The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1934-12-06
Gradatim Club Members Re-
quest Publication of Article
In Herald

mun1Sm was recently delivered De-
fore the Gradatim Club by Mrs. w.
X. Couch, who resides on Third
Street West, this city. It is here
with published at the request of
several members of that club:
One Sunday afternoon in 1918 a
little baby boy arrived in the home
Of one of the well-to-do parishion-
ers Of a Great Protestant Church.
The newly converted Jews to
Christianity to whom this supposed
blessing had occurred did not for
one moment realize that this little
bundle Of crying humanity would be
pictured as thunder and lightning
by the whole world, that each of his
cries would be heard as high as the
Heavens in direct protest against
all it's sims as well as the policies
of the earth here below. This little
bundle Of humanity was Karl Marx
the first Communist.
AS Karl Marx was growing to
boyhood he was wise, alert, and
nothing missed his eyes and ears
he sat and listened to the cases in
court, many times his father being
the attorney, and for few mo-
ments I will attempt to give you
the exact proceedings in a case
tried in 1882, just one of the many
such cases that came to his ears.
I have chosen this one for I want
to show you the laboring condi-
tons Of his time.
Where do you live? r.
At Leeds.
What time did you begin to
work at factory!
When was six years old?
At whose factory did you work?
Mr.. Busk's. '
What kind of a mill is it.?
Flax-mill.
What was your business in that
mill.
] was a little doffer.
What were your hours of labor
in that mill?
From five in the morning till
nine at night, when they were
thronged.
You are considerably deformed in
person in consequence of this Ia
Dor?
Yes, I am
At what time did it come on?
was about 13 years old when it
began coming, and it has got worse
since; it is five years since my
mother died, and my mother was
never able to get me a pair of good
stays to hold me up, and when my
died had to do for myself,
and got me pair.
Were you perfectly straight and
healthy before you worked at the
mill?
Yes, I was as straight a little girl
as ever went up or down town.
Were you straight until you were
thirteen?
Yes, I was.
Have you been attended to by
any medical gentleman at Leeds or
in the neighborhood?
Yes, I have been under Mr..
Hares.
To what did he attribute It?
He said that it was owing to hard
labor and working in the factories"
Of course such working condi-
tons had a fearful effect on the
children of England.
In the meantime Karl Marx was
growing a little older, a little
stronged and his vision a little
thunder had begun to
roll over Europe. ALREADY Karl
Marx was considered too radical to
be allowed to enter the University
his education had to be provided
by private tutors-he became a
lawyer, also a Doctor Of Philosophy.
And 1t was Karl Marx who raised
the question. What has been the
matter with the church-permitting
such things to exist. What have
they been doing while the innocent
little children wash the streets with
their tears on the way to factories.
Marx recalls the Anto-Slavery So
city in the church, renowned for
its enthusiasm, whose members
were forever protesting a zeal for
temperance and reformation. He
reckoned with the Missionary So
ciety whose members were forever
striving to outrun their neighbors
in missionary exertions and who
were most anxious to send the BIZ
BILE to the farthest corners of the
earth. And while intelligent men
cried for reform the church was
content with things as they were.
Bishops and clergy furiously OPP
posed the spirit of progress. This
attitude aroused not only Karl
Marx but all England There were
whispers of rebellion Men said
the Crown care not for us-only
4Ng5sfAA2sn sA4