The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-09-17
PEOPLE ARE IGNORANT
NO LONGER. BUT ARE ORGAN
lied IN SELF PROTECTION

Corrupt Corporations and , ntiorsed by
tho "Tramp Factory" Mt Washington
Are Mon and Know 1t.
Helen Wilmans, well known as one
of the ablest writers in the reform
movement, writes a lengthy article in
Wilman's Express, of Douglasville,
Ga, from which the following is
taken:
Twenty years ago 1 was awakened
to full comprehension of the wrongs
being perpe.rated on the people by
the rulers of our nation, and the tenn
per of me rushed to white heat, and
has never cooled since.
But notice this: was not more
angry at the rulers who sought to
make slaves of the people than at the
people who were servile enough to
stand it. And it was in those days
that wrote that fiery article so often
quoted by the reform papers from that
hour to this-an article in which l
said that He who takes a kick de-
serves it."
But now l know that though the
people took the kicks, they did not
deserve them: because they were not
servile but only ignorant of their own
worth and their own power.
Since that time there has been going
on thoroughly systematized course
of education among the masses, and
at last they understand their position
and dignity; and where is the man
who dares to administer kick to them
now? Better mill stone was fast
ened to his neck and he be sunk in the
depths of the sea-"
Before the people became aroused
by the education of the reform press
they did not know they had any rights
that a rich man or a corporation was
bound to respect. They took the ad
vice of their preachers and ate theil
bread-usually without butter-in hu
mility, believing it was Gods will tha
they should work hard and have notn.
ing, SO that their reward in HEAVIER
might be greater.
so peculiar are the terms of thi:
gospel scheme. it might as well have
been gotten up by monopolists in
their own favor as by God. 1t gave
heaven here on earth to the rich; with
first-class chance of death bed re-
pentance and heaven hereafter. To
the poor it gave most potent hell
here: hell so throbbinglv viruleni
as to destroy before death almost every
ves.ige of soul man has, with nc
bettershow for heaven afterward thar
the rich. If these be the mercies O
God, we had better organize in sell
protection against them.
One thing certain, We have organ.
lied in self protection against the
mandates formulated by corrupt cor
'porations and endorsed by the mann
moth tramp factory at Washington
and if the political world in its revolu
. tion on its axis does not swing to sui
US better between now and the 22d OF
next February, we are going to GU
the hame strings and drop the harness
off the two old parties and turn then
loose ON the direct road to Pandemo
mum, where they have been trying t.
lead the people for SO long time.
They will get there, but the people
will not. On the very brink of hel
we have called halt. Not one stel
farther will we bulge in that direction
Thanks to the reform press; thanks t.
those noble, self.sacrificing editor
who without money, and at times al
most without hope, and against til
,cishes and rithoutt the help of hos
for ,chOm they acere 7corking hav
kicked the lid off the pot of hell brotl
brewed for us by the politicians of tn
old parties, and exposed its poisonou
contents to the public gaze until tn
dullest and deadest man among us ha
turned in deep disgust away from it.
Thanks, say, to those men, for
know them. ! have been with them
recall one time on the old Pacif
Greenbacker when we editors, typos
and the whole fraternity danced. clol
dance in the printing office becaus
some patriot sent in two dollars o.
subscription, and we knew we woul
all have square meal that day.
1t seems that truth must have he
sacriticial offerings. And to the grea
truth of "Justice for all and specia
privileges for none," men and wome
that 1 know have been offering then
selves, their time, their services, tn
services of their children, living o
what would barely keep soul and bod
together, having their printing office
in dens too open and cold to be cor
sidered fit tenements for horses or pig.
and keeping their families in house
not much better, and all this that the
might work out their own pure an
holy convictions of right, in order tina
the people should be saved from til
crushing wheels of heartless capita
And this has been going on for man
years, even while those for whom til
sacrifices were made did not know i
Lulled into the deepest and heavie!
narcotic slumber by the lies {
the old parties and by exhort'
tions to humility and .forbearance b
four-fifths of the preachers-hell o
dained for this special purpose, edr
Gated in deception and baptized
cupidity, hypocrisy and venom-th'
they might share with the despoil,
the wealth they helped to e1tort fro
the laborer, the people we're rapid
falling into the sleep that knows L
waking, and civilization was lapsin
again into the dark ages; and woul
have done so but for the never endin
and thankless work of thousand o.
scure reformers whose nntiring SEN
of justice would not let them re
until the whole nation should becon
infused by it.
Every class of society has bee
against the reformer. The rulir
classes have been against him throue
mistaken belief that there must
class privilege, and that the rich cou
only subsist at the expense of the poo
The poor have been against him, b
cause they were overworked and u
derfed, and kept in conditions whe
the lifting power of thought cou
scarcely reach them. The poor ha
been against the reformer for no 9th
reason than because they beliey'
their bread depended on the rich, q,
they dare not jeopardize it by harbe
ing single idea to the contrary.