The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-08-26
TRUE REFORMERS.

abroad in the land. There are thousands
of earnest, humane, and Christian men
and women who are sincerely grieved at
the shocking injustice and inequality
that prevails in our social order, and
sincerely wish to remedy the evils, but
cannot. Why? Because they have
neither the power, nor the right method.
They lack cohesion and effective organi-
cation. So these good people sink down
into parlor rcformcrs and utter inctfe-
tivencss
What the church, what schools, col
lcges, universities, ethical, humane and
philanthropcal societies and political
parties have utterly failed to do trades
unions have done, and will continue to
do. The five greatest and most neccs-
sary reforms, humancly speaking, that
can benefit the human race are these:
Abolition of excessive labor.
Abolition of child labor
Abolition of starvation wages.
Abolition of sweat shops.
Abolition of mIitarism and big stand
ing armies
The only progress 50 far made toward
the abolition of these gigantic evils, is
that which has been made through the
influence of the working classes. They
are moving as steadily and irrcsistibly
toward the accomplishment of these great
reforms as the glacier which pushes its
way down the slopes of an alpine peak
into the valleys below.
Is any man or woman fit to receive
nourishment for his mind and his soul
when that mind and soul are held in the
prison house Of a body deadencd, dulled
and worn out by excessive toll!
Why do not the nottingham go to
church, How can he, when he is worked
from ten to fifteen hours a day. six days
in the week, and frequently also on Sun
day in factories, mills and mines: Ills
ovcrworked body calls out loudly for re-
lief and rcfr' hnent. lie would fall
asleep listening either to a lecture or n
sermon.
The rich man and the man of leisure
rail at the workingman AS unfit for polit
zeal and social duties. They snccr at him
as dull, istlcss, ambtionless and ignor-
ant. Who made him so? These same
rich men. No one can become mentally
sufficient leisure and money with which
to become Who has robbed the work
ing classes of their leisure and Just
wages?
The rich and prevailed casscs.
The innate seltishncss of human ma
ture will always preclude their volun-
tary relinquishing their present position
on the backs of the working classes.
The voice Of the truly Christian and
truly humane man or woman, who cries
out against this injustice, is drowned out.
or rather, it is like the voice of one cry
ing out in a Wilderness
There is only one power on earth that
can right the wrong. The millions of
working people, if organized, can set a
Rubicon to the hcllish and insatiate greed
and avarice of the rich and privileged
classes. When they speak it is like the
voice OF the ocean. They must be listen
ed to.
1t is a curious commentary upon our
civilization and proof of the doctrine of
innate and original sin that though
church buildings are multiplying in our
land Sunday labor is nevertheless stead
lily on the increase.
What cares the millionaire pretended
Christian for the laundering command of
the Lord God Almighty. - Six days shalt
thou labor and do all that thou hast to
do, but the seventh is the Sabbath of the
Lord thy Cod
When. however. the army of working
men say to him, We are entitled to our
Sunday rest, and viii not work on that
day, our bogus Christian frets and
frowns and curses the Righteousness of
the worklngman, but he yields Why?
Because he must What crime is com
parable to that of robbing a child of the
joys and pleasures Of its childhood. and
of an education? What does forcing