WILL MAUPIN'S WEEKLY
THE REFORMER.
. Rev. Charles Stelzle Interestingly Dis
cusses His Personality.
" On all sides one hears of measures
for solving the "social question."
Hard, cold remedies, they offer, some
times dust-covered and lifeless as a
geometric problem. No blood, no
pulse, no heart-beat.
Forgotten is the fact that this is
an intensely human problem, having
to do not only with statistics and com
putations, but more than this, and
most of all, with real men and wo
men. The beautiful schemes which
read so well in book and magazine,
which sound so plausible from lecture
platform and public desk, go all to
pieces when applied to flesh and
blood men, because they leave out
altogether the element of human na
ture. Some social schemes fail because
they are presented by those who lack
the peculiar personality which is ne
cessary in order to impress others.
They do not inspire con'fidence. They
do not impart hope. They sound a
dismal note. The pessmist is never
a success as a reformer.
Some social schemes fail because
of the immoral character of their ad
vocates. They may rally about them
selves a few kindred spirits. They
may issue a few propaganda pam
phlets. They may even print a news
paper which shall become the organ
of their party, thus giving an im
pression of great influence. Often,
too, they may for a time win fol
lowers who are the victims of every
new fad and fancy. But soon there
comes a Waterloo, because no social
scheme can permanently win the peo
ple which hasn't back of it the
strength of a moral purpose.
Failure there is, also, because of a
lack of aggressiveness. Men are not
waiting to be reformed. They are
not running about seeking help or
advice. They do not readily listen
to a new voice. . Often, they will not
heed the one that is old, though good,
because it has become a monotone.
It has lost its cheer and brightness.
And so, indifference must be met
by a loyalty and a devotion to one's
dream, which will prove one's sincer
ity. It must be met by the spirit
of the prophet, who feels that he has
a mesage for men. It must be met
by the fire of enthusiasm which shall
consume not only the criticisms and
the objections of the people them
selves, but which will burn up the
dross in one's own character, so that
the dream of the reformer for others'
good, may become so vital a part of
his own life, that he himself shall
become the incarnation of the vision
which he saw in his most inspired
mood.
SHORT BITS.
Deliberately Swiped From the Port
land Labor Press.
To lose the lockout against union
machinists, the Baltimore Ohio rail
road spent seven million plunks.
For many years the burden of sus
taining the fight against the union
smashers of Los Angeles has been
carried by the local unions of all kinds
and the International Typographical
Union. The A. F. of L. is now in the
ring, and innocent union men will no
longer be railroaded to jail for want
of means to perfect appeals.
Mayor Seidel of Milwaukee declares
that the vilianous sports who make
victims of working girls must cease
operations. Surely he does not expect
those moneyed devils to make vie
tims of daughters of the rich. What
sort of a government is this Socialist
going to have if working girls are
protected from assault and degreda
tion? The "closed shop" is the anti-union
shop. A shop manned by union men
is always open to an honest and
capable worker. It is only the self
styled "open shop" that is closed to
self-respecting and competent me
chanics. The only shops in Portland
that slam the door on men who are
capable and competent are some of
the so-called "open shops" that think
it wise to fight organized labor.
The pure food laws have made the
manufacturer to take notice, who uses
his profits to abuse and fight organ
ized labor, come through and admit
that molasses and "parts of wheat"
compose his dope. The story of stale
bread and 'lasses may have had strong
foundation. Cut the stuff out. There's
a reason."
Lorimer is just as clean as the 46
who voted to accept him as a brother
and member of the Boodlers' and Mil
lionaires' American House of Lords.
There are lots of politicians and
even eminent statesmen, who are an
xious to see the initiative and referen
dum adopted by every other state but
their own.
A bread line a block and half long
is one of the institutions of New York.
It is a continual interrogation point
regarding tariff prosperity.
We have 1,000 trusts ia the United
States. If they will go to swallowing
one another we will have left one
as big as the 1,000 are now.
Boiler makers on eastern railroads
anticipate the extension of the
troubles on the Lake Shore line.
Strikebreakers and guns and all the
accessories of a union-smashing fight
have shown up.
THE PRESSMEN.
Although the membership of the I.
P. P. and A. U. recently voted to hold
biennial conventions, the board of di
rectors has ordered that a convention
be called this year to meet at Rogers
ville, Tenn., beginning June 19. This
action was taken in order to enable
the delegates and visitors to learn the
progress that has been made in the
matter of building the union press
men and feeders' home at Holly
Springs, and also to express the wish
of the membership regarding the mat
ter of renewing the agreement -with
the American Newspaper Publishers
association, which expires on May 1,
1912. Secretary Crowley announces
that work is proceeding rapidly on the
house buildings, and that, on acocunt
of plenty of lumber, stone, sand, etc.,
having been found on the land, the
cost of construction, as estimated by
five reputable bidders, was reduced
almost one-half. The main building
and the technical school will be fin
ished by convention time and the
tuberculosis sanatorium will be under
way.
OKLAHOMA CITY STRIKE.
