The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-12-14
CHARITY THE SALvE
That Soothe the Larcerated
Conscience of the Rich.

better known as the Gazette con-
| tained quite 4 pathetic front page ar
ticle Decem Der 9Th in regards to the
Santa Clause Fund" After pictur-
ing the deplorable condition of the
unfortunate. helpless and hopeless
victims OF capitalism it offered as
remedy that these poor. robbed and
exploited wretches be given a few
| cheap presents Christmas SO that they
might distinguish the day from the
"other dismal, murky. hopeless days
of winter"
The following clipping from the
Gazett will show that they are famil-
lar with the conditions. Now mark
you, these are worthy, deserving peo-
pie:
PathoS of Poverty.
zone case is particularly pathetic.
This family has been in the direst
straits for some time The house
hold consists of an invalid father, a
mother and ten children, the eldest of
these being but twelve years old.
They have no income except what the
mother and little daughter are able
to win in the battle for bread. Their
home is on the east bank of Elk
rivera tottering two room shanty,
full of services that admit the win
try winds, and lilly furnished within.
Here the old man potters about the
house. ill with the middle stages of
the plague, the mother takes in wash
ing for a few dollars a week The
little girl, twelve years old, VI ;:lender
undeveloped slip of a GIRL" goes to
school part of the day and then goes
to do housework at the home of n
family some distance away. The
other nine children are too small to
be of any assistance except to pick
up driftwood and coal along the river
bank. This is the battle of mother
and child-a child just the age that
in we'll to do families cuddles into it's
mothers arms to be told stories
about good fariers-a battle to drive
the lbaying back of Hunger from the
door, the battle that blasts young
lives and kills souls.''
What caused this Particular pa
thetic condition? What has become
of the life earnings OF this poor man?
Why is It in his old age that he and
his family must suffer, freeze and
starve" Is not there something rad
ical wrong with society when the
poor mother and this "undeveloped
slip of a girl" must battle for bread
in land of plenty. Think of the diff
ference between the wife and family
of the working man. the man who
has created the comforts and luxuries
of life and the wife of the idle rich.
While the wife of the worker and his
little child are engaged in the life and
death struggle for a bare existence
"The Battle that Blasts Young Lives
and Kill Souls the mothers of the
rich are cuddling their children to
their bosoms and telling them stories
about the good FAIRIES. They don't
tell them why the poor mother and
her child must drudge, they don't
tell them that the poor must work
and starve and suffer that they may
roll in luxury and comfort. Why tell
fairy tales, why not tell them the
h ard, cold, cruel truth?
ANOTHER CASE.
"There Is another case near the
axe factory in West Charleston. This
is an Austrian family and until three
of four months ago the father work
ed in the grinding room of the fac
tory, but contracted tuberculosis and
is now wholly an invalid. There are
four children. all small, and the bur-
den of their support is thrown en-
eirely upon the mother. She makes
| a living for them by keeping board
erS-siX in number: the house has
but three rooms. The income from
| the boarders is small, for they have
little themselves. These children will
| miss the Christmas they once en-
joyed when their father was we'll and
able to hold his job at the factory.
! The mother is CHEEKY. but tired and
worn. and her grief will perhaps be
| more poignant at the absence of the
possibility OF Santa Clause for the
children. than some who have ell
dured it before"
This poor Austrian is one of Mr..
kelley's victims His life has been
ground into profit Again we see
the cloved hoof of that hideous beast
| of prey capitalism. The Gazette
says he contracted tuberculosis: /:
but didn't tell us that it was "a dis
ease particular to the trade. known
as the grinders consumption. -
They didn't tell us that the average
| life of the grinder Is not over two
years. Every day Mr.. Kelley is
| grinding the lives of these men into
axes and selling the axes for profit
This is an example of what becomes
! of the wage slave when all of the
profit has been ground out of him.
! He is discarded like n worn out grind
stone and thrown into the scrap heap
or junk pile That Kelley and his
| family can live in a pressed brick
mansion on KanaTha street this man