow cool and refresh
ing; that the sunshine and rain are
plentiful and free, and that the soil
yields its fruits and grain for the syste-
matte tilling and reaping; they are ig-
norant of the mechanism of their own
bodies and of the laws of health; and
they are ignorant of how to manage. to
the best advantage, the small wage
they receive Failure to keep comfort
able is discouraging, and it is no matter
OF wonder that they have no ambition
beyond the getting of food and raiment
Tor one day at time. Every unex-
pected expense from sickness or other
misfortune makes them dependent upon
the. more fortunate people Of their
neighborhood. To this ignorance and
want OF ambition, add Incidence and
drunkenness and we have the very eli
max OF misery. 1t is hard to estimate
what per cent of this misery is due to
drunkenness. Think of the PENNIES
the nickels, the dimes and dollars Drop
ping day after day into the tills of sa-
looms, while the future citizens of our
nation are hungry and cold. Will YOU
legislate against the honest lawabidine
man who pays these children a living
wage for their work, and let 90 free
the creature who takes the money that
should be theirs, and gives in its place
something that destroys both soul and
BODY? Away with the saloon if we
would save our nation from poverty
and degradation OH that the women
OF our country would rise I'D in the
strength of their mighty influence, and
train up their sons and persuade their
husbands that these awful black
plaques must be removed quickly and
forever from our midst. This would he
the greatest step towards correcting
the evil But temperance to the extent
OF final prohibition will not do all the
work. Even this will not make every
one Industrious nor capable of good
management.
To deal with the lazy would require
more drastic measures than have hare.
tofore been undertaken. If we had the
power to make it a crime, punishable
by law, for healthy man not to pro-
vide for his family, that part of the
problem might be solved.
But there is another part, the solu-
ton Of which seems to lie within our
reach-this herding and crowding to the
city slums. We may pass compulsory
educational laws and put our children
In schools, but this will not put bread
IN their mouths nor fresh air In their
lungs. We must move large numbers
Of them out of the cities and settle
them in rural districts where laborers
are IN demand. and living is not at 40
high cost. ! am in favor of a national
labor bureau, which shall be informed
OF various kinds Of occupations, shall
be instructed as to the places of demand
Tor laborers, and which shall have for
its duty the finding of men and women
without employment anG helping them
to get place in which to work that is
suited to their ability and constitution.
Then make the rural graded school
what it should be. Let there be an in
dustrial department to our schools,
teaching our boys how to do some lines
OF work well, and teaching our girls
how to cook, sew and keep house. Thus
we might make the poorest Of our peo-
pie capable of self-support and useful
to the country.
The South especially needs to quickly