The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-06-11

big advertisement OF cheap goods.
Cheaper aud cheaper they get every
week, especially clothing for men and
for women. Fine linen bosom shirts for
10 cents. How cheap! we all exclaim-
we must buy somehow can they afford
them at that price: These sewing women
can tell you. never see one of these
displayed advertisements, but what | feel
pain, a shadow and another verso Of
Hoods song comes over me:
Oh, men with sisters dear,
Oh, men with mothers and wives,
l; is not linen you are wearing out,
But human creatures lives.
The newspapers tell ua there is to be
third psrty ard lis watch.word will be,
"Down with the plutocracy." Does that
mean relief for the poor and friendless-
the sewing women, the factory girls, the
starved and hopeless in the slums of the
great citics-or is it just for the farmers
and the politicians? Who src the pluto
Gratis, anyhow. Am l one? Are you
one? I am rich, compared with Cobe.
Maybe l am his plutocrat. My nabor
NIunford is mine and Joe Brown is his
and Jay Gould is Joo Browns. Every
man is plutocrat to somebody. When
the downing begins reckon we will all
go to wrestling and try to down somebody
else. I'll give Cobe a powerful tusslc be-
fore he shall down me, but Pm afraid to
tackle Munford. I think I will let him
keep what he has got, if he will promise
not to get any more.
Now, if the new party will put !hcae
poor toilers and bread winners on the
middle plank in their platform and pro-
vide homes for them and good work and
living wages, I will join it. There are
over 100000 of them, according to the
census-2,000,Oo0 of people who live by
the day and have no comforts, no spare
time, no rest, no medicine, no delicacies
when sick, and no privileges when well.
Tariff reform and the free coinage of sill
yer are nothing to them, but every ceat
that is added to the price Of cotton or
corn or potatoes ia something 10 them.
II makes their food and their clothing
cost just that much more. Six months
ago corn was so cents a bushel-nowi it is
81, and the poor are paying it. But I
reckon the new party will fix it up some'
way so that the farmers can get g big
price and the poor pay little one. The
nlutocracy ought 10 be made to do some.
thing-something for suffering humanity.
Boston is the richest city in the United
States. She has over $l,000,Q00,000 Of
wealth according to the last census
more than 1000 per capita. New York
has less than $1,000 per capita, snd yet
there are 6 600 sewing women and girls in
Boston whose slavery is more pitifnl than
the worst fabrication in 'Uncle Toms
Cabin" Talk about iteracy and litter
acy-what does it prove? What is edu-
cation worth if it does not make people
better? Ar eminent New York preacher
said the other day that great wealth was
the curse of the city churches. They
gave OF their money freely, butt was like
buying iudulgences to commit sin. Their
hearts were not in the prayers nor the
preaching, nor in the Christian work, but
were shut up in their pockets. When he
tried to interest them the substance Of
their reply was: "Hcw much money do
you want?"
Nor, if The plutocracy will do that
much, the poor will let them oil. Let
the preachers 60 to them, and keep going
and plead fur charity. ltisa bigger thing
than trying DR.. Briggs for hcresy, or DR..
Woodrow or any other doctor. There is
no time for abstrue theology now. 1t is
the day of practical Christianity, such as
was preached and taught and acted by
the friend of humanity. Friends, couu-
trymen, north and south, let US awake to
the long smothered cry Of the poor.
Plutus was the ancient god Of wealth.
He was very mean sort Of god, for he
distributed his gifts without regard 10
merit. Iu fact, he didn't like to give at
all, but Jupiter forced him TO divide out
his money as fast rs it accumulated.
When be approached 4 person 10 make q
gift he was lame and slowfooteo, but
when he left him to go back 10 MS treas.
ures he unfolded pair of hidden wings
aud flew away.
Some of our plutocrats are we'll named,
for it is like drawing their eyeteeth TO get
any charity out of them. But after all,
there is something to be said in the aver
age rich mans favor. None Of them are
misers, that / know Of They do not
hoard and hide aud keep their money 10
count and lcok at. The Astors build
more houses to rent aud that makes rent
cheaper. Jay Could builds more rail
roads and pushes them farther and farth'
err into The wilderness, and that opens up
new territory for the emigrants, the nj
ners and the cattle men. l never knew q
community but what begged for rail-
road, and | never knew one but what
made var upon il as soon as they got it.
There are many plutocrats in Atlanta aud
Chattanooga, but my observation is their
money is always doing coed work. II is
building houses or railroads, or invested
in ironSorks or manuactories OF some
kind, and giving employment to labor. Ii
there were no rich mcn, llicre would be
no progress 1t certainly is no sin to get
ric'. II ii is Gore fairly. Every Man would
get rich if he could | would | know. |
have got gold lot, 50 called, thail have
owned for thirty years, and il could sell
it fox $4,000 i! seems 10 me that ! would
be quite happy. In fact, would rejoice