The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-06-10
OUR COUNTRY'S FUTURE.
WHAT THE LAROR TROUBLES
MAY LEAD TO.
The Great Grievances of the Working
Man--Capita1 That Buys Up Con-
0resSmen.
From the Davidson Monthly.

From the Davidson Monthly.
When we see our railroad trans
portation stopped, Our cities thronged
with bowling mobs, our officers
attacked by armed bands of worth
less, blood-thirsty men, whose only
delight is stirring up strife; and
when we view the terrible struggle
that is now going on in our country
between capital and labor, we may
all ask, "What will be our country's
future?"
While Americans were contem-
plating the great riot that occurred
in London two or three months ago,
and while the American press was
criticising the English government,
and boasting that such thing had
never occurred on American soil,
the news that a great mob had been
committing deeds of violence in the
city of New York, struck our people
like a thunderbolt.
The effect of the riot in New York
was soon felt upon the working men
throughout the Northwest and West.
After the strike in New York, i'm
mediately followed the great railroad
strike which ragged throughout all
the States from Illinois to Texas.
Then came the riots in East-St.
Louis. Then almost the next news
papers bring tidings of bloodshed in
Milwaukee. And last of all we
hear of the officers of justice being
surrounded by bands of desperate,
lawless men, and blown up with
dynamite and fired upon with re-
volvers.
While we have no sympathy for
this lawlessness, and while we think
hanging is almost too good for the
wretches that participate in the
blood-shed in Milwaukee and Chic
ago, yet we must say that our labor
ing classes have great grievances.
In thousands of cases our working
men have been reduced to poverty.
These great capitalists, in almost
every case, have reduced the wages
of their employees to what will bare
ly afford them a scanty subsistence.
And if the worEing-men appeal to
the courts, in nine cases out of ten,
justice is defeated by the money of
the monopolist and his shrewd at
tOrneys.
Nor is our government in more
danger from the struggle between
capital and labor, than it is from
these great capitalist themselves.
These capitalists, during every cam
paign, spread their money over the
land with lavish hand, in order
that they may elect men whO will
become their servants. Not only do
they have their Congressman and
Senators, but, whenever their inter
ests require it they buy other Sena-
tors and Congressman. Within the
last twenty or thirty years, some of
our highest officers have been bought
for a few thousand dollars.
How often great firms and corpor-
atoms make Senators and Congress
men, and other officers of the gov
eminent, presents of $4,000 to
100000 worth of their stock. Do
they make these gifts expecting
nothing in return ? Do not these
Senators and Congressman know
that they expect them to become
their men whenever a question affect
ing their interests comes up? When
they receive these gifts, do they not
pledge themselves to be the servants
of these corporations? Certainly
they do. Our present speaker of the
House has shown himself to be a
man by refusing to accept a gift of a
hundred thousand dollars.
How often, too, is justice perver-
ted in our courts by the money of
these capitalists. 1t is becoming
almost impossible to convict rich
man, no matter how plain his guilt
may be. This deplorable fact is
becoming SO conspicuous that nc
proof is needed. Any one who has
been keeping up with the news OF
our country for the last two or three
years, cannot help being struck with
this fact.
Such, then, is the great question
that is confronting our legislators.
TIE UNITY OF MANKIND.