Nevada County picayune., 1889-05-29
The Millionaire and the Tramp.

come rich by a confederation of ta- yorabIc circumstances that others 1 inherit poverty or become poor ] through various mishaps against which no sagacitv could provide: :: are almost sclfcyidcnt truths, which 1 but few would have the hardihood to deny, because they are the result Of common observation. But, at the same time it must be confessed, that wealth ls the outcome of industry and economy, and poverty Is the lneN- itablc result of indolcnce and thrift lcssness -nt least, in the majority of instances and. hence. despite all human legislation, and all the lnge- nious expcdicnts that may be dcNls- ed to correct this unequal distrIbu- ton of property, those two extreme conditions of life will always continue, so long as the causes which produce them are in operation. But that there has been an alarming increase of miliouaircs since the late war that there are at least ten of this class to where there was one before the war; that the facilities for ac- quiring enormous fortunes are great CT now than they have ever been i'll any former period of our history and that poverty, and crime, are fcarfuly on the increase, are facts which statistics and intelligent ob- seryation abundantly authenticate to the thoughtful and inqulrng mind. Now, the question naturally arises what is the cause of this state of things: Why is it that men WHO HAVE CAPITAL are making mammoth fortunes in such short space of time, while farmers and laborcrs find 1t almost impossible to make a bare sup port: Why is it that the army of tramps is steadily augment ing, while millionaires are null tiplying faste: than ever known be- fore? The answer to all these questions is, the methods of rasing money to sustain the government and the means employed to favor certain classes to the detrimcnt of many others The high War Tariff kept up in time of profound peace, the protection of certain branches of industry to the exclusion of others ; in other words, class legislation, or discrimination in favor of some classes against others, furnishes the true answer to these perplcNlng questions. When the strong arm of the government is stretched out to strengthen and support certain privileged classes, no wonder that they soon grow immensely rich, while others less favored are Ian gushing in the deepening gloom of relentless and pitilcss poverty. And strange to say, the laborers and mechanics of the North are so delud- ed by the sophistrics and fallacics oi the Protcctionists that a majority of them actually y support the abomlnable system by which they are robbed and impoverished under the forms of law. It is universally conceded that the consumers pay the taxes on all articles upon which our import is levied and it is also well known by Intelligent persons, that those branches of industry which are made the special objects of protection, re- cciye the principal benefits which accrue from this species of lcgisla- tion And it should he borne IT mind, that the benefits arising from this source flow into the pockets of the overs of these organized indus tries, while the lahorcrS, mechanics and operatives, by whose labors these industries are sustained, re- cCiVc none of these immense revc- nucs; but, on the contrary, their wages remain the same, and frequent lv reduced below their former stand ard. IL is q notable fact, that re. ductions in wages, and strikes, have
 
 been more numerous and distressing since the election of Gen. Harrison
 than they were in any corresponding Ipcriod during the administration o' Grover Cleveland, and this fact |, at once suggestive and significant ot the tendency of high protection to- ward the depression and paralysis oi all those branches of industry whicl are ignored in the distribution oi bounties under the Protective system. The logical results of high protection are, Millionarcs and Tramps, while the masses of the common pcopl, find it difficult to keep the wolf from the door. The stern logic of facts will eventually open the eyes of the lpeoplc to the miserable and ruinous consequences of the High Protective system and then they will rise ul in their might and hurl the Rcpub- lican moncy-changcrs from power, May the day speedily dawn when 1 the temple of American Liberty shall be clcansed of its pollutions and reconsccratcd to the grand old principles of freedom and equality before the law. '"
 CALL A HALT.