Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1916-08-10

1
should take your lives by causing YOU.
to toll too long, OF whether you SHOULD
/ have less than a living wage or be
protected against the evil of arbitrary
discharge. No human being ought to
have the power. When 1T is exercised.
1t can never be exercised on behalf of
the whole body polite, so the way out
is through the way of education.
A Private Press Is A Corrupt Press.
I want to say another thing to you,
and that is that 1 believe as firmly as
do that stand upon this platform
/ that a private press is a corrupt press.
1 don't mean that there are not honest
and earnest men at the head of the
great newspapers of this country, but
do say that a man that owns a news
paper always has some private finan-
cial interests to be conserved; # he has
nothing else, he has his own, which
depend upon the advertisers who give
| him his living; and If he declares for
a cause to which his advertisers are
antagonistic he knows that under the
present system his advertising patron
age will be- withdrawn and he will be
deprived Of a livelihood. So that edu-
cation is the solution of Industrial Ills
and the only education that is worth
while is giving the people the drama
of every day life just as it is in in
dustry explaining-giving the news OF
how the people live, etc, and I can
say to you that all of Gods children
| in this country can have a place in
that circle where there is happiness
and contentment, and even luxury
when you once establish a free press
in the United States Of America. CAP
plause.)
The White Light of Publicityo
Why, my friends, we have a little
commission with q small appropriation
that examines and points out the con-
dition of the lumber camps in the coast
states of the Northwest, which without
any legislation or anything else, i'm
mediately exalts the condition Of these
lumker camps. Our commission point
ed out the dep1orable conditions In the
Pullman industry, showing where the
employees who operated that industry
are not getting enough to live on, and
| Immediately, without any law, but I'M
der the white light of publicity, Rob
ert B. Lincoln, son of the great eman-
cipator, head Of the corporation that
has enslaved more negroes than his
father freed. Qaughter), declared. by
stroke Of his pen, that the men should
get their wages raised.
When we pointed out what the hours
I Of labor were in the most profitable In
dustry in the world-the Standard Oh
Company-our action was followed
without force Of law but simply by the
white light with an eight-hour day
at least that was their declaration.
When the awful conditions were point
| ed out in the State Of Colorado, when
| the awful crimes that were being per-
petrated against the people OF this
state were made known, the prison
doors flew open and John Lawson
walked out (app1ause)-not when we
| nointed It out, but when 1t was pointed
out to the world Within the last two
weeks the Supreme Court Of Colorado
denounced the Colorado Fuel & Iron
company and drove its tools from Of
| fee. (Applause.) I might state that
we have just closed one Of the most
| remarkable cases in which I had the
privilege Of bearing a humble part
the suit of two labor leaders for dam
ages against coal operator for
story that he bribed them with $4,000,
It was hard to get publicity for 1t. we
tried that case for five long weeks and
by the white light of publicity and by
inherent right, they walked from that
corrt room INDICATED men, and the
Ilahor movement Of this country we'll
knows that In the great southwest the
coal industry is based upon bribery,
and crime and perjury and violation OF
the law. You cannot find that in any
newspaper in this country, but IN
,naper operated by the people such
things would be published as they
ought to be published, being as they
/ are Of the most vital news interest.
What do we want to know? We
don't want to read of men fighting
each other, to preserve the traditions
of some scrofulous and decadent royal
family:. we don't care to hear about
General This and General That, MAIN
ling somebody else on the battlefield
we want to know how the people live
what is their everyday life. and in
general to profit as far as possible by
the lessons Of history and make the
people that follow US benefit by our
efforts to advance the well-being Of
humanity.
4 The Labor Press
The only possible hope of this coun-
try today is it's labor press. The Com
mittee on Industrial Relations issues
bulletins upon all the important sub
jects to which it gives attention and
these bulletins are sure Of publication
in the labor press.
1 hope that the labor press in this
country is the forerunner of free
daily press that will publish all news;
that will have the best news service
that any papers have in ting United
States of America, and when they are
established through the power OF the
people-they will be supported not
only by workers in crafts, but by large
business men, tenant farmers, land
owners that are not exploiters. etc,
Ietc.-they will insure sufficient adver-
Using patronage and every other sup
port that will insure their being pre-
eminently successful. / believe that
| is the principal basis Of a f1rmer foun-
dation for the fundamentals Of free
government. I believe it would carry
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