The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-04-11
VOL. VII.
THE POSSIBLE REVOLUTION.

THE POSSIBLE REVOLUTION.
There IS such widespread discomfort
among working people, whether farm
ers or mechanics or day laborers or
artisans, that obseryant travellers are
disappointed each week that no terri
BILE enleute occurs. Strikes at Pitts
burgh and Scranton have been deemed
the precursors OF universal violence.
Organized mulutuies IN Eastern cities
for years past have proposed to dissolve
society and set up the commune. BY
what right, We are asked, does one
man hold broad acres eXclusivelyl He
has the same God-given right to mo
nopolize more than he can breathe of
the air of heaven or than he
can use of the water of the riV-
ers. Why should Vanderbilt, worse
in morals, and of depraved selfshness,
vast hosrdsl Must a hundred thou
sand people starve in order that half
| dozen VanderbIlts may riot IN riches,
and shall these coarse, unworthy peo-
pie retain this excess of wealth that
successive generations of the helpless
poor may continue to starve? II in
.dustry could gain bread by honest toll,
no such dangerous philosophy as this
would be approved. But a million
tramps and myriads of starving women
and children make the argument, in
popular eyes, unanswerable, and the ten
ure by which the rich hold abundance,
when the poor have not even resting
places for weary feet on Gods
broad footstool, becomes most inse-
cure. The law defines and asserts
property rights, but hunger and pitia-
bic poverty recognize no law, and at
this hour the collision between capital
and labor develops itself, most fortu-
nately for society and government, on
ly in the organization of greenback
clubs and in labor unions. The trampis
still harmless as he affects society
and is only dangerous to property aud
ballot-boxes. But how long will the
present state of facts and of social sys-
TENS endure2 No adequate remedy
has been dreamed of by Congress. 1t
builds, that labor may have employ
ment, no transcontinental railway. No
appreciable augmentation of the vol
ume of currency has been provided.
Property Is more salsble because hoard
ers of money anticipate an advance in
prices, and this arises from an antici-
pated increase of the quantity of cur
rency. Congress wastes its opportuni-
ties, and the President and his Cabinet
know nothing of the dangers that beset
the government. Washington, the gay,
vicious and luxurious capital, has no
intercourse with the substratum of So
ciety throughout the United States. In
truth there are many, like Conkling
and Blaine, who contemplate with in
finite satisfaction, and would gladly
precipitste the conflict between the
rich and the poor, the Varderbilts aud
the commune. The army will be used
the powerful, centralized Federal gov
eminent will interpose its authority;
the President and Congress will coop
crate with Wall street and the life
blood be speedily crushed out of this
second great rebellion. Such are the
| plans of the leaders of the East and with
these they cooperate most effectively,
and most unwisely, who would make
the South conspicuous ia this budding
conflict between labor and capital, be-
tween the republic and the empire.
Whenever the struggle is inaugurated
anarchy instantly supervenes, and it
will be sought in the East to give the
| contest sectional character, and even
now Howe, of Wisconsin, plays his
little part in the possible revolution by
appealing to the passions and. hates
and vices of Northern and Southern
sectionalism. The danger is that Conk
ling and Howe and Blaine will have
intellectual force enough and reprcsen-
tstives of the South pitiable weakness
enough to suffer the revolt of labor
and poverty against bonds and plutoc-
racy to be perverted in the eyes of
mankind. 1t will be deemed renew
al OF the old sectional conflict. If this
object of Conk ing be attained Fed
eral despotism will at last be founded
| on the ruins of the Confcderacy. If,
on the other hand, Howe ard his coad-
tutors fail of their purpose and Sec
tionalism, as the South is affected by
it, be eviscerated from the contest and
parties to the collision have Eastern
aud Western rather than Northern and
Southern distinctiveness, the end will
be the speedy and complete tri-
umph of the West and the
maintenance of pure republican,
ism in government. Every thoughtful
citizen of the United States who sees
dangers incident to the condition of
society, to the poverty and discomfort,
and sufferings Of the poor, to the DOM
iuserisg. ssl6sh spirit of the rich and
the tendency to consolidation evolved
- every act of the central government
every citizen contemplating these
! acts and dangers and possibilities
6nld have the South stand aloof and
l<elain silent. The creation here of a
<1back narty and its noisy demon
.i1livepesl would cause the first and
>.a<st blows OF Federal power to be
4 1'.1 At The South. Communism here
&o4ld 81 led in the eyes of the
r,61 niu.I..ude With secessionism,
81 Iht whole force of half spent pas
,.s foNhic5 RNe and eonkling aud
3 IS nc I6zSrer 1aer and appeal
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