The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-12-16
SACRIFICE
OF The Wage Farmers
Increases Yearly With
No Relief in Sight.
Labor Movement is the
Only Salvation for
Protection of Wealth
Producers Says New
York Call.

The contempt for law and the savage
joy in the destruction of human lie, as
they manifest themselves in the frequent
lynchinls may amaze the superficial OBJ
server. But on any closer examination
they appear perfectly natural and in keep.
ing with the main features of our national
life.
How can an infuriated mob be expected
to respect human life when the masters
of this country exhibit systematic and
cold blooded contempt for it7
Our railroads kill and MAIN every year
thousands and tens of thousands.
OF in interstate railway employees alone
there were killed in the twenty-one years
from 1ssS to 1905, 56,5l6, and crippled
s95,54S. This does not include the MAIN
ed passengers and tramps. The latter,
officially designated as trespassers, are
killed every year by the thousands.
But notwithstanding this stupendous
and increasing slaughter of their workmen
the railway companies present the most
stubborn resistance to the law compell-
ing them to introduce safety devices, such
as automatic coupler, and year after year
they claInored for and obtained the ex-
tention of ther privilege to MAIN and kill
their workmen.
Nor is this slaughter confined to inter
state railways. which are compelled by law
TO make annual reports to the Interstate
Commerce Commission. The same thing
goes on i'll the heart of our cities.
According to the testimony presented
before the committee, now in session in
New York, to investigate the operation Of
the employers liability law, 10000 rail
y ay employees were killed or injured in this
city within twenty-one months, out of a
total force of $4,000, so that one third of
all the railway employees in this city are
killed or disabled every two years
The same rccklessness of human life is
shown in the numberless mining accidents
That our mines are operated without the
safety devices W hich has been made COM
pulsory in European mines is fact known
to all mining engineers
This is likewise true of our Industrial
establishments. The laws are inadequate
ana differ widely in the different states
the enforcement of the laws is lax in the
extreme, due either to inadequate staffs of
inspectors, or their incompetency, or their
corruptibility. The slaughter house,
of Hoffstots Pressed Steel Car COMPANY
has become notorious since the late rebel
lion of his wage slaves. But the same
ruthless killing is going on in all the
great Industries throughout tn ecountry,
year after year.
In every great strike men are being
brutally dubbed, injured or killed by
special police, deputy sheriffs, state cons
tabulary or other bodies of mercenaries
especially hired and trained for " internal
war;
The systematic destruction of workers
lives in this country is going on at a
rate so stupendous, that but for the i'm
migration from foreign countries our capi.
talists would be unable to replenish their
supply of wage slaves.
Under these conditions is it any won
der that the mobs of our cities are SO ut
terly brutalized.
The labor movement which aims at put
ting restraint upon the industrial slaugh-
ter, will also imbue our masses with a re-
spect for human life 1t will acieve what
no sermons and no newspaper leaders can
ever achieve. IT is the most powerful hu-
manizing agent now IN existence.