Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-11-15


to work or TO hire themselves opt. And 4,
1t came about that there were paupers
in the kingdom, which was something
novel, since the King had heretofore
been the only pauper; and there were
criminals there, which was also novel,
for when nobody had to pay to be allow
ed to work, and everybody got rich by
working, no one ever thought OF being q
criminal.
In the course OF time the king died
and the lords died but the charters lived
and new kings and new lords protlted
by them.
At last the people got SO restless and
made such grim threats that the lords
were frightened, and when rebellion
was imminent the lords were on the
point OF burning up their charters. But
this did not meet the views Of tho devil,
and he put it into the heads OF tho peo-
pie who were paying for the right to
work to buy the right OF their lords for
o lump sum. OF course the lords werc
glad to compromise in this way, and 1t
came about that each man VINO worked
in certain place bought the right Of his
lord to work there forever, him and his
children after him, and to sell the right
to others. 1t took good many years'to
complete this change but when it was
done the devil rubbed his hands and
switched his tail gently, now this way
and now that, saying: surely the devil
will be to pay!"
And 1t was so.
Some OF the purchasers from the lords
found that where they had the right to
work they could make good deal with
only little effort, and others found that
where they had the right to work they
could only make little with great cf-
fort: and thus it happened that the first
and those who bought OF thcm grew
rich and the others remained poor. And
those that grew rich did just what tho
lords had done before them; they sod
permission to work to the poor who had
no charters, and this proved SO profita-
BILE that they were able themselves to
obey the old proclamation against work.
ing and yet to live in great comfort.
Like the lords from whom they had
bought, they wore lazy and happy.
But the people were constantly beg
cling to be allowed to work, and the moro
they begged the less attention was paid
to them. And when they did, eta chance
to work they were not allowed TO re-
ceive, 10 matter where they worked or
how much they made, any more than the
people who had charters to work in the
very poorest places in the kingdom. And
that was littlo enough, as every body
knew.
Withal the people increased and null
tiplied. and to help them out OF their
trouble they invented great machines.
which did marvellous work; but neither
the people nor tho machines could work
without permission OF charter OwEcr.
and the moro the people worked and tho
more marvellous their machines the moro
the charter owners charged them for the
right to work, until even the machines
fell into the hands Of few, and tho
people could not make new ones, ibe.
cause charters to work had become so
valuable that except in the very poor
est places only tho few were able to buy
the right to work, and the poor were
trying to hire themselves out And so
it appeared that, happen what might to
make work easier and moro fruitful, the
charter owners got all the benefit.
In these days u prophet arose who told
the people that the charter owners had
no right to forbid them to work nor any
right to make them pay for working
But tho charter owners rallied at tho
prophet as q devil (the devil having put
it into their heads to do SOY, saying,
"Have we not bought andpaid for these
charters?"
And then arose q priest who, seeing
how the people were oppressed and rob
bed by the charters, denounced the
charters and demanded that they be
abolished; but the devil ordered tho
priest to be put down, and he was put
down.
And yet every one marveled that there
were so many poor and that the poor in
creased But the prieststaught that 1t
was not marvellous, for God willed 1t,
whereat the devil again rubbed his
hands together and gently switched his
tail, now this way, now that, saying to
himself, 1T won't be long now until tho
devil is to pay!"
And he was right
Pretty soon everything was in roadi-
ness, and from advising King, and lord
and charter owner the devil turned to
advising the poor.
''See how the rich revel in the wealth
YOU have createdw he said to them.
"Why do you not burn and murder and
pillage? Is there no manhood in you?
Are you slaves"'
But at first tho people protested that
they were opposed to murder and pill