The Labor enquirer., 1885-03-14
THE MONKEY AND THE MAN.

The time is again at hand when the
robbers are toquarrel over the division
Of the spoils, and we, the people, are
called upon to act aa umpire to decide
who shall fleece us for another year.
FDr month we shsll hear very little
hut the merits and demerits of various
would-be leeches.
Political sharks outside, and political
opportunists inside our various labor or
ganisations, will use every means tQ cap
ture the votes of the labor element, and
they will succeed. The average voter
will listen attentively to the arguments
of the vote sharp. who shows SO dis
tinctly the difference betwixt tweedledee
and tweedledum, and then they will
hurrah and vote for dun or dee and
get-soup.
Philosophers agree that man is rea-
soning animal and that this faculty gives
him dominion over llnreasoning brutes;
but it would be well for him to go to the
brute creation tor few lessons occasion
ally. A dog that has been kicked time
or two by horse. will avoid that horses
heels thereafter. The cat would not
allow the monkey to use its paw the
second time. But reasoning man is the
same old fool he always was, and the
capitalistic monkey is always sure of his
chestnuts, as he issmart enough to make
the human cat believe that the country
would go to the dogs entirely if the
chestnuts remained in the fire.
Our present legislature is beautiful
illustration of the ineficiency of our
elective system. Composed almost en-
tirely of non-producers, they have no
sympathy with the toiling masses ; hence
1t is only by ineessant clamor that the
singed cat obtains wormy nut or two,
and it would not get that but for the fact
that the monkey can then reason" them
into pulling out anosher nice lot.
It is sad commentary on our legisla-
tQre that q committee Of citizens have, to
watch Them, and scrutinize their acts.
Now, what are you going to do about it ?
What can you do2 You have absolutely
no recourse, After you have chosen
your servant he becomes your master.
Think of it and when you 60 to the
polls remember that you are voluntarily
assigning your rights to the whim or
greed of a few men, and that you cannot
call those mento account Will you per-
petuate such system? Will you show
that you ere satisfied and contented to
be duped and betrayed as heretofore /?
Then vote elect your man. Place your
rights and the public purse unreserYedly
In his hands, and then follow him
around abjectly begging for justice; but
if you would be truly free, touch not the
unclean thing to select master,
and by remaining away from the polls,
protest against the rotten system which
permits few men to pass laws in which
we must all aequiesce, whether we like
them or not. Do not say this man is
honest, he would do the right thing by
US. You would not know till you have
tred him then if he panned out bad,
you can't helpyourself. Ifa man is a
good man, for Gods sake keephim good, ),
and do not send him among a nest of
thieves to be corrupted or contaminated.
If he betrays any great anxiety to get
there, he will bear watching.
In conclusion, 1 would ask, is there
representative body in which you
are represented that you feel proud Of?
Is not the city council a farce2 Does
not the legislature have to be watched
and will the watching avail US much
Are not both houses of congress owned
and controlled by big corporations? Does
any of these bodies care a button for
the voting cattle?
These men expect this thing to
90 on forever. They have the power,
they control the machinery of politics,
and will run things to suit themselve SO
1onr a q ,.,a n