The Daily Missoulian., 1913-03-02
WHAT is THE MINIMUM WAGE?"

friend of The Mssouian writes to inquire what is the
meaning OF minimum wage it is used in poti
cal discussion and it being talked of before of
the state legislatures now in session is not sub
ect though there is good deal of misunderstanding
garding it, 1t is question of JUSTICE it made is
last year by the progressive national conventon
given place in the progressive platform as one OF the items
of social and industrial justice which essential only
to the commercial advancement of the nation but to the
moral and physical welfare of its people.
Happily here in the west we have not yet had much of
the bitter experience of the older communities of the
in connection with the employment of women and children
starvation wages; have not witnessed any of the
physical degeneration and the moral depravy which at
tend the evil practice of compelling workers to labor for
stipend which not sufficient to afford the necessities of
life. With then the issue is more matter of preven-
ton than of cure. And we should be thankful indeed
that it is So
| minimum wage is a living wage. That which is not
living wage is killing wage. 1t kills the body and the
wage that the of industry the permits
the slow murder of the character the bodies and the souls
OF human beings It is syStematized murder 1t cannot
be called anything else 1t to to be infinitely
more cruel than the killing of the Madero which
the world is now holding up its hands in horror and for
which the Mexican people being universally
demned
The minimum wage means the lowest wage at which
human can live in reasonable comfort The proposition
to establish by law the amount of this wage carries with it
the plan have the figure by commission which shall
carefully investigate social and industrial conditions and
shall determine what the minimum wage shall be. When
scientific inquiry has fixed the of this wage state
law shall prescribe it.
That seems just and simple. There is wrong in the
proposition certainly. There is compexty about it.
1t not new proposition either 1t is as old as the law
which handed down on Mount Sinai is the principle
which reiterated by the Master in the Golden Rule It'll
appears in the doctrine OF every philosopher and scholar
presented since the dawn of civilization. The principle
of the minimum wage is the underlying principle of|
humanitarianism
Yet in great and rich state Pennsylvania, find
the opponents OF this plan charactezng is as revolution
ary Revolutionary is tremendous word; it is
tO is
tive OF barrcades and gunpowder and boodshed.
But do not stop consider that nine of every ten
been the exception rather than the rule the great revo
utions the world has known "Al revolutions" says
Carlyle are the uterance OF some longtelt truth in the
minds Of men" Carlyle assuredly expert. His
definition implies that what revolutionary is old; yeti
when we use the word it suggests something The|
French revolution, of which Carlyle writing not
new movement for half century the hdeous slavery
of the nation had burned in the hearts of France, until
found expression in the explosion of the revolution,
So it with this proposed economic revolution The
principle of the minimum wage be traced back the
of the desire of mankind to live deceny and ceany and of
society establish order and efficiency 1t had its begin
ming ages ago 1t has been tosered in the hearts of teach
and thinkers all these years And it is finding
expression in a peaceful revolution which is certain to
overtun the tables Of the money-changers in many al
sulied temple
evil 1t StarVes until they have to choose between
death dishonor 1t drives men crime that they may
ploVue 1or the wants or thelr amleS 1t means Such
heartacheS and such Wrnging of souls hardly
realize in this glorious west of Its perpetuation
that this nation ready sacrifice its and
its children upon the altar of commercalism.
The minimum wage the reverse 1t means
that regard human rights superior property rights
that consider soul bigger than dollar that this
country is the peoples country Its establishment in the
west will prevent the terrible evils which have men
toned; in the east offers remedy for evils which al
ready exist
1t is Revolutionary" if you will but it is so in the sense
that any struggle for justice and for right revolution
ary. And we need revolutions of this sort
yield the blue
the a