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

er or not, at the request or the Ma
tional Chamber of Commerce that is
seeking to advise you men today, he
would finance the entire publication of
'"The Nations Business" and after Mr.
Rockefeller had engaged Mr. Lee, who
is known asa publicly expert, and who
probably had some personal desires at
stake in the matter, he concluded that
1.-THE Nations Business and the Ma
tional Chamber of Commerce were be-
low the dealings of their mighty or
ganization, and told them that they
would have nothing to do with them
National Chambers Proposition.
Now, let's see what the proposition
of the National Chamber of Commerce
is, because 1t is the only new thing
I see to develop in this case. 1t is
that you should submit the question as
to how long you should work to the
Interstate Commerce Commission of
the United States. Now I know many
of these gentlemen-perhaps all of
them-one or two Of them are my very
dear friends, and they are good men,
as men go, but want to say, without
any reflection upon them, If the work
ing people Of this country ever sur.
render one atom Of what they have
gained in economic power during the
years Of struggle and bloodshed and
suffering and starvation. $ through
which they have passed, to any polite
al body upon the face Of the earth,
they deserve to be slaves. (Applause)
Economic Independence.
I believe. my friends, that this march
for the eight-hour day can not be
checked I believe that your example
Is going to show, not only to the
workers of this country. but to all Of
the people Of this country-to the
small business man and to the large
business man that. an Intelligent and
free industrial manhood, an economic
ally Independent body Of workers, Is
the greatest thing for all Of the people
What good Is a man to a community
II he is making only enough to keep
life in his body? What good to the
retail 1ewe1er or tailor was the man
that was struggling as a switchman,
say, thirty years ago, for $50 a month
what good was he to his community?
But give him what he ought to earn
$3.50 or $170 per monitor what
ever it may be, and Immediately he be-
comes important to the whole business
of that community. He patronizes the
tailor; patrenizes the jeweler; he buys
a piece of property and patronizes the
real estate man; he becomes an OBJ
Ject of tender solicitation on the part
Of the jeweler when his daughter has
birthday Qaughter) or his son gets
married or his wife desires something
that demands at least a modicum Of
HA1S
could only be brought about perhaps
by the presentation Of raise in wage.
(Laughter)
And, again, he becomes a powerful
unit in the community for the great
manufacturer; If there is a great re-
tail demand, Of course there Is a
wholesale demand.
If the present enormous number OF
casu1ties resulting in such an appall-
ing death rate occur under existing
conditions on the railroads Of this
country, what will happen II they en-
deavor to operate these roads with un-
skilled men in case Of a strike, and
you, who know all about safety upon
the railroads Of these United States,
know that they are asking these men
not only to scab upon their brothers,
but to kill themselves, because many
Of them would lose their own lives in
the effort, and would perhaps destroy
number1ess lives of INNOCENT passen-
gers and thousands Of dollars worth
Of property to the shippers.
Semf-MOnthIy Magazine
Progressive Step.
It Is a matter af education If
were asked what you did that was the
most important thing in your entire
Convention here, I would say that 1t
was your decision, as understand It,
that your magazine is to be published
twice a month instead of once a month.
(App1ause.) NY friends, hear frag-
ments Of every doctrinaire on industry
and economics in the United States, SO
had sepitomized for the Commission
and myself all the explanations, the
findings Of courts in the United States,
ETC.. and want to say to you that
there is no scheme that can be de-
vised by 1aw-there Is no system that
can be instituted by any board that
will make workers free and independ-
ent: they must absolutely depend upon
their own intelligence and their own
power to bring about improved condi-
lions for themselves. (App1ause.)
"Foundatlons Made Possible by
Wages Kept From Toilers.
So stand here today and know
that I may be criticized for saying that
Fundamentally am opposed to char
ity Every dollar given to a ".founda-
ton" is taken from the productive
workers, and III Is unearned wages
kept away from the toilers, as John
r.. Lawson so well said before our
Commission in the city Of New York.
cloud Applause.) Every dollar given
to a hospital is putting the lives Of
citizens in private hands. The laws Of
this country-the fundamental Jaw
gives US the right to live. It should
not be a matter Of private charity;
there should be great hospitals in this
country, such as you have for your
selves in some communities. kept up
by all Of the people where the life Of
the smallest and humblest person in
the community would be looked after
with all of the skill and care that any
person could buy for q million dollars
Charity An Obstacle to Progress.
Organized charity, as 1t is today. is
an obstacle to progress along the line
OF. real relief for conditions When