The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-02-07

Organized Labor; Pledged to Eradicate It.

-, Il 80 6OA4AVO Il0UOx. xAoy
:, About the most disgusting thing in
the world is to hear someone attempt
to prove by the Bible that poverty Is
a necessary and inevitable condition
| Indeed, that lis the last place. to go
for the Affirmative OF such a PROPOSE
ton. ...> - = s. i =.
In. the very first book Of the Bible
we read that God said: Let us make
man In our image, after our likeness;
| and let them have dominion over the
fowl Of the air, and over the fish of
the sea, and over tn" cattle, and
! over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that. creepeth upon
the EARTH" 49, ~ -'a
According to- the Bible, God made
this, world for man. He made plenty
for everyone and everything. We are
all the children, Of God. He is no re-
specter, OF persons It is His will that
all shall enjoy to the utmost their In
heritance. both in this world and in
the world to come. .:....:
The. Bible does not teach that this
world Is a bloody arena in, which
the masses are to be tortured for the
amusement or advantage Of the mas
tiers, lords and rulers, of the land"
but: for a great kingdom in which
plenty Is prepared for all, and the
purpose OF It's ruler lis that its in
habitants shall enjoy the utmost of
life, liberty and happiness and ex-
press the utmost Of social harmony
| and efficiency. 49,.
| In the fourteenth chapter Of Luke,
a. certain man has made a great
feast-not a. famine, not condition
Of. starvation, but a feast. He does
not send out for the 400, but for ev-
erybody, including the poor the lame,
the halt, the blind. He does not
crowded or imposed upon, but that
they will not come in and fill up the
room and eat up the food. He has
plenty. for everybody: There is room
for all. He wants his house filled and
his tables enptied. He is a royal
and lavish host. ..>
Is there plenty in this country to-
day, or il the picture of the Bible
only an empty imagery?
Senator Beveridge says: I'VE have
more than enough to supply every
human being beneath the flag. There
ought not to be in this republic a
single unemployed ,workman,s a sim
gle united child"
That Is his story, of plenty. And
every word Of, it is true. -. 49,.
Now look at his story, of poverty.
"And YET" he says, lin spite Of the
favors which Providence has show
cred upon ue, the living Of the peo-
pie Is the problem OF the hour. Hun.
dreds of thousands Of hard-working
Americans find it difficult, to get
enough to live on. The average in
come of an American laborer is less
than $500 a year With this he
must furnish food, shelter and cloth
ing for, a. family - j. =. 5,.., $50
| Only. the other day. DR.. Arthur
James Todd of the University Of I'LL
nois said: 1T may shock our ma
! tional vanity, but it is true. neverthe-
less, that from 10 TO- 20 per cent OF
our fellow Americans, are in real dis
tress; that 20 to 80 per cent are hv-
ing constantly below a physical eff.
cheney minimum, and that even a
higher percentage do. not receive an
income sufficient to maintain either
economic or social efficiency"
Herbert Spencer says: "All >phe.
nomena displayed by a nation are
phenomena OF life, and are depend
ent on the laws of life This is true
Of every social organism. -
Poverty is not a local condition. II
is not an individual. ailment. It is
not the result Of individual shiftless-
ness or folly. These are only symp.
toms. :. -
Poverty is a disease Of the social
body. tits the result. OF causes that
must be removed before the body
can. be healthy-reallyz prosperous. ::
Not long ago Lloyd George. Eng
lands chancellor Of the exchequer
said: What does poverty mean? II
means that men haven't enough to
purchase the barest necessaries !, OF
life for themselves and children
4 In speaking Of his country. he laid
bare the very core Of the condition;
One fourth Of the population Of this
country. even in times. of prosperity,
are living under conditions Of poverty
thus defined" - 49,. -: =
A. healthy body is a body in which
health reaches to every part and to
every atom. In OUR social body, pros
perity* does not mean a. plenty for
every class and for every individual
1t means Increased plenty for the
few and increased poverty for the
many. r@4y;}~.<">E~>
TN spite Of the greatest extrava.
gance and idleness,," It,: has been
pointed out. there are rnillionaires
who cannot, get poor: and In spite so1
the greatest industry and thrift, there
are working men who cannot get out
Of debt - >E', ;: ,tss; :. =. la, !, -: 1
This sis the stunning fact: Of. the
disease OF poverty. r !. .z..,,.;--;;
| The Declaration OF Independence
lays down as the basis OF human
rights life, liberty and happiness.
Organized Labor lays down as the
basis Of human existence. itself THAI
the people must have clothes and
shelter. and that the f1rst concern al