The Labor enquirer., 1885-02-21
1s.ly inSAscss iona

| 6arly in(laecxet1ona IS = Z;
| In the case Of individuals, The pezson
violating the Law is usually the one To-
suffer the penalty /; but the same natural
laws which govern the individual, appeF-
tain to society as whole. a community
can no more hope 10 escape coming
under the rule than An individual. When
q government has pursued 9 long course
of injustice. through misrule. oppression
Eand tyranny, il is natural, it is just that
lit should suffer Force begets force.
AN eye for an eye and q tooth for
tooth. = an inexorable law Of nature.
Unjust wars with foreign nations, and
repressive and cruel laws against its
subjects and citizens always results in
retaliation against the government
which has thus offended. Centuries
may elapse before retribution comes,
but it is none the less certain because
slow, This has been the experience Of
every nation that has ever existed. and
| it will be the experience Of the govern
ments of our day. The barbarities OF
the Roman rulers caused that nations
downfall. The frlghtful atrocities com-
mltted by the rulers and mobiles OF
France were reflected in the bloody
scenes Of the revolution. England has
repeatedly suffered because of her rapa-
city and cruelty, and even now chastise-
ment once more visits her doors, and
the reyerberations which proclaim her
impending doom are heard around the
globe. Russia trembles over q volcano
| of wrath, and has but recently felt the
ayenglng hand Of her Nemesis The
bloody scenes ofthe PARIS Commune, the
massacres by the Versailles troops and
the horrors Of Hstosy have ~ = Y
tened for. -Four m|ilI d1d n
their ao1nised ssis6 1sF sell SsS s.
eyerv stroke Of ths cruel lsah W. Yiped
out by the blood which flowed during
the civil war, and the ruin and desola-
ttion which resulted. Thousands have
died of starvation and exposure, and
/ even now the awful cry Of hunger goes
T up from hundred cities; cries which
will yet be heard and answered in . way
to make the oppressors Of. the people
tremble History repeats itself over
and over again, and all experience has
shown that the way of the transgressor
is indeed hard. can eye for an eye and
tooth for 8 tooth This is the law.
While those of US who have been COM
paratively free from suffering may revolt
at the idea of bloodshed, and may coun-
sci moderation and discountenance un-
due violence, we cannot stave off the
inevitable consequences of wrong dong,
the natural outcome Of continued oppres-
sion and cruelty.
It may be sad thing to contemplate,
and IT may seem unjust, but it is ans es-
tabl1shed fact that the innocent and
guilty suffer alike. We may bemoan the
sacrifice of innocent children and inof-
fensive women, but it is useless to muir
mur against the DEGREES Of nature ;for it
is written, "The sins of the fathers shall
be visited upon the children unto the
third and fourth generations" 1T il
vain, therefore. to attempt to shield the
offspring ofithe robbers of labor and the
Wholesale murderers Of other innocents
1.-The children ofthe poor and helpless
from the wrath which their fathers
have brought upon them.
These things will 60 on, must 90 on,
until the end. AS long as inharnony
and injustice prevail, SO long will there
be retallations and feuds. As long q
nations and peoples are misgoverned
and poverty and misery are fostered, 90
| long must people Nsuffer when these
evils become unbearable. As long as
force is used in the maintenance of
caste and privilege, so long will there be
a clashing of interests, and force be re-
sorted to as an equalizer. So long, in
short, as one single individual is de-
priyed of the means Whereby he may
enjoy life, whether the force thus en-
lployed be vested in a government. or
merely in the preponderance Of mental
over physical power in the individual,
just so long will force be used by the
victims to right their wrongs.
Who shall fathom the great mystery
of the universe the destiny of man7
Are we forever to 60 on as now 3 to live
q few short years, to battle with the
forces of nature, to struggle fercely with
one another for the right to existence,
to propagate our kind. and then to die,
leaving our children to carry on the
same struggle. and pass through like
experiences? Is there to be no
end to the dashing of interests !
Are We always to regard our fellow
creatures as our enemies, aeainst
whom we must wage jncesaant and
| merciles war; and is'there no other
method, no plan except to continue on
| in this way forever?
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