The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1873-09-11

tunes. This landed proprietership ID
but one step in advance Of the old manor
rule of England. as it brings the small!
landowners and humble cultivators OF
the soil, by thus scattering their forces,
under the almost complete dominion Of
those rich modern lords. Nothing hind
ers them from bottling up Gods free
sunshine and atmosphere and dealing II
out to the poor laborcr at dollar bot
tie or FIVE dollars per half dozen-as 40
our kind doctors their drugs-but in
ability. 1t is but species Of plumber in
vogue in all past ages, whore barbarism
has been in the ascendant and the divine
right Of property consisted in being
stronger than their ueighbors. Under
an equitable condition of affaias no man
will claim the soil except those who wish
tn nroducs raiment for the naked and
food for the hungry.
Next come our commercial class, who
pile wealth upon wealth by buying
cheaply the productions Of foreign labor
and selling dearly TO home consumers.
Those who leave home and friends that
they may labor on the deep through the
burning sun of torrid, or through the
bitter cold OF temperate zones, receive
but small percentage thus wrung from
the productive toll OF all nations. In
stead of claiming just STARE in all COM
mercial exchanges and passing over to
others who earn the wealth the remain
der, they press every bargain as closely
as possible, that they also may revel in
wealth and luxury earned by the pro-
Queer. Tho acme of human perfection
with them is to live in splendor and die
beside accumulated millions, though
those who have buffeted wind and storm
for their selfish ACCOMPLISHMENT live in
squalor and die in rags. They erect pa
latial residences and maintain all neces-
sary surroundings to lite of afiiuence
and ease.
By combination of all classes of the
absorbants of others wealth, enormous
fashionable churches are built, in which
pews command premium OF thousands
of dollars, while the least desirable sell
for several hundred. Farmers and me-
chanics cannot afford to pay several
hundred dollars yearly, to keep up this
gorgeous show of carved stone, frescoed
walls and stained glass, SO they leave
these robbers of the poor to worship
comfortably in their cushioned seats,
with satisfied consciences, while they go
forth in field, forest Or park to commune
with God, or gather at the free libraries
and reading rooms-whirh they haze
by their persistency and wisdom forced
open on Sunday. Because Of the weak
ness and ignorance of the producers OF
wealth the above classes have enumer-
ated manufacture law to please their
sordid love of gain and on the consecrat.
ed altar they erect tho golden calf, and
thus far nearly all men have fallen down
and worshipped. Not only law and re-
Iirion, but science and art seem prosti.
tuted 10 this selfish desire tor gain and
the rsquireme: of fashionable show.
This unequal condition of things is but
a relic of the old Feudal system, which
for long time seemed completely and
unchangeably interwoven into the very
fabric OF European society, and finds its
counterpart in the chattle slavery so re-
Gently abolished in the South.
Who says there 10 no need of throw
ing off this old worn-out diseased body
of an effete civilization, and Of human
labor assuming higher form OF far
more beautiful proportions, more equal
and just in all its parts and much better
calculated to dignity an ennoble the soul
of productive industry, while it will pu'
rify, elevate and more fully educate the
laboring classes. b. A. FARMER.