The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-04-21
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
Let us. do what we can for Others
No matter what strength it requires,
For often in working for others
We fulfill our own desires

With papperism and misery multiply
ing over all the country, it is q hard
proposition for individuals to always
lind bright side to any feature of the
industrial situation
permanent resident, established IN
his community and proficient IL his craft
"a workingman who has good position
and no prospect of losing 1t, mas every
reason for personal rejoicing. Industri-
ally he may be looked upon as being
properly on the bright side of material
matters.
But what of the other fellow who finds
himself the superfuous manP Where is
the bright side of life for him? 4 food
trust that has put the mcan3 of liveli-
hood beyond the reach of the average EN-.
ployed wage Garner, certainly blocks the
hope of existence for the unemployed
Sometimes we are constrained to won
der If the blind commercia:'sm of the age
that is fast imperiling the nation IS not
sort Of feverish dream from which the
country is soon to wake to safer, slner
systems. To the bewildered oniooker
from the reserved seat on The raupcl e,lpe
of society, as the situation now appears.
Il majority of the public VINO comprise
the boycott on the beef rust are in dan
ger of indictment for contempt of COURT
FROM recent rulings it is to lie inferred
that no expressions of protes. are 10 be
made against unfair conditions. 1t is un.
lawful Tor any person to eat meat if be
mas TO steal 1T because he cannot pay ex-
orbltant prices for it. Continued and sys-
tematic expression of disapproval of nm
faIr firms, quietly and persistently car
rled on will land good, industrious citi-
|ens IN Jail. If it is unlawful to attempt
peaceable measures tending to relieve tine
situation, matters are indeed growing
complicated. 1t is 4 problem for the in
dustrlal student, as well as for those re-
| sponslbc for constitutional liberties and
| Justice. In line with contempt of court
industrial murmurs, and growing COM
iherclallsm, comes the general boycort on
the beef trust. What a fix we are in?
Indirectly is not the boycott a contcno1
OF court decision? Then what a specta
Gle! Nearly half of the libertv-loyin.r
American citizenship liable to get in ial
Tor united protest against food prices
that have become an outrage on the pub
lie. A large per cent of the population
J no longer able to earn, beg, borrow buy
nor steal sufficient for a Dare existence
solve their share of the problem by sui.
eide Those for whom life no longer has
any hope of bright side, make !.aste to
get off the earth. Committing suicide
because there is no chance to procure the
llumblest home or the poorest fare Dy-
ing prcmaturcly because conditions have
been made such that it is impossible TO
earn an honest living for the short space
hliotted Tor man s normal, earthly exist
ence. This abnormal sta-e of affairs can.
not long exist without prccipitatinc n
crisis
Something is vitality wrong when good,
earnest men and worthy citizens, peace
ably striving for better conditions for lu-
manity, are lawfully Inundated and con-
demned as criminals
With all this unrest surging in the in.
dustrial and commercial world, The minor
lty of the country citizenship--the elite
the four hundred--exclusivc by ri ,,ht
alone of the power of wealth lnonopoized
are INDUCING in the widest vagaries of
fashion and the unbounded limits of ex.
trhvagance in revelrly and feasting
Modern Americas life is a vcritable
moving picture show. Or it may be lii1cn-
ed to an old-fashioncd Kaleidoscope with
its ever-changing scenes of comedy and
tragedy.
Let us take few looks at human ma
turc s comedy of errors.
The first is near-sighted Gibson girl,
wearing picture hat-laden with the
flcnery of costly furs-dazzling the be.
holder with an imposing glitter of din
nonds. With the improving companion-
ship of a poodle, she looks complaccntly
down on the world from Il swiftly
motor car.
1t is only a supposition that the pic
ture lady is near sighted and cannot see
the poverty and woe and desperation and
degradation of men, women and children
all around her. The sympathetic heart of
Il true woman would break with tie pity
of it all. Not only blind very defect
i've of sight, she must also be deaf to COM
fortably sit down to ex1ravagant lunch
cons with rich friends while the sobs of