, 1891-03-25
LABOR'S D%EBASEMENT.
mIcHIGAN,s COMMISSIONER REVIEWS
THE SITUATION.

PIutocracy versus Dsmoeracy-The Com
ing millionaire and the waEeworker.
Over the Road Travelled by Old Rome.
Time the Producers Were Awake.
Shakespeare says, IAN the worlds a
stage, and all the men and women mere
ly players" At present it might be said
that all the worlds a court room and
all the people htigauts- In a general
way the world is divided into two great
classes, the rich and the poOr-the for
mer living at the expense Of the latter.
The evils growing out Of such a state of
affairs are everywhere apparent. This
country, blessed by an opulent provi-
dence with an abundance Of everything
necessary to the comfortable mainten-
ance of at least 500. 900 600 of souls, with
a population of only 90, 900, 600. shows a
startling record Of want and misery.
Gradually the money power Is aggregat-
ing TO itself all of the products Of labor
that it is possible to extract by dint OF
strategy or force. The case before the
tribunal Of the land is Plutocracy vs..
Democracy. Reason sits supreme upon
the bench, aud on the decision depends
the future Of the country. Shall it be a
plutocracy or a democracy?
THE POWER BEHIND THRONE.
We have, in form, a democratic gov,
eminent, but the power behind the
throne is cold, glittering gold. Behind
everything, from the casting of a single
vote 10 the passage or suppression Of any
measure brought before the great legis-
lative bodies of the land, its ~concentra-
ton in the hands of the few is the one
thing TO be most dreaded by the toiling
masses. This matter is likely to be
regarded with apathy by the general
public, or turned aside by the remark,
Nothing will come of it in my day"
backed by the thought, After me the
flood" But, according to the estimate
made by Thomas CT. Shearman, at the
present rate at which this evil is advanc-
ing forty years hence will see the billion
airc in this country surrounded by an
estate so vast that the groans of his vic
tins cannot penetrate to his sensitive
ears.
The terrible curse Of rapidly accumu.
lating private fortunes hovers like "A
blight over the United States. Glass
legislation and law made monopolies,
llht AhH vampire 0hGAN NAb me bADlA VI
our constitution. Tho halls dedicated
Chy the forefathers WING freely spilled
their blood to throw off the yoke of the
tyrant) TO a government Of, for and by
the people are now the fortified strong
holds of legalized marauders. Truly the
tabernacle has become the rendezvous OF
the Insurer.
THE REMEDY CLOSE AT HAND.
And all this time the most miserable
victim holds in his hand the instrument
designed to strike of his letters, and
why does he not use it? Oh, he does,
but each time it is TO drive the rivets a
little deeper and fasteu them a little
more securely. He does this to secure
the pleasure of FIVE minutes stroking
from the "boss," and n scrap Of animal
comfort which, if judiciously used, will
last through the day. For this he is an
American citizenl For this he exercises
the noble privilege of the ballot Will
he continue to help the Millionaire (aud
his own ruin to come, or will he, by the
abolition of the abuses necessary to the
existence of that monster Of wealth,
make his advent impossible?
The masses must assert themselves OF
the fate of Rome will DO ours. After
sketching the downfall of that empire
Philips Thompson goes on to say, THE
systematic oppression of the laborer
sapped its manhood, destroyed its
strength, rotted the magnificent struct.
ure at its foundation"
The description of the causes of Rome's
overthrow presents such a startling par
allel to the causes now at work in every
modern land that it reads like a slightly
overdrawn presentation Of the evils of
American or European society today. Is
history repeating itself? Are the great
empire and the great republic travelling
over the same road that led old Rome to
the abyss2 Look where we may the
same sinister phenomenon presents it,
self-the accumulation of wealth and
the decay of manhood. The claims OF
manhood are disregarded; only those Of
the moneyed interests are regarded by
law givers, who are as much owned by
the monopolizing class as though pur.
chased in open market.
The whole advantage of the great in.
ventions designed to improve the condi-
ton OF mankind has gone to the exploit
ing classes, Unless a thorough recon
struction of the industrial system arrests
the tendency to Generalization by in.
surfing healthier conditions for the devel.
opment of the workers, the same enfee-
Element and degradation Of the race
which proved the ruin of ancient civil
i%zation, based upon slavery and caste
supremacy, will assuredly sap the system
reared by capitalism upon a like founda,
ton of industrial serfdom.-Henry A,
Robinson in Grand Rapids Democrat.
1t Speaks for Itself.
When a mother seeks to precipitate
herself and three little children one nm