Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-03-09
THE MAN AND THE DOLLAR

THE MAN AND THE DOLLAR
There conflict old civilization 1t is between the
and the dollar between the welbeng OF humanity and
the lust for money. AS glance the pages OF history
nation after nation bud the ruins of its predecessor
reach the zenith of power and hestatng that crisis
despse its wealth of manhood and embrace the glitter OF its
gold For while revelry and luxury reign but there
when the laugher shrek in despair the pampered
dler leap vain frenzy and mighty people, poisoned
by the virus of its glded folly becomes but memory
of the past Imperial Rome faced that crisis and scorned its
manhood Even in the shadow OF impending ruin emperors
and subjects alike forgot justice and duty in mad scramble
for money continue the folles of their day In that
Needless careree France Knocked her starving millions and
writhed in the agones of bloody revolution.
AS yet America has not thus despsed her manhood In
other country manhood valued and wealth ignored
claim homage In fact she is the land of the
The million sledges of American labor ringing the
million anvis of American industry, and the resoundng
melody singing to the world that here OF freedom
and less Of tyranny comfort and less of poverty
of truth and less OF and more OF resoute asertve
hood and less OF blind aerng medocry than in any other
land existing in this the brightest age of human history
Nevertheless engaged in this conflict of the
and facing that when decide whether
money shall direct desnies. For have
allowed the dollar interfere with the realization of that
splendid webeing which American doctrines and American
greatness promise Despite Of justice and
altruc spirit American capital impeled by the lust
for gain, Systematically degrading American labor; is
robbng children Of all that makes for vigorous robust lives,
cursing nation with OF degenerate wealngs and
IS threatening the existence of our as an insu
ton of liberty and justice
In the shops of the East in the black of
the Pennsylvania coal mines and amid the molten dangers of
great mills thousands of and ignorant
and BRITISH forming great awkward machine daily grinding
pounding strainng hopelesy and bndlyheir very lives
paying the price of corporate greed They know Sunday
Every day is the gloomy, bran-dulng, man-klling
round Transforming every ideal aspiration and noble impulse
into the rancor of embittered souls.
But it is from system child labor, exists in
America today that there such tale OF and misery
wrecked youth and blasted possibilities makes the air
shudder Little children robbed OF their brhrght OF
happy healthy chdhood robbed of chance fit themselves
for life compelled away their young lives in damp
cellars in sunless filthy tenemen in foul Notwithstanding
factories satisfy the avace OF degenerate and OF pitt
tas-masters Thousands, bghed by child labor, live
lives than failures dismal array of consumptives pau
pers, criminals and degenerates-the miserable victims OF
hearess, dolarseekng brutality.
child labor also a serious the future we'll
being nation victims destined become the
parents OF wretched than themselves whose
Grafton will be pepleXng the problem OF the negro
England price of child labor when the rugged
plains of the Transvaa handful of Boer farmers fought the
of British army stands royal commission,
seeking the of her military weakness found in the
premature employment of her children" and its report
eloquent testimony that child labor vampire which
the life-blood of nations.
Furthermore, the time has when the dollar is just
much political to industrial and
social life AS reentlessy American capital degrades
labor reentlessy does seek poison
national life into poor mems foes and rich
mems refugees rulers into udases governments into
mockeries In every city and the dollar is powerful
ndous and too often successful of everything which
makes for the greatest public good.
And how these industrial and political wrongs made
possible? By the indifference lack of patriotism, and Phar
Of the otherwise good of the nation Only by
tolerance do industrial nustces exist and for
the distress of felowmen is anctonng the establishment
of class in America depraved the peasantry of
Europe in the days of old The ocehoder is the reflection
of those who elect him. Their desires his desires
Their law him. And because the brains the
religion the manhood of America-the preachers, lawyers
DOCTORS teachers business and all who the pride Of
the andhave often refused take active part in
the politics and of republic the buns and
BOSSES the ra of slums hand in hand with fnan
kings e1e their