Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-10-31

Z, SOUTH DAKOTA, FRIDAY
AS sat few days since at our
desk, reading and thinking of the pres
ent'condition of affairs in our country
we were Impressed with these two
facts; first: that there is an army of la
borers in this country suffering from
the relentless hand of poverty, and
second, that its leaders were promul-
eating the the theory that all the ills
attendent upon poverty could be right
cd by proper legislation. Can this be
true? There are those who believe
that all the wrongs incident to the re-
lation Of capital and labor are tracea-
bic to money legislation; that the "hard |
times" are the result of said legislation.
We will admit that there is now exist
ing currency laws that have outlived
their usefulness and the purpose for
which they were enacted, yet we can
not believe that a sudden and radical
change would be beneficial to the !
country. The laws are gradually be-
ing changed for the better, still our In
dependent friends think there can be
no reform through the old parties.
If any one should suggest to these
Independents that they were not loyal,
patriotic citizens they would be highly
incensed; or that they were fostering
the same spirit which prompted the
Haymarket riot; they would take 1t as
an insult equaled only by accusation Of
treason yet IN their zeal and despera-
ton they lay themselves liable to such
charges. There are those IN the INDIE
pendent party who believe that war
will follow the defeat OF the Independ-
ents, still they do not lift their voices
against course of action that threat
ems instability of this government,
but rather lift them to fan the discon-
tent. Some believe that there should
be a division of wealth, or in other
words that law should be passed to
prevent one individual accommodating
wealth at the expense of another.
But what folly. Legislation can not
prevent. one man accommodating more
than another. It's tract and ability
that enables any one to accumulate.
If it is due to the law, then all have
an equal cha nee, and nothing prevents
any one from becoming a Gould, who
began on a salary OF $l.5O week or q
Stewart who began by peddling laces
The Independents must not get VI
sands Il UGH principles
1. are.in our platform We are!aWare o
that, and have not said SO. We have
only given, what we have heard indie
pendents say and dedu ctions therefron
We have attributed their principles tt
the leaders. Our informents Wert
either leaders or had received instruc
, tions from them since the party plat
! form pgomuigates no such principles
| These leapers have hit upon a very op
. perfume time for this agitation, owing
10 Lue ,uloCOui ese, olllCneo OlOttSiAo oAA w
| a partial failure of crops during tht
: last two or three years, and THEY hav'
4 SUGGESTED to a limited eXtentin making
i the farmers believe that all their I'LL
+ are due to class legislation, when tina
!. is q very small part of the difficulty
We venture the assertion that had al
< parts of South Dakota been blessed
1 with good crops for thetwo years pas
there would not be one half the adher
e, ents to the Independent party there i
t to-day.
= What sensible man believes the gov
: eminent is going to lend money at
per cent. a year when it is borroWin!
millions at AZ per cent?