The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-08-15
TIE Western Man.

All the brilliant societies of the
worlds history have forced this issue OF
the "Western Man" from the time OF
Cadmus to the time of Columbus. The
same effects have caused the same re-
suits. The proud, independent, free
dom loving spirit of man has sought
the wild and vcrgin soil of new coun-
tries, where he can throw off the re-
straints Of the effeminate re6nements
of the kipgcraft, priestcratt and that
conservator of barbarism called lawcraft.
The golden chains of superstition
divine right and law have robbed him
of his natural rights and enslaved his
labor, and be lopged Tor new lands
where his hands could be free to labor
and his mind untrammelled to gaze
from nature up to natures God and
worship as he wills.
Let US see who this western man is,
and what be is, and What figure he cuts
in civilization now. A wanderer with
band of followers left the shores OF
Egypt, and, sailing by the shore Of
Asia Minor, turned his gal'ey's prov
westward and landed on a western pc
ninsula, and Cadmus founded Ion, the
first Greek city. Afterward two lead
ers of western men, sailing westward,
landed on the shores of Italy, and
Romulus and Remus founded Rome.
Descendants of the Scytbians, in order
to escape the francis Of Asiatic civiliza-
tion and oppression, overran continental
Europe, and after the strong hand of
Charlemagne had nodded th,m into a
great empire, ten centuries of civilizing
Influences enslaved the race again by
kingcraft, priestcraft and the craft that
Richelieu and Mazarin called politics"
The yoke of restraint could be borne
no longer, and crank named Column
bus sailed westward and found a new
continent on the other side of the globe.
Again, as the civiliziDg influence began
to be irksome, men took their rifles
and their axes, and disputing with the
Indian the dominion Of the forests,
gradually hewed their way westward
until now, the close Of the nineteeuth
century, inds the western man sitting
on a rock, on the Pacific coast, like
Alexander, who wept for more worlds
to conquer. The western man weeps
for more western lands to subdue. But
what startling fact now starcs him in
the face? For the first time in all the
earth's dark history there is no more
west; and this western man turns
around and glares upou civilized society
like stag at bay. Beware how you
wound that stag at bay. To go on
westward is to resume the weary foot
steps of the race from all time that is
past. To retrace his steps is impossible;
the Rubicon is passed, the ships are
destroyed, the bridges are burned
Kingcraft, priestcraft and lawcraft are
in control of the earth from pole TO
pole and the leugrh Of the equatorial
circl. Western man, there is no more
western, eastern, southern or northern
land for you. You are landless, dis
inherited slave. You can remain in
society on condition Of your becoming
the industrial slave to the same power
that forced your footsteps westward, and
the name Of this monster from all time
is "Private ownership in land" West.
ern man, you have been great wande-
err; you started an Assylian you have
been Babyloniap, an Egyptian, a
Phenician, Greek, Roman, Nor
wegian sea king, Spaniard, IIugenot.
a Puritan, and lastly an American.
But your wandering has come to a
sudden termination. You wander no
more.
The doctrine of slavery by force of
the warriors right over the life or death
of his captive has been abolished by
society, because it was not profitable,
and the system OF slavery through
private ownership Of land, which you
have hitherto escaped, has overtaken
you. The land gods of America now
demand you bound baud and foot, and
thrown back at the feet of society, as
perfect bounden thrall as was Cedric
OF Rotherwood's bound thrall, Gurth,
with his iron collar. Now western man,
avert that terrible gaze from your eyes,
that bear tho very stamp of antiquity
in them, and please answer me one
question: Wh1s are you going to do
about it? If you get permission to
work, you will have to surrender every,
thinU Won Drnduon to tho land lord