The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1881-12-29

To A< xditor of fAs Eaal.:

| TO tie Editor Of tie Eagis:
Ever since the world had history, there
seems to have teen one long succession Of
efforts on the part OF few (grcat aud small,
despots to tyrannize over the human family
No sooner has one form Of slavery been sup.
pressed, one form Of tyranny withdrawn by
the God-given spirit Of freedom, than the
inventive genius Of the despot has been set
1t work TO devise another.
The freedom loving founders Of this great
republic succeeded, after . long and herculeau
struggle, to overthrow the despotIc rule
which George III and the British parliament
tried to exercise over the colonies. But from
the day that CORVALLIS surrendered ut York.
town down to the day that the slave Oligar-
chy threw up the sponge at Appomatox,
there was . continued effort on the part Of
slave power to establish that false doctrine,
that capital should own its own labor.
1t cost the nation the sacrifice Of untold
wealth, and the sacrifice Of q million Of our
kindred to loosen the grasp Of the slavehol.
der from the throat Of his victim. But no
sooner are the chains knocked from Oh the
limbs Of the African, than plans are matured,
| and the schemes laid, to ensnare the millions
Of toilers, black and white, north and south,
within the limits Of the Union. True, they
have NO pretentions at chattel ownership.
That would incur the expense Of feeding,
clothing, overseeing, buying and selling, the
keeping and caring for In sickness, the loss
by accident or death, and the continual
guardianship required under the old slave
system. No indeed; more wise, more civ.
ilized, more money making system has been
discovered.
Where the master, Dy the old system,
counted his profits by the thousands, the
master, under the present system, counts his
gains by the millions.
What was the old slave owner, with hun.
| dred "niggers" and . cotton plantation, ato-
baceo, rice, or . sugar plantation, COM
pared to the brixand who owns or controls
. dozen railroads, each traversing a. many
States, with unlimited power to con6scate
the surplus products OF hundred farmers?
Or the legalixed robber who draws from the
U. S. government annually the surplus earn
ings Of 1000 white Americans In the shape
Of INTEREST," Or the Thousands Of remorse-
less and rapacious corporations, with no soul
to damn or stern-cnd to kick, who are clothed
with unlimited power to tx ''tolls" and die
tate values, forcing the poor toilers, through
their necessities, into perpetual slavery to
them, and rendering back for their hard Ia
Dor just enough to keep them from starva-
ton, and make them useful!
RlYf thapa II hono In, ho stuve nf Sha e;uros
The opinions Of the people are being revo-
lutionized. The sacred privileges Of power,
the sggrandizement Of corporations are be-
ing questioned by four-ffths Of all intelli-
gent men. Those who won't see arc receiv-
ing knowledge through the sense Of feeling.
And 30 sure a. the sun, mounting in his
heavenly zenith, causes the shadows TO fade
away, SO sure will the enemies Of freedom
meet the destiny they are counting. The
question will be, will they resort to war
rather than surrender their power! Perhaps
not, but the burden Of everlasting injustice
Il not to be borne at any cost.
How truly the immortal Bryant spoke
when, wrapped in the inspiration OF his holy
theme, he exclaimed:
''Oh. Freedom, thou art not, ~ poets dream,
A fair young girl. with light and delicate limbs,
And wavy tressss gushing from the cap,
With which the Roman master crowned his slave
When he took on the gives. A bearded man,
Armed to the teeth, art thou; one mailed hand
Craps the broad shield, and one the sword; thy
brow,
Glorious in beauty though 1t be, Is SCARED
With tokens Of old wars; thy massive limbs