The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-08
PEOPLES FORUM
pably a campaign canard.
The Working Mans Debate,

Editor OF The virginian:
Sir.-The Citizens association OF the city oil
Richmond have had so much to say as to why
the voters of the city should vote their ticket
that trust you will give poor working man
space to say few words in reply
They give ten reasons why we should vote
their slate:
Reason No. Is that the men on this slate
were selected by the association with infinite
care and agonizing prayer for Divine guild
ance, because they were interested in the ety's
welfare plus an immense amount of brains.
Reason No. 2, that by electing these men
who are patriotic enough to serve the city at
monetary loss to themselves-they will keep
out OF office some working man who does not
earn over one thousand dollars a year and
therefore has not brains enough for a place on
| the administrative board, but are just cheap
grafters seeking to fatten themselves upon the
political body of our city by grabbing q FIVE
thousand-dolar job, when their earning capac-
l ity is one thousand dollars.
Ye gods and little fishes, Mr. Editor if
this Is not enough to make the red blood boil
| IN the veins OF every working man in the city
| OF Richmond! for one want to hurl squarely
| In their teeth the disgusting insihaation that
because force of circumstances made us Door
and laborers. We are therefore deficient In
brains and common honesty which necessi-
tates that we. the working class, turn over to
the self-appointed guardianship of the Citi-
Gems association our God-given constitutional
the land and to turn our ballots over to them
to be voted in the interest OF the interests =
The assertion that because man earns only
one thousand dollars he is incapable OF earn
ing more is just foolish as the statement
that Mr. Bennett, Mr. Ferguson and Mr. Ztm.
hermann and others will serve the city at q
loss to themselves. This argument would for
ever prohibit the ditchdigger at $3.50 day
from aspiring to be hod-carrier at 81 q day,
or the mechanic at So day ever becoming 3
En- m y Mt Nvx{h Hnr 1,g~
resents his earning capacity. and his earning
capacity represents the amount OF his brains
This amount is a fixed quantity without elias
ITCHY and incapable OF expansion.
Now. Mr. Editor why don't the Citizens
association be more explicit In their chaFres3
They must have some man or men III view
We naturally suppose they mean the men run
ming for this Office who are now earning the
nearest to one thousand dollars a year
There were seventeen men in the race, up to
the death of Mr. Don Leavy. Eliminate the
Ave named on the slate and we have twelve
Mr. Knowles has $4,000 brain; Messrs Rich
ards. Taylor. Davis, Moore, Bennett and Paul
are business men-active or retired capitalists
Standing out prominently on the poorer side
we have Mr.. Hirschberg and the late John
Don Leavy. who probably come nearer the
thousand dollar mark than any others
Mr.. Editor hold no brief for Mr.. Hirsch-
berg, having only speaking acquaintance
with him; Mr.. Don Leayy never l.aew. even
by sight But as working man want to
say that MI. Hirschberg and Mr. Don Leavy
have proven themselves as trustworthy as the
guardians of the city's interests as any OF the
others in the race. What we need in our city
oficial IL not only brains but honesty The
people who have the biggest interests at stake
In our city are not the people who live In
brown-stone mansions and gilded palaces. but
that mass of laborers who toll YEARLY from
day to day. to produce the wealth 4of our City
with the fear Of poverty ever before them and
vnn1S - fN1 Tvs nf
The poor outnumber the rich a hundred To
ono. the laborer ontnumbers the business man
. thousand to one; and yet they all have the
same interests In life the Joy of living and
the pursuit OF heppiness: and the man who il
man who hrs totled and sweated and st4ues
glad With them. whose heart has been pre1ssd
-, close 70 the GTsat heart OF humanity that