The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-01-26

Our Valley 10 pretty we'll abroad
Its moisture, its Soap creek, its soil,
Its ~plunping red apples, its beautiful girls,
Its generous. whOls-heaFted style
Theru's afaiura ahead for US, radiant with hope
Rich development, after . while;
When the mines are well worked, and the soil Is
we'll titled,
Twill be hard to beat Oregon style.
In scanning the wide field of human
society in America, in search of popular
shams, perhaps there is no ono subject
which presents such mountain peaks of
social deformity as that of caste. It rises
up, Mt. Hood like, in q social structure
whose base is laid on the assumption that
all men are created equal. theoretically
it is ev~erybody's doctrine that at least all
white men are endowed with equal rights.
Practically it is the doctrine Of the ma
jority that the poor mans rights consist
in serving the rich man. Class-superiority
is rejected in theory-it is endorsed in
practice. We saythat we are democrats;
we prove that we are aristocrats. If you
will show me a town of 10000, I will
show you a caste for a thousand. Cliques,
circles and sets all attain to that extent in
our large cities, that a w~orking-man is
just as much shut out from what is called
society, as though he shouldbe in London
or Calcutta. He is banished, for the de-
Element of labor is on his dress, its vile
degradation on its hands. Do you ask
how I know? Because, sir, I have felt
Its crushing power. Our doctrine is
equality; q practice tends towards caste,
and that, too, as surely as the waters tend
toward the ocean. Spread-eagle equality
rhetoric sounds very we'll, but I challenge
you to show me the place on the continent
where the laborer is socially equal to his
master. ! use the term master adyisedly:
it expresses the state Of the case. Can
you point to one place where the banker
associates with the drayman? How many
blacksmiths or shoemakers do you End in
our merchants parlors! In what city Of
this eag4e-bird country does the million
aire strike equal hands with his white
serf? Does brown-stone frcat condescend
to notice wash-tub alley? How many of
the sweaty sons of toll aver get to see the
color of Fifth Avenue carpets? What
coarse-5oOted laborer knows anything
about the ton? Are you aware to what
extent the fresh-collared clerk has his
OlfactOries disturbed by the passing de-
Element of some greasy artizan? Did
you eve hear of smelling a mechanic
through a ten-inch wall ?" You shake
your head at such plain talk, but you
know Its truth.
And is there any ''upper ten" in Ore
gon? Why, it is probably true thatthere
is as little aristOcracy here as in any place
in the round world. But even here we
are sometimes obliged to listen to the
sickly sentimentalism of these would-be
aristocrats. I will give you a specimen i:
Not long ago I heard a dawdling Angus
tus get off the following: "There AYR no
legitimate merchants on this coast; they
have all spwung fSom fawmers, black
smiths, ~cawpentaws, or some of those low
callingsw This, too, in a clerical estab-
ishment, and the sympathy of that set was
in that direction. Why, in the name of
Heaven, was not our Savior, Himself. an
artizan :? and what a monstrCus folly it is
to build up an aristoeratic edifce on the
plebian foundations which He laid. What
an utter absurdity it is to adopt the radi-
cal socialistie theory of Christ, and still
be practical apologists of caste. And yet
this is fashionable christianity. If you en-
joy the humorous, just imagine some of
those old apostolic fishermen and tent-mak-
ers trying to get a front seat 10 Trinity
Church, N. Y. The sexton would not be
long in fishing them out a back seat. What
minister ofa rich congregation would have
the courage to preach from the FIRST part OF
the End epistle of James? And so, IN
spite Of declarations and constitutions, the
rich rule and grow richer, and the poor bow
down and grow poorer. Population be-
more dense, wealth and power centre
In the few, aud the many serve. A train
ofinnumetable evils follows the accumula-
ton of power. You say it is not here yet.
But, sir, it takes no prophet to surely pre-.
dict its coming. The serf will as surely yet
serve his master in Oregon. as Is the fact
that money accumulates in the hands ofthe
few-and money is power. Don't tell me of
the ballot-box money buys it. The rich
few make the miserable many-ciyI rights
or no civil rights. Your legislation Is all
surface-work. Preach, lecture, s~atirize.
do what you will, men win never have
equal rights until they have equal money
never, never! Now, you descry SOCIAL.
ism no larger han a mans hand. I would
to God it overspread the whole social
heavens; for herein is salvation free. A
judicious system Of socialism is the only
temporal hope of the human race. And
the light is breaking in that direction. 1t
Is safe to say that there are more commu-
mites In successful operation now than
ever before in the worlds history. Regu.
lated Socialism is a success, I need not
produce casess but there is one very near
us. DutchtoWn is well known ; and who
viii show me as happya people anywhere?
Iasked one of them If he ever got any
money. "Money!" said he "what do /
want Of mopey 90 Tiers Is a volume of
meaning in that expression. IF you don't
want money, you are free from four-ffths
Of life's cares and temptations. Sure
enough, what did he want Of money? He
had food, shelter, books, schools, protec-
ton Of life and pleasant society. What
more need be desired? No wonder they
have the best band of music in the State !
There is music-glorious music-in the
soul, when freed from this corroding lust
of power. But let that enter the mind,
and music takes fight, on her celestial
wings, to other hearts. But, it is said that
some communities have failed. Very true ;
and so has the application of MANY eternal