, 1882-04-29
TIE unArtI1A INDIAN RESERVATIONS.
The Poetry Of Geology and Labor.


st Or sPEClAL CobhEsPOSDNEi
There was a time, not far distant. when
men thorghs they had found in the United
States the sovereignty Of labor. Here was
the land where every mans Independence
rested in his own hands aud his willingness
10 labor. This WIS the time when the tcl-
lowers of Boone were disclosing to wonder
ing eyes the virgin richnts, OF the Ohio and
Mississippi valleys when, later, sdvensur-
GUS spirits led the way over the Rocky
, mountains to a new western empire; when
California opened It's Alladis's caves. not to
the lash of kings OF tyrants over toiling serfs,
not 70 the fatal pow er OF the six conpanies"
over their pig tailed Chinese slaves, but to
the picks, pans, shoyels, rockers, Since
boxes of the hardy, brave, pushing, daring,
noble-heartei race of waite miners or labor
! ers. Yes here at last Was found what the
poets and philosophers OF Greece and Rome
! had only dreamed of-the ideal common
( wealth, a golden age. Thus had a free re-
/ pablo, conquered at last the problem Of
! ages, and labor stood the peer Of capital
ray, even its master u was then claimed
! that not only had our republic achieved those
| economic results, but that 1t was capable OF
maintaining them Indefinitely. Politics
bsde defiance TO political economy.
! What is the state OF things to-day, Not
| ing as l have done even Ola this reservation
among the white men employed on the rail
! road. now in course Of construction through
| it, the intelligence which pervales them,
much reason for congratulation still remains
''The rich are growing richer the poor poorer
every day.
President Arthur has pronounced the death
sentence of the republican party and cast a
! pail over the Pacific coast by his veto of the
anti-C Chinese bill. IL cost oceans OF blood
and billions Of dollors TO suppress slavery III
the South. yet strange to say here III the
7 great Pacific west republican government
pampers, connIves and winks at the worst
| form OF slavery IN the shape OF the wretched
| coolies, who are slaves Of the "slA COM
! panies," and whose relatives III China are
! held in bondage unless they fulfill their flesh
/ and blood contract of sinking down white
! labor 10 their own barbarian level. The
| Chinese serf can live on ten cents day.
! Our Iaborers must come down 70 that, with
! their families, in order 10 compete with the
/ Monaghan The contest Is too fIightiGl and
unequal for contemplation. On Chinese
wages the free born American would Starve.
Must We sink to the lrvrl OF Chinese
| slaves, Must the stone roll dowp the hill
again, after having mounted so near the toy!
( Is it not probable that the hight which the
/ founders of this republic SET up as beacon
for the political regeneration of mankiad cEe
! hundred years ago vail be reklnt!ed 10 Lead
/ the way to the regeneration Of labor. The
cry Of The Chinese must 60, Is the first
/ murmur Of that contest which Is inevitable.
! Labor has met war, its wild fever, Its
deadly collapse; labor has met debt, the
| price of that war, sucking out the life blood
after the wounds Of battle have been
| staunched and, Labor has met capital,
which, Ike one OF those g.ltI described IN
the Arabian tails, rises p0rteutloGs u ITS
full strength and stature out OF the smoke
of war and the shadow OF debt What were
all the Vanderbilts, Goulds, ID lions, Crock
ers, Stanfords. Huntingtons, Hopkins, etc,
in their early years: Poor white laborers
many OF them. Yet these wrctches fatten-
ing upon stolen money and lands, the right
full property of unborn generations. granted
to them by den OF thieges called congress
are the very parties who, in conjunction with
the six companies" brought the coolies to
our shores.
Little did the founders OF this republic,
the heroic men who for seven long years
faced danger and death tc found little,
indeed. did they forsee the ignoble, polluted
and sacriligeous hands i. would fall into.
Politics has become a busnSss, 4 trade Tor
the idle loafers assembled in congress and
elsewhere Work is degrading to a man
possessed of a cheek Of brass, lungs OF leather
and buffalo hiGe. As for conscience IN a
politician, there may be such thing once in
while, but it is rare. 'Office Ottice Office,
that IS the one continuous cry, varied only
by the kind OF Office and the kind OF beggsrs.
All these office hunters would be much
healthier and many OF them much wealthIer
if they wou!G Just serve some time Working
on this reservation under amIable Indian
Agent Fay, General Grey, inspector OF rail
roads, or his aiie-de-camp Col. Dan Coleman
Last year through your columns | gave as
the solution Of Lies P.oblem work
work-werk. There was poetry about 1t
to the prodigal son vino possessed the IT.
deeming quality. I'll not enter any farther
into nv family history than merely TO OBJ
serve for the edification of your numerous
readers that too alas, have been prodigal
son. anu would wish this night, not for the
..busks" but for the feather beds on which
the hired help stretch their limbs in ny own
fathers house thousands Of miles away.
There is poetry in labor as also in geology.
Nav. think there is the sublimest poetry
the poetry Of truth, nor Of fiction. Let the
eeologist tell you the tale OF some peak OF
the Blue mountains 1t whose base l am
now campei in a tent with a pioneer Of the
..days ot old, the days Of gold, the lays Of
,.9'-and You Will wonder almost as much
az the Hanoyerian pioneer / refer .o-tieorge
HiIls.r. ESQ. Once the sea weeds were
v,r,pped around lis shoulders the same as
Good Father ConraGy's buffalo rofe Is
wrapped around mine at this moment; the
s.a shells decked It's summit as the waves
,Isvad among its crests. From the bottom
Of the sea it slowly upheayei, through ages
Ionc 400. and now both rain and snow Ges-
ceud this twenty second day OF April, 1852,
unon If and Us, Or let some statesman geo!-
or,st sit down by some gray bowider or
w,ve-uorn pebble, and narrate through
what strange wanderIngs and vieissitndes
they have passed. and you Will listen to
] .sl.