The Labor enquirer., 1886-04-17
A Letter to the Editor of the
Hanford, California,
Sentinel.
He FOOlishIy Tried to Combat
the Utterances of a
Socialist.
Now, Let Him Read and Answer This
and Defend His Hellish Sys-
tenn If He Can,
For The Enquirer.

In reply to my communication you
say the world has known "penury and
want, luxury and ::lenty, all along the
ages"
ANY system of society that produces
penury and want on one hand and lux,
ury and plenty en- the other, will surely
fall of its own dead weight, as the history
of the world will show at a glance to the
unprejudiced student. 1t matters not
under what form, republican or mon
archIal, the result is the same, as the
rich become richer and the poor poorer.
That is, when great inequality exists,
caused by unjust distribution of wealth,
it is certain to create dis urbances that
always result either in a new form of
government on the ruins of the old or
the ens!avement of the masses to the
will of one or more tyrants.
You say 'the conditions are not worse
but better than ever before"
We will leave this to the pioneers of
the state to decide between US; men
who, without the interference of politi
cans and scoundrels. made just laws
on Commun1stic basis. That is, man
could not stske off the whole state and
drive all others out, or force them to
labor on his terms he could only hold
one claim or what he could work. In a
word, there was more equality and honor
"a mans word was his bond. In those
palmy days note was seldom asked or
gwen. There were no tramps. Every
man could, without paying tribute to
some aristoCratiC drOne on Mob hill for
the privilege, find plenty of work. At
that time there was no high-toned dudes
from California parading the world like
princes, at the expense of honest indus
try. (And l say here that it is this dan
gerous class of tramps the people must
look to, and not the poor, ignorant, de-
frauded wretches, that should be pltled
more than blamed, for their poverty.
Remove the upper-Crust tramp first and
the lower order will soon disappear).
Here are few items from the press of
the last twelve months, that could never
appear in newspaper under a Social
istic or Cooperative state:
"Catherine Grover died, for want of
nourlshment, in a miserable attic, 80
South Warren street. Husband working
at 50 per week. ."-Trenton, New Jersey,
paper,
Income of a silver mine owner in
Nevada, $24 per minute"
"a woman at No. 6S Ashley building
starved to death. Child reduced to a
skeleton" st. Louis paper.
abundant harvest" - Presidents
message.
"a shoemaker CO mits suicide rather
than become tramp."-Springfeld Re.
publican.
"a woman applied for work at San
Jose laundry. She left bundle under
the safe which was found to contain the
body of dead child. 1t was discovered
upon invest cation that the woman had
another child at her room and that her
self and children had nothing to eat for
two days. Independent.
Study these items, you hypocrltlca
brutes, and say that it is the result of in
temperance when you know very well
that this state of affairs is caused by an
unjust distribution of wealth and false
economic con ditions.
l would recommend this verse to these
sanctimonious idiots who are straining
every nerve to send money abroad tC
convert the heather, and who Canno
see that we have great work to do at
home, and to that class of pot-paunched
priests and plump parsons, who recon
mend bread and water and low wages tt
the poor, and who receive large salaries
and live high, in direct opposition to the
teachings of the meek and lowlv Naza
rene;
millions spent in church adorning,
Millions wasted making laws,
Millions of the people mourning,
While the demon hunger gnaws.
Oye paid and trusted leaders,
Listen while you hold your breath,
In this land Of Bible readers,
Wives and children starve to DEATH"
Ycu say, "If tt e railroads have land
they have earned them"
Now this statement might mislea
some and give them an impression tina
those who believe in STATE Socialism ar
opposed to railroads and machinery
which is entirely false. The fact is, W
are not opposed to railroads, etc., but W,
are opposed to their present manage
ment and we Intend soon to bring then
under the sole control of the state, which
brought them into existence, as ever
one knows.
No, we don't deny that we are opposed
to the accumulation of vast fortunes b.
wholesale corruption and fraud and by
I breaches Of faith, to which the blood 0
the people of MusseI Slough can testify
Again, Won say, Talk of the peorl