The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-02-10
n RINGING LETTER.

n HlN0lNG LETTER.
Samuel Lydiard, of Long Lake, Hen
nlpen county, Minn.. writes US ring
ing letter in renewing his subscription
to the advance for another year, from
which we take the liberty to make the
subjoined extracts, though the letter
was not intended for publication. The
letter is one Of many endorsements of
the independent course of the AD-
VANCE and while we know that we
are condemned by narrow partizans, in
both politics and religion, we have nu-
merous assurances from all sides that
the liberal and progressive men every
where are heartily with us:
Enclosed please find $500 in payment
for the ADVANCE for another year. I
like the independence of your paper in
politics and religion. II the press
throughout the country would take the
same course, the rights of the masses
would not be so completely sacrificed to
the cupidity of the few.
We boast Of our Republican Govern
ment and free institutions, while the
fact is plain to any one who will take the
trouble to look, that our Government is
merely tool of All oligarchy of corpo.
rations to plumber and Cypress the PEG.
pie. The magnates of few railroads
exercise despotic sway over the prosper
lty of the west, shrinking the produc-
tions Of the farmer at will by 4 stroke
OF the pen, SO that with bare subsist-
ence he becomes virtually their slave.
Railroad Corporations are allowed to
water their stock to any extent and
make the people pay large divi-
dends on it; and yet this wholesale in
iquity which should consign the perpe-
traitors to prison for life, is permitted
and sanctioned by the so called Govern
naent Of the people. This crime of our
Government is too serious thing to be
called farce. 1t is a tragedy, fraught
with poverty, ignorance, degradation
and death. Railroads and other corpora
lions are necessary and very we'll as SER
wants, but woe to our free institutions
when they become our masters.
How many thousands of the wealth
producers Of this country have been
robbed to crafty the Unsuitable greed
ct the Vanderbilts and Goulds? They
never perhaps created one dollar of that
wealth, but have accumulated it by
practices more dishonest and reprehen-
sible than those of the common gambler
or thief. The Capitalization of wealth
and power iii the hands of the few means
poverty and degradation to the many:
and our Government in permitting it
is simply digging its own grave.
If our people would only awake to
sense of their wrongs as are the people
OF oppressed Ireland, how easily these
evils might be remedied, but subsidi-
zed press will take care that they do not
understand them and apply the remedy.
When there is any movement for reform
the leaders of the old parties will get up
sham fight. The bloody shirt will
be brought out, the leading news-pa-
pers will make the voter believe that
the salvation of the country depends up
on voting on one side or the other of
the issues they present. no matter how
great scoundrel the candidate may be.
He may have been convicted of bride
taking and perjury, or he may have
been a heartless scoundrel who under
cover of law has oppressed the poor and
wrecked the happiness of thousands;
still he is sound on the great question
Oh which the salvation of the country
depends and he must be elected.
Thus it goes. There can be but one
end to such a course, the death of all
free Government.
When began I did not intend to
write such 4 screed, but 7 know that
you are i'll sympathy with everything
that tends to elevate the people and
hope that you, like myself, have a per-
feet hatred and contempt for the dis
honest methods of the leaders of the
old parties.