Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-04-03
| Cc)S.SoR
|6cQ.n!n983|
Morality and Waaes.-

American communities are familiar
and which permits the most brazen
hypocrisy to launt tself in behalf of
virtue, the Illinois state senate is get
| tlng at the source of the white slave
trafhc and the social evil.
i 1.-THE source AS Socialists have ever
commended. lies in our modern econo-
mic conditions. ~
The very immortality which the
enemies Of Socialism charge that So
cialsm will produce-that it win
break up the home and destroy the
family'-is now coming to be recog-
nlzed as the fruit of capitalism.
In crying immortality" at Socialism
capitalism merely employing the old
trlck OF the hard-pressed pickpocket
who sets up cry of stop thief in
the hope OF diverting from himself
md starting the pursuit of one who is
innocent OF frisking" the wayfarers
purse.
The Wisconsin legislature is to fol.
low the example of the Illinois legis-
lature.
Our "Progressives" are learning.
They have profited with their Socialis-
tic associations and the example that
have been poaching freely on Social
LIST preserves, have set. .4asa,,
II they have extended their investi-
cations, our Progressive" friends will
| learn that it is not alone girls and Wo-
men who are being destroyed by In
sufficient wages. They wi il learn that
| the presence of such a vast army of
women and children in industry is due
to the insufficient wages paid to men.
The workingman, in many indus
tries, is no longer able to support a
family. If he marries, the family must
support itself, The wife is compelled
| to be Gage Garner. The children
are forced into the Industrial army at
an early age. Their education is ele-
mentary and limited. They are denied
the equipment which as citizens they
will need.
To what end in this destruction be-
ing worked? 1t piles higher the profits
OF the few only to sacrifice the man
hood and womanhOod of the many,
OF what benefit to mankind is the
creation of wealth if it does not bring
with it greater leisure to the masses
and raise them to a higher int, lectual
plane?
No civilization based on slavery has
ever endured!
With the machinery of production
and distribution which we now have,
there is no reason whatever that the
masses of the people should not live
better, should not be freer from the
pressure of want, should not have the
leisure and culture such as no people
ever before have realized:
Yet what do we find?
The struggle for existence was
never as intense as it is today. Men
are driven relentlessly at their tasks.
There lis no leisure. There is no rest,
save when it is enforced in time of
panic and brings with it suffering and
want instead of pleasurable re,axa-
ton. Industry is carried on at fever
ish pace. There is no hating. When
a man drops he is thrown asidezs
There is no time to revive him or
restore him to the ranks. There is no
new blood to take his place. The
young become old and the old-thJNe
are none.
We can we'll understand why the
man who, falling to grasp the ten
dency of our Industrial development
and the possibilities to socialize, the
vast productive powers that are now
EMPLOYED for exploitation and profit,
should look longingly backward to the
golden age of individualism. But the
I backwoOdsman, living his simple life,
free from care or stress or strain, as
sured isolated independence for him
self and an abundance for his family,
has passed, never to return.
| We have to deal with the problems
of today in the light of their environ
ment. One of our troubles has been
that whenever we have attempted to
deal with them in a modern way, we
have met with judicial veto from the
spirit of John Marshall. The judge
is still in the backwoods, though once
in while he emerges into the light
of day.
Judges have now come to recognize
some of them, at leastvAthat legisla-
ton affecting women workers Is not
unconstitutional. l. After awhile they
will come to see that legislation af-
fecting men who are employed in In
dustry is not unconstitutional-th
the same morality" involves the one
as involves the other.
The "materialism" of Socialism il
gaining ground.
/ The clergymen who has been pray
|
and women and -denouncing Socialism
as unchirstian, and irreligious, because
it insists that modes of production of
wealth and economic conditions play
an important part in determining con-
ventional morality and the morals OF
the individual, now has fine oppor-
tunity to join with the capitalist to
establish. his contention that men and
women are bad because they have
wicked hearts.
Let them prove to the legislature OF
Wisconsin, which Is going to invesu-
gate-that wages have nothing to do
with morality or home life-that eco
nomics and morals occupy different
spheres. ...-ss
Get busy, gentlemen. It's up to you.
Your defense of capitalism is going
q overheard faster than Jonah did in the
big storm.