Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-10-24
correspondence.
Letter from White River Junction.
White River Junction, !

Oct. 22nd, 1877.
Mr.. EDrToR-The Reform Club is
some like the Republican party
They are bound to speculate if it takes
their pelt. The big toads take the
money and the little pollywogs stand,
SILVER and shake, and look with long,
ing eyes, as much as to say, do pray,
give little pollywog some. 1t is so
throughout the world, the igreat bugs
swallow the little bugs without so
much as greasing their ears During
the la:e presidential campaign the big
Republican party tried with might
and main to swallow, hip and thigh,
the Glittle Democratic party. They
succeeded in getting them about half
way down when they stuck fast, and
have remained in that position up to
the present day, and at times have
nearly been the cause of i!.eir death.
And | sincerely believe that before
three more years roll around, the poor
forsaken sinners will die Of suffocation
caused by endeavoring to swallow the
Democratic party, God grant it may
be so.
Since writing the above, | learn
that the Democrats of OHIO have
broken away and knocked the Re-
publicans of that State into cooked
up hat.
How is it, Mr.. Editor, about this
civil service reform, one Of the planks
in the Republican platform Is
there anything in it? If so, where
does it come in? Nowhere, only
during presidential campaign. l,
Mr.. Editor, have como TO the con.
clusion that it is a myth got up by
the Republican party and trumpeted
through the land for the purpose of
gaining poselytes. For as soon as an
election is over they take it from their
platform and lay it carefully away,
out of sight, until another election
comes around. Why so careful of it I?
Will it not bear the light of Jay p
If not, it is of no good. Therefore l
say it is myth, got up by the leaders
of that party to deceive the common
people.
The capitalists, MIR. Editor, are en-.
deavorlng to swallow tho laborers.-
In Europe they have nearly succeeded.
They have got them so near down
that their feet, alone, stick out. And
in this land OF equal rights the capital
lists are endeavoring to do the same
thing fit was not for capital trying
to swallow labor we should have had
no strikes among the laboring class.
Look at our corporations: is it the
laborer who is the most benefited by
them =? o no, surely not. The laborer
gets but small pittance, hardly
sufficient to keep soul and body to-
gether, while those who do but little,
reap the benefit, as far as dollars and
cents are concerned.
In England every thing of value Is
owned by capitalists. The real estate
is handed down by father to son,
from generation to generation. Aud
the laborer is obliged to rent the land
he cultivates, of the capitalists, and at
an exhorbltant price, frequently pay.
ing from thirty TO forty dollars rent
per acre. The capitalists Of England
employ Il large number of laborers,
but the pay is so small that the labor
er cAn scarcely keep starvation from
his door. But the capitalists say you
must live off from this small pittauce,
or starve. And rather than starve, a
large number leave their native land,
to seek homes in a strange land, far
from all they hold most dear Some
become street beggars and stoop to
every thing that is vile, and at last
steep their hand in the blood of their
fellow men.
D. AT the time Of the famine in Ire
land the provisions sent out by our
Government to that down trodden
people was taken by government Of
ficers (who by the way were capital
ists) and sold to poor laborers, and at
exhorbitant prices.
An old whig-republcan told me
that we never conld have good times
until the laborer was obliged to work
for fifty cents per day, and board him.
self. / told him that few such
scamps would damn any society.
Yours truly, n. r. G.