The managers of the Oklahoma City
street railway company made a con
tract with its employes and then pro
ceeded to break it. As a result the
strike was resumed almost before it
ended. . The company tried to import
a gang of armed thugs to act as
strikebreakers, but it so happens that
the Oklahoman unionists were on
watch when that state's constitution
was drawn, and armed strikebreakers
are jailed the minute they show up.
For a week street cars did not turn a
wheel, and the public good naturedly
stood by the strikers. At the time of
this writing the matter is still un
settled. The militia was ordered out
once, but Governor Cruce recalled the
order.
t
CHILD LABOR.
Throughout nature there Is
nothing so woefully appalling,
nothing so brutally cruel or so
horrible, as the spectacle pre
sented by the human species
when for profit it exploits and
sacrifices its own offspring.
All other creatures exercise
the greatest care and watchful
ness over theirs, safeguarding
them from every harm and
when occafiion demands it giv
ing up their lives that their
young may live. Even birds of
prey have been known to pick
the flesh fMm their own breasts
to feed taeir starving fledge
lings. The entire brute creation in
stinctively protects the young,
as if in obedience to some natu
ral law, and it Is not until man
Is reached in his highest devel
opment that this law is violated.
It Is not until civilization in
what we claim to be its highest
type is reached that man, with a
full knowledge. of what he is do
ing, grinds the bone, blood and
flesh of his children into money.
With a brutality that is strictly
human he cheerfully offers up
his children as a sacrifice upon
the altar of Mammon. For the
sake of profit be does what the
lower animals will sacrifice their
lives to prevent.
Nowhere In all nature can the
horror be duplicated; nowhere is
there such a terrible example of
debased depravity as that pre
sented by child labor.
. .f .. W
WAGES FOR CONVICTS.
New Jersey Commissioner Would Pay
Prisoners For Work.
Dr. George B. Wight, state commis
sioner of charities and corrections, de
clares that convicts should receive
wages for the work they do In the New
Jersey state prison. In his annual re
port he recommends that tbey receive
a certain sum daily and that this should
be either sent to their families or put
In savings banks for "them".
In discussing the charitable and pe
nal institutions of New Jersey Dr.
Wight says:
"In common, I think, with the major
ity of our citizens, I believe that In
mates of penal institutions should, so
far as health and age permit, be given
suitable employment to assist in their
maintenance and the convict placed
upon such remuneration work as will
pay his board and the cost of his con
viction. "In a number of states the prisoners
earnings bring to their treasuries large
sums of money, sufficient In two in
stances, I am informed, to pay not only
all the current expenses of the institu
tions, but to erect new buildings. I do
not cite these as examples, for I do not
believe that our penal institutions
should be for commercial purposes, but
I do not believe in the steady employ
ment of the prisoner for compensation.
Idleness will not aid in his reformation
nor Improve his physical condition, nor
will it help the family he has left be
hind, deprived of his support
"While in prison he should be re
quired to earn his board and a fixed
sum as to the cost of his conviction,
and with that the state should be con
tent. All that he earns in excess of
this should be applied to the support
of his family, If he has one, under
such conditions and in such manner
as may be determined, and if he has
no family worthy of his support his
earnings should be placed in the sav
ings bank to be paid him upon his re
lease, in monthly installments if deem
ed best, that he may have a fair
chance to earn an honest livelihood."
Before Unions Interfered.
In the office of the Browne & Sharpe
Manufacturing company of Provi
dence, R. I., hangs a copy of the
scneauie or rne nours or labor required
by the Providence Machine company
when Mr. Sharpe's father was em
ployed there in 1847-88. Except dur
ing May, June and July, when it be
gan at 4:55, work began at sunrise.
Workmen had their breakfast before
beginning the day's work only in the
months of November, December, Jan
uary and February. During the rest
of the year breakfast was served any
where from 6:30 to 7:30, and forty min
utes only were allowed for It. Seven
o'clock was the average time for end
ing the day's work.
Is There a Santa Claus?
"Is there a Santa Claus?" she asked.
"Come, daddy, tell me true.
I heard today the good old saint
Is really, truly you;
That no one down our chimney comes
To little girls and boys;
That you and mamma really buy
My dollies and my toys."
I held her on my knee and gazed
Into her searching eyes.
Somehow I've felt this time would come.
This question would arise,
And yet, I pondered to myself.
What shall I say or do?
And then I answered: "Yes, there Is
A Santa Claus for you.
"He comes to you on Christmas eve.
But let me tell you this:
He's with you when you hug your dad
And when his cheek you kiss.
He's with you when you say your prayers
To God, who reigns above.
Sometimes he has another name.
We grown folks call him Love.
"You keep your faith in Santa Claus
When others bid you doubt.
You still retain your faith In him.
Let not belief die out.
And what you heard today is wrong."
I felt the teardrops start.
"Yes, yes, there is a Santa Claus.
He lives in.-daddy's heart."
Ttroit Free Press.
. None to Do the Chores.
More than four million people are
estimated to attend moving . picture
shows in the United States every day.
No wonder it is getting so hard to find
somebody willing to do the chores.