The record-union., 1891-08-07

the Almighty, from which none can be
free, except as the Almighty prescribes
and permits. All men are naturally
selfish more or Less, and this
is apparent III the disposition
shown by (nearly) all, to take advantage
of these inevitable conditions in traffic.
II the laboring man can catch the rich
man, enSlaved by his necessity or desire,
enough to submit to an eXtortionate price
for the production which he covets, the
laboring man will exact all he thinks he
can get. Witness Tryphena's example of
the artist and the capitalist, which is no
supposition. If the rich man wants
product Of labor it is common for him to
advertise for the lowest bidder to furnish
him with what he wants. (ItiS an old say
ing that there are exceptions to all general
rules, and / do not assert that these trans
actions are invariable, but that they are
usual.) l am not disposed to grumble at
the Almighty for creating world like
this, or for subjecting man to such con-
ditions as are apparent, but l often won
der at the marvellous power which has so
interviewer our social fabric, that even
mans greed and most selfish motives are
made to work beneficial result; witness
the fashion of advertising for the lowest
bidder. That need is widespread no one
can deny, and the lowest bidder is likely
to be the most needy.
widespread the relief is distributed the
more general is the consolation? Would
brother Murphy prefer to divide the same
amount between half the number and
kill off the other half as useless towards?
The fact that the distributor gets more
product in return from the many than
he would from the few, does not affect
my opinion of which is best; ! know that
what he gets must be again distributed
In like manner. 1t is evident to me that in
civilized community there must be
large accumulatlons Of the products of
labor, which must be disposed of in some
way. All which goes into railroads,
steamboat lines, telegraph lines and the
multiplicity of what we call public works
l consider wisely disposed of and bene-
fetal to all. That any accumulation, of
from cents up to millions, always makes
the best use of what he has acquired l do
not believe, and the 1nisapplication Ito
my sense of justice) is just as repre-
hensible in one case as in another.
1t is common and wise saying that
people should examine both sides of a
question before they attempt TO decide 1t.
Old Crank has learned by observation
that many questions of importance have
six sides, which should all be examined
before deciding. The question, What is
the best way to improve the condition Of
the poorer classes? Q. G. considers an
immense cube, and he would advise
brother Murphy and all others to go
around it and measure the four visible
sides, and then get a ladder, if one can be
found long enough to reach, and climb up
on top and measure the upper surface !;
he cannot get at the bottom of the subject,
but when he has the dimensions of five
sides he can estimate the magnitude of
the question; and then If he thinks the
world would be better if it was turned
over to rest on another base, he will be
more competent to estimate the force re-
quired TO accomplish it.
.. &. begS to be excused from lifting
until he has been convinced by argument
that the world would be bettered. Ply
sical force would never convince O. c.,
neither does he believe it is possible
to make Christians by coercion ;
that way has been tried before, and
! always failed. 0. c. would also desire to
be well informed Of the methods pro-
posed for accomplishing the great work;
for he has seen a combination of as bright
intellects as the world ever knew, actu-
ated by the most magnificent of motives,
produce results entirely different from
what they intended. Does brother Murphy
want an example for proof Of this asser-
ton?
Not long ago our own beloved Govern
ment-the best on earth-StoOd in such
peril that immense capital was absolutely
needed to carry on the measures neceS-
sary for its preservation. An assembly
of citizens delegates, as capable men as
the world ever saw, after due delibera-
ton, decided to tax the luXurieS and nom
necessaries of life, in order to make the
burden as light as possible on the pro-
ducing classes. With this object in view
among other things-they levied a
heavy tax on spirituous liquors and to-
bacco. What was the result? Poor Pat,
and Mike, and all of their confreres, and
even the brave soldiers who were she'd
ding their best blood for the good of all,
were made to contribute heavily to the
needed fund; While the few temperance
people, some of whom were capitalists,
partially escaped. 1t is true that by levy
ing taxes on incomes the rich were made
10 bear their share of the burden, but can
| brother Murphy deny the assertion that
if the tax on liquors and tobacco had
| been on food and clothing, in proportion
to their value, the burden would have
been more general on non-combat-
ants, and the noble soldiers would
have been exempt-as they ought to
have been-because the Government
furnished them with food and clothing.
The rich man cannot drink more whisky
or chew more tobacco than the poor man,
but he can eat more costly food and wear
more expensive apparel; consequently
his tax on those articles would have been
more in proportion to his means. When
the ablest of men, with the best of mo-
tives, make blunders like this, can brother
Murphy wonder that 0. G.. questions the
methods mot the motives) of labor organ
| izations?
Old Crank loves liberty dearly, and the
words ''all men are endowed with certain
| lnalienable rights, among which are life,
! liberty and the pursuit Of happiness" are
| burned into his heart, never to be eff
faced. The liberty which he claims as a
| birth-right he accords to all; and when
! he sees any man or set of men-howeYer
meritorious their motives may be-try-
ing to curtail the liberty of anyone
except for crimes against the community
it awakens his censure. Old Crank
knows Pat and Mike well, and claims
closer kinship to them than Murphy is
aware of. He also knows their national
traits of character, one of which is warm
hearted attachment and adhering friend
ship for those they love; and this lovable
virtue they often carry TO such an ex-
treme that it becomes a vice; for their
friendship is exactly like the patriotism
of the man who exclaimed, "Our coun-
tryi right or wrong" 0. c. will venture
TO express his belief that it was not Pat
or Mike who accused the capitalist who
! erected his mansion of robbing them; for
he has always found them frank in ac-
| knowiedging their own faults, and brave
in accepting the consequences. 1t was
probably their friend Murphy, whose
anxiety to assist those he loved made him
feel that he who had plenty ought to have
paid them more literally for their serv-
ices.
o. G. does not cite this as an exceptional
case of virtue carried to such an extreme