The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-03-09
FORUM OF THE PEOPLE.

EultOr news:
In writing the Declaration of hide
pendence, our fore-fathers declared
that "all men are born with equa
rights"
Some of those inalienable rights
are, life, liberty, and the pursuit Of
happiness. The extent to which these
rights are regarded, are illustrated ir
the labor trouble at Lawrence, Mass.
The facts in the case show that la
Dor had been driven from bad to worse
until 10000 people were just eking out
a miserable existence, and when theii
pittance of five or six dollars pei
week were further reduced. starvation
stared them in the face; and the strike
was on.
An ominous silence prevailed in the
great city. The captain of industry
passed from mansion to office via the
City Hall. Hurried councils were held
the police got busy; the Governor sent
down the state militia: the rattle of
sabers, and the clatter of arms were
the order of the day.
The haggard, horny-handed laborer
sat on his door STEP the mother of a
horde of little ones scraped the bottom
of the flour barrel while the faithful
father and husband sank in despair.
Sally, l don't know what we will
do" said he. Il have done my best,
but oh, these children! hate to see
them starve.'
Sally is frying the last of the rancid
bacon.
Hush an extra paper is out"
New York and Philadelphia extend
loving hands, Humane people of these
two great cities, realizing that none
are fed until all are fed; none are
clothed until all are clothed, that none
are sheltered until all are sheltered,
offered to take the helpless children
and care for them until the strike
should be settled.
The husband buys the penny paper.
Sally stands with spoon in hand while
he reads of the generous offer made
to suffering humanity
The dying embers of Hope springs
to life in the mothers heart. With her
well worn apron she wipes away the
burning tears from her faded cheek
and says. John. see way out
Lets tidy up the kids as best we can
and send them away"
Pressing the little dimpled checked
Rosa Lee to her bosom she says with
a sigh, Il know it is hard; 7 know It
is hard, but VIC shall save them
alive OH my children"
Not looking for sympathy, or justice
in Lawrence, they did presume upon
protection from the strong arm of the
Law. Under the stars and stripes of
the proudest nation on earth, they pre-
sumed to go to the train; buy a ticket, |
and send their little ones to friends in !
a distant land.
See them; father and mother, seven .
or eight little ones. One with a bask. |
ct, another with a pillow slip of |
clothes, mother with the baby and |
father with the next one,as they tramp
from home toward the depot.
From east, west, north and south
the families in tattered gar
ments clad. Soon the ragged edge
Of humanity has gathered at the de
pot. Some are buying tickets; others
are advising the little ones to be good
rust God and honor the King, when
o a wall, shrek, groan rends the
lir. Mothers lie PROSTATE on the
felled by the police club. A
'aber is run through the quirering
leart of a peaceable, common laborer.
Children are snatched from mothers
breasts by military force. The moth
II is sent to prison; the child, OH
he don't know where they took her
'abe, and the father and stalwart son
must stand and see wife and mather
dubbed, and dubbed until the red
Hood runs down on her tattered gar
nents.
Why did they not resist?
To have resisted would have meant
aving their bodies pinned to the
round with a bayonet.
Why did the militia and police com.
nit this outrage on helpless humani-
y? Because a nation is hypnotized by
ommercialism; because property
lghts are now held to be superior to
ersonal rights, especially of the poor,
nd because our governments modus
perandi or polity is moulded, owned
nd controlled by corporate wealth
nd not by the people to whom of