The Republican journal., 1884-01-10
Concerning Communism.


and who has young family growing up,
writes of son who has gone TO seek his fortune
in Canada as "Where the country i freer 10
work in than our old, preiudiced, used-up Old
country" Not only in Grcat Britain but all
over Europe are thousands who note the same
contrast between our country and their own,
and with reason. The United States is not
only land of promise TO foreign capitalists but
to those whose capital is in their brains. or in
stout hearts and willing hands. On the other
side of the Atlantic capital brings low rates of
interest the wages of the day laborer are bare
ly sufficient to keep body and soul together: the
artisan fares but little better and everywhere
class preiudices are like IA milestone around
the necks of those who attempt to rise above
the condition of life i'll which they were born.
There is freer atmosphere on this side. The
road is open here to wealth and political hon
ors. The foreign born citizen is excluded from
but two elective offices, and those the highest in
the gift of the people. All others are open to
him. Three natives of Ireland, native of
England and native of Scotland. sit in the
United States Senate to-day; and Carl Schurz,
Germar-born, not long since was conspicu-
Gus member Of that body. The millionaires Of
foreign birth are almost if not quite IL numer-
Gus AS those of native origin; and While in
Great Britain wealth is mainly inherited-the
accumulation of years handed down by the law
of entail from father to >on-in this country IN
heriled fortunes are the exception and seldom
last beyond the second generation The great
majority of our rich men started from the low
esI round of the ladder and worked their way
up unaided. Whatever our own people may
think of the advantages this country offers to
those who work with hand or brain. to the
seeker for wealth or political distinction. il is
certain that they are appreciated at their full
value il the Old World, l> witness the yearly
increasing horde> of immigrants who swarm
the tween decks of the Atlantic steamers.
1t would be in vain. however, TO deny that
there exists in this country to-day communiS-
tic sentiment. Il growing evil. that may yet lead
to serious consequences. \ correspondent,
who is practical man. a worker himself and
the friend of those who work. touched upon
some phases of the question in Il communica-
ton published last week. to which We're ap-
pended a few illustrative extracts from news
papers. 1t is somewhat surprising 10 find that
while the poor but industrious foreigner looks
to this country AS 4 land in which le may al
tain riches, the leaders of commun>tc >euti-
ment. who seek to deprive Of their riches those
who have become wealthy. are, with hardly an
exception foreign-born citizens. John Swim
mission is TO wage war upon milIionaire>, j. OF
English birth. and reputed to be wealthy:
while Don Piatt. of Ohio, who advocates vio-
lence towards mllionaireS amt monopoi>ts. j.
millionaire him~elf-by marriage. Then we
have Citizen SWab, Il German. the proprietor
of Il beer saloon in New York and leader of the
communists of that city. kinahan CORVALLIS,
who attacks the Wall street millionaire> through
John >winton'> Paper. is said to have made
snug fortune himself in Wall street. which he
subsequently lost. partly III the same place and
partly in unsuccessful newspaper ventures,
Had his Wall street >pecuationS continued to
be successful, he might now be in the position
of the men be is as>aing.
1t is 10 be expected that successful men in
any walk of life will excite the envy of the un-
successful, and the losers of money in Wall
street naturally hate those who have grown
rich from 5 ock gambling operations But why
put it i'll the power of these men to swallow up
your substance: Everybody knows, or ought
TO know, that in gambling the advantage is with
the dealer; and in Wall street a few men who
can put stocks up or down At will have furth-
er adNantag" equal to that of marked cards in
the hands of Il sharper. If outsiders would re-
frain from >o-called stock >pcculaiion>. the crop
of Wall street mllionaires wouIj soon come to
an end. That. however, j. hardly TO be expect
ed. The gambling spirit peryades all CLASSES,
both sexes, old and Young. II is manifested in
The compaI atiyeiy innocent grab bag, the guess
cake and the rattle; in the large sale of lottery
tickets, and 50 on to the faro banks and Wall
street. If there were no gamblers. men could
not grow rich from gambling; and if the people
would only keep out OF Wall street the shutters
would soon 90 up there and many brown
stone front mansion would totter to its fall.
That seems to be the proper and most etlectual
way to deal with the Wall street miIlionaires.
What good can possibly come from arou>ing
prejudce> and fostering spirit of hostility
between the rich and poor: If all the wealth
of the nation was equally distributed per capita
how long would ii remain 50: Are those who
are poor to-day TO be forbidden from acquiring
riches by their industry or ability: Who is to
decide how large fortune man may possess
without incurring the condemnation of the agi-
tators who march under the red flag: If mob
should destroy the lives and property of the
Nanderbts, the Astor> the Gouds and other
rich men, should we benefit thereby as nation
or aS individuals: Yet the arguments of those
who profess to have the cause of the people at
heart tend in this direction. They pretend to
be desireas of improving the condition of the
working man, and their agitation simply en-
ables them TO live more or less sumptuously on
tax upon the earnings of those who labor.
There is but way to improve the condition
of the workingman He must elevate himself.
1t cannot be done by incendary talk or rallying
under the red flag Of the communist. In this
country the way is comparatively easy. for
wages are better here than in Europe. there are
better educational advantages. and fewer class
PItluuitcH' | Hc Hill w no improves HIS OPP
portunities, who is sober and Industrious and
who respects himself, will be respected by 9TH
ers. All doors will open to him. The ballot in
his hand is mighty power, and surrounded by
advantages no other country affords, his destiny
is mainly in his own hands.
The Chicago Inter-Ocean assures its Southern
free trade contemporaries, once for all, that
there is no free trade West. Not Il State
or Congressional district between Pittsburg
and the Rocky Mountains is capable of assem-
bling Republican convention that would not
pass strai ght protectionist resolutions Not
Republican convention in the West. State or
Congressional, in twenty years has passed any
other kind of resolutions on the tariff question
There is but one State i'll the West. Indiana.
which the Democratic party can ever carry on
any platform, and it can only carry that on Il
Republican press of the West. with mere
half dozen exceptions out of nearly Il
thousand journals, is protectionst The North
western constituencies are protectionist in
principle, from habit and by conviction
The Baltimore Sun, which shines for all, has
presented each one of its many thousand read
ers with the Sun Almanac for 1884. most use
full compedium of information for the house
and office 1t is neatly printed and in every re-