The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1878-02-07
For the Eagle.
Capital vs.. Labor.

For the Eagle.
Capital vs.. Labor.
ED. EAGLE:-Slowly, but surely,
the sovereign people of the United
States are awakening to sense of tho
deplorable condition of servitude into
which they have been inveigled by the
cunniDgly devised schemes of the de-
signing confidence men" who have
arrogated to themselves the right to
direct and control the financial affairs
of the Nation. Like lambs before
their shearers, they have tamely sub
mitted TO be led by the nose and have
their fleeces taken from their backs,
and now they make the cheerful dis
covery that the silver is not worth its
weight in old horseshoes. A portion
of the people, TO be sure, more observ-
ing, more sensitive, or unfavorably
situated than the great mass of the
producers have from time to time re-
solved, petitioned, and appealed to
the aw-making powers to consider
their grievances and protect them
from the harsh and oppressive en-
croachments of capital. But their
appeals have fallen upon deaf ears,
and their petitions been Ignored.
Others, moro impulsive, have raised
in omen riot to assert their rights, but
have been vanquished and overcome
by force of arms, and denounced as
communists, highway-men, cut-throats
ETC., ETC., by portion-of the press and
all those whose interest it was to SO
dcnounce them, But capital has gone
on terrifying, intrenching, and carry
ing forward its conquests against la
Dor until its baleful influence is being
severely felt in every hamlet and cot
tage throughout the land.
The masses of the people have been
warned of this time and again. But
they have voted bonds, and donated
their lands and their money. and
placed their interests in the hands of
Col. Mulberry & Co., needless of the
consequences they have been seized
with frantic desire to become debt
ors to somebody, it mattered not to
whom or for what purpose, and they
have kept plodding on on the road to
ruin, in careless indifference, seeming
ingly oblivious, to the influences at
work to secure their bondage. But
since the silver of the country has been
debased as debt-paying commodity,
and over one hundred millions of the
paper currency has been retired from
circulation by pernicious Legislative
enactment, on purpose to depreciate
the valuation Of productions, and
causing them to meet their obligations
two-fold; when, as q consequence,
gaunt poverty begins TO stare them in
them in the face, they begin to realize |
the awful situation into which they !
have suffered themselves to be led |
An empty stomach and an empty !
pocket are far more convincing argu-
ments than all the eloquence that can
be spoken, or all that can be written.
We hear great deal about national
honor and national credit. have OBJ
served in my journey through life that
a mans inability to pay is about as
detrimental to his credit as his unwil-
ingness to pay, and if the present con-
dition of our financial affairs is TO con-
tinue, the people Will be unable to
meet the demands upon them and ex-
ist, and the history of the past teaches
us that when once an outraged people,
goaded on to desperation either by the
cruel edicts of despot, or the base,
treacherous and unholy legislation of
their own public servants, it might
happen in the course of human events
that there would not be one stone of
Wall street and its kindred dens left
upon another. | am no repudiator,
aud that proud title "a citizen of the
United States,n would lose all its
charms for me the day the people
would repudiate one dollar of their
honest obligations. But rather than
wear the yoke of oppression, chained
on my neck by fraud and villaiay,
death itself. in any form, would be
more acceptable.
Labor" has raised from the dust
child and called it Capitals" it has
nursed it at its breast, it has fed and
cared for it with untiring watchful-
ness and solicitude, that it might be
blessing to it. But it has been hug
ging to its bosom a fond delusion;
hat child has grown to be hydra
headed monster to tyrannize over and
cypress it.
Labor may as well understand first
as last, that if it would be free it must
light its own fight; it must superin-
end its own affairs in mass; it must
earn that every man has political
iuty to perform; that any man who
willingly neglects or refuses to per-
orm his share of that duty to the best
II his ability, is incapable of self
and unworthy of the
lights and privileges of freeman
t must learn that if every farmer and {
mechanic would invest $40 annually j
n support of the press. and pay in
ldvance, that their rights would have
more champions, aud their interests :
' onld be better looked after.
WEI. Ross.