Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-02-26

OF the opportunity to supply our needs.
nature aud science having placed the
means at our disposal? Is it not clear
10 You that it is only the selishness of
man that debars US from enjoying the
fruits that our birthright As free born
American men and women entities US
TO?
We have no issne with the store
keeper or our Immediate employers;
the latter we regard as a necessary evi
of the present system; as slave drivers
whose business it is TO Obtain from US
MS much labor as possible for the
lowest remuneration. The storekeeper
is victim of the same accursei system
of comppttion that is grinding us to
death. Watch the number Of failures
occurring, aud note how many are
succumbIng to the inevitable everv
dav how the ranks OF the poverty
stricken are being augmented rom all
sides. The storekeeper may make n
profit of 800 per cent on our labor but
the $500 rent he paws tor his storr
sweeps the whole thing into the lsni-
ru's pocket You smart, keen men
of business stop and think awhile: are
not the masses the great consumers
and if they are not well paid or if
their earnings are absorbed bv nsurnrs
and landlords, now can they purchase
from you the goo Is you have piled up
upon your shelves?
| You men, are not your warehouses
| 6llt.i to-day with goods that the masses
sorrlv need hut have not the money to
huv2-aHst vou persist in calling this
over. production, and proceed 10 shut
down vour mills throwing thousands
ont upon the street To starve. Are
vnu not afraid that s,me day these
patient, long suffering, hungry worms
may turn rpon you, and in their ven
gpance upon you individually. instead
# NJ on the system that makes these
possible? We warn Won 10 beware.
And YOU professional gentlemen Of
all grades, is not the competitive
system cankering worm among YOU
also? We know 1t is. Y,u know it is
! Then. why nourish it? WHY not lend
us your valuable aid in killing it?
And vou gentlemen of the pulpit
are you satisfied that vou are teaching
a practical religion. one that Christ
Himself would endorse. Are YOU sure
that if your Master, should he born
again in a stable and laid in mqnger.
and should grow mp among us and pro
claim His doctrines rs of old that you
would not he among the first TO de,
nounce Him as tramp and "com,
munist?'
AMI YOU gentlemen. congressman
and senator's. in whom the wisdom ot
the country is supposed to centre, are
Won satisfied that thousands Of your
fellow countrvmen and women shoult
perish while von plav hattledore and
shnttlecock with abstract theories il
regard TO protection of labor and com
rne,ce when you know that there i
sufficieat for all in this land of pent'
if you did your duty IN the admins
tratioa of the affairs "f the common
; wealth. We saw to you beware. les
by your indiscretion you make of on
, fair land a cha-nel house
And lastly, vou gentlemen of thu
Press, are you satisfied to continue tt
print the records of crime and misery
the I6ns list of murder and snicid'
that daily embellish y ur conmns
You must he aware that society ~
now constituted is mainly respons BIZ
for these crimes, the criminals in mos
cases being the victims of the system
and deserving Of our pity rather thar
: our condemnation. AS the moulaer
, of public opinion and directors of pub
lie sentiment, you hold in your grssE
mighty engine for good or for evil
! We appeal earnestly to you therefore
not f,r ourselves as Class, hut for
the sake of humanity at large, to us'
your influence In correcting thost
! abuses. We have been told by some
! that our appeal to yon will he in vain
, that you dare not offend the nostril
. of the capitalist,c classes by publish
: ing this protest against the wrongs un
der which we suffer. If this we're SO
: which we cannot helieve-then in
, deed might we hang our ha'ps on to-
willows and sit down and weep.