The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-06-12
BE CAREFUL OR YOU'LL Be
POOR AS H|NOUS," SAYS DAY
Apologis for Plurocracy After Trip Abroad, Issues
Warning to American Laboring Man-Says That
Strikes and Desire to Live Well Endanger Chances of
Workingman-Takes Opportunity to Praise Standard
Oil Official.
BY j. v. KNIGHT.
Special Correspondence to The Press

special correspondence 20 TnS ffebS
SYRACUSE, N. Y, June Ia
Chancellor James R. Day of SYRIA
cuse university, noted defender of
the Standard Oil trust and apollo
gist for plutocracy, is home from a
trip around the world, convinced
that the American workingman is
the best paid, but perhaps the most
discontinued, on earth.
In the first place, the American
working man is extravagant, the
chancellor says, and he gave me a
remarkable talk on his views. To
American laboring people he held
up the specter of pitiful poverty he
has seen in India.
If men keep up what the chan
cellor calls 'senseless strikes and
obstructive agitation" they're 60
ing to be as poor as the Hindu
toiler, who works for 10 to IL cents
a day, he declared.
Seated on the piazza of his house
on University avenue, the educator
who praised John D. Rockefeller
and John d. Archbold when their
trust was being indicted, couldn't
restrain a reference to Standard
Oil. even in talk about the work
ingman's welfare.
do you know" he asked, that
the vice president of the Standard
Oil Co. is chairman of our board of
trustees? Yes, Mr.. Archbold has
done much for us and the chan,
cellor bobbed his head in greeting
as several friends passed.
Then settling his six feet and
odd inches back in his arm chair,
he issued his warning to the work,
ingman.
''In the first place, the laboring
man comes under the influence OF
the agitator. These workers are
made to believe they are not get
ting their just due. so it is easy to
incite them to strife.
Just as soon as business begins
to revive, these unhappy labor
leaders begin to agitate, and OF
course there is a contest.
81 don't know how to account fol
this general unrest except that the
American workingman, with his
ambitions and his spirit, has de
sire to make the most out of him
self and out of his family.
"All of which incites him to
spend beyond his means. He tries
to escape by insisting on a bigger
wage than business can afford.
Let me Illustrate: | know q
case where an employer and an
employe lived on the same. ground
The employee, it was noted. tried tc
furnish his own table with all he
saw go on his employers. He re
peatedly demanded that his wages
be increased. 1t was a question
with his employer whether there
was any. real justice in that form
of discomfort.
II think that the American work
ingman lives in a higher degree OF
comfort than any other workman
in the world.
Il don't say he gets too much
I'd be glad to see it doubled. But
there's a limit beyond which no
body can go in furnishing wage;
to working people.
Suppose certain form of lucra
tive business gave a certain higl
wage. What would be the effec
on those working people in othe
forms of business that paid all thu
business would warrant as wages
The economic distinction woul'
be very serious. 1t would be Xix
some of those homes about us tina
could pay double salaries to thei
domestics. That would disturb tn
whole scale of wages through tn
neighborhood.
Then good years and bad year