Workmen's advocate., 1890-12-13
Echoes from Connecticut.

di'dlt}, even hOHlllN, lO SOtlHIl~lll, III ! the very face of the fact that this same . i Socialism is causing the wonder of the rest of the worl by it's splendid pro- Gress in other countries, especially in Germanyt
 In trying to-olye this perpleXing prob- 1 lem our friends are often ruised. Some times they seem to believe Americans are made of different clay than theIcst of humanity; other times they imagine camtastic corruption in this country has completely saturated the people. It tx not difficult to prove that these views are incorrect,
 If we carefully etudY the history of the American, W" must admit that as a people they have accomplished many noble deeds in the interest of mankind, and have ever been in the lead in any movement for the rights of man, In deed 1t is net such great while since the movement in California against the Chinamen began, nor is it SO very long since the railroad strike took place in ennsyIyania; or the Knights of Labor movement; or the Henry George Cam paign in New York. When we con- eider all these facts we must admit that there is a terrible spirit alive in the American people, spirit that must con. vince us that the Americans will not he found in the rear in this great labor movement that is now in process of formation all over the civilized world and has crystaIized into the Socialist movement in Germany. To understand the apparent apathy of the American toward Socialism, we must consider that this country is endowed with such wonderful resources of natures wealth, that it is difficult to be understood hy the average American why every one could not avail himself of part of this natural wealth. He still believes that by frugalty, economy and shrewdness he can avail himself of part of his coun- try's resources, He still believes that whatsoever is poor has but himself to blame. This doctrine Is being preached from a thousand pulplts. and also by an army of politicians and temperance ! apostles throughout the land; 1t Is there
 fore no wonder that the more simple
 minded WOrkmen believe what k being
 drummed into their ears year in and
 year out by these so called manufacture
 CTS of public opinion. This, then, ex. - plains why we have i'll this country such
 a mighty army of the shabby .genttel. Nobody wants to admit that he Is poor l because public opinion says it is his own
 fault, and that poverty k caused by i'm. : providence, ignorance and intcmperanCe. To avoid being classified with the in
 temperate, ignorant and improvrdent, every body strives to practice economy ! to the point of starvation, d la Dr. Tan
 ner.
 The possession of wealth being sign
 of shrewduess, it iS not to be wondered
 that people sacrifice all sense of honor ' or principle i'll the struggle for riches
 The American is now going thr ugh , the process of solving the Labor Question l by mOderty and hy starving himself
 But the process will not last long. The
 masses of the people will find out within
 a short period of time that this way iS
 decidedly wrong and they will try the
 Socialist way. The American will not E take a back seat in the social revolution r which Is sure to come.
 q The farmers of Connecticut, for in
 stance, ar" waking up to a sense of thpil ' own interests and have taken the tirs' Q step in a direction that cannot but IeaC |. to the point where they will meet nat. f urai allies, the vanguard of Labor, anC
 join hands and hearts in the great bat x tie of emancipation from the tyranniCa l. yoke of modern capitalism. The Farmers q League held its first annual meeting al
 Hartford last week, and among many
 minor points demanded from the State t government that IL establish a State 0 Fire Insurance Department. and that aI :. amendment to the State Constitution t be adopted compelling large landowner, ' to give up parts of their land at the J. assessed valuation and on easy install r ments to any one who wants to settle
 thtreupOn. It is not so much thest
 "dcmands' that are important, bu . the fact that the farmers find 1t neces
 sary tO draw together and discuss mat
 ters for their own welfare. IL is wei $ known fact that Connecticut farms dC r not fetch their actual va,ue in an oper o market; thousands of farms are idle
 throughout the State and can be ha, t for song. Most farmers are over thei Is ears in debt, and Wlll never be able {, |, get out of ii; the farm mortgages art il held hy compar::.,rIT few people, anC
 1t does not pay them, at present marke T prices, to fureClOse.
 n Meanwhile the farmers are gettin, Y leaner from year to year while hopn.
 for a better future; but that future
 will never come under the capitall,ti regime, because the very moment tn, '. farnls nn mn in nrict, iL.. tnnrf Arattn