The record-union., 1891-10-13

on topics of interest to the general public. The
matter In these communications will be un-
derstood to represent only the views OF the
writers. All communications must be accom-
panied by the name of the writer, not for pub
hcation, unless so desired, but as q guarantee
OF good taith.-EDS.]
Old Crank Poses as q Communist and
Tries Moral Suasion.
1t is an old saying and a true one, that
''the pen is mightier than the sword"
You may ask a man if he believes any
thing, and if he says no, you may tie him
hand and foot, and scourge him until he
is nearly crazy, ana possibly you may
get him to admit that he believes it, to es-
cape punishment, but he don't, and the
minute you let him loose away he scoots,
just as much skeptic as he was before;
but if you take that man and argue with
him, until you convince him, you have
got him forever; there is no going back
after he is satisfied that the thing is true.
had been around listening good deal
to the agitators of the labor question, and
had heard of the millions of capital in the
hands of the few, which properly be-
longed to the many producers, and in
nearly all cases the idea seemed to pre-
vail that 1t was necessary to make a big
display of force in order to make the un-
just holders disgorge their unholy accu-
mutations and divide them among those
who rightfully should be the possessors
of the wealth their labor had produced.
Thinks L to myself, boys, you are on
the wrong tr&~k. l always had a won
derful gift of CAB, and I felt sure / could
make anyone of those millionaire fellows
not only willing but anxious to divide
all he had by simply arguing with him
for fifteen minutes, SO started out on an
equalizing crusade.
The first man / met was old Sweet, and
says /: Friend Sweet, you have got a
good deal more than your share of this
worlds goods. 1t is not conducive to the
welfare of society that one man should
have millions and another man have
scarcely enough to buy his daily bread.
/ think if you would fork over a few
thousands to me and a few thousands to
each of my poor neighbors, your heart
would be much lighter and we should all
be happier"
Says he: "Look here, Old Crank, I
made my millions by raising and refin-
ing sugar. Can you, or anyone else,
deny the fact that L have sold to you and
all others, better sugar at much lower
prices than you or they ever bought be-
fore. Now l can't see that / have harmed
anyone, and all the millions that [ have
acquired l have got to exchange for other
products Of labor in order to derive any
benefit for myself and | can't see why
1t won't do just as much good to the
world, if exchange it, as it will if / give
1t toyou and your neighbors and let you
exchange it,"
[ next saw Mr.. Towns, and 1 says to
him: My friend, l think this world
would be much better if the wealth, which
we see around us, was more evenly dis
trIbuted. II must be great burden to
you to have so much to take care of while
L, and many of my neighbors, can
scarcely obtain the necessaries of life.
Now l will take few of your thousands,
and my neighbors will take few more
of your thousands, and so we will tighten
your burden and benefit ourselves at the
same time, and we will all be happier"
Now look here, Old Crank" says he,
Il can see right through your little game.
IL don't bother me any to take care of the
few millions | have acquired. 1t is true
i have to keep them moving in order to
derive any benefit for myself, but l pre-
fer exchanging them with others for some
product Of labor rather than give them to
you and your neighbors and trusting
10 you to exchange them. / didn't harm
you, or anyone else, by acquiring what l
have. In fact, / think | benefited good
many. was out West and l ran
across a tine piece of land located where
knew there would be a railroad in a few
years. The old fellow who owned it was
anxious to sell, and paid him his price,
and then L laid 1t out in town lots, and
the first man who came along l hailed,
and says TO him: old man, Will give
you magnificent city lot il you will
only pitch in and build yourself home
on it, He jumped at the chance, and
every man who came along for the next
month l served in the same way, until
had given away just about half the lots I
had. The consequence was city sprung
up at once, and the price of lots went up,
and | sold enough to make me million
aire."
While we were talking old man Rail-
way came along and listened to the con-
verSation, so l turned to him and said:
Don't you think if you should divide up
a few of your millions among the poor
laborers whose hard work gave you a
large portion of what you have accumu-
lated that the world would be bettered?
You know that the Government gave
you every alternate section of land for
twenty miles on each side of your road
for building it, and you know that each
one OF the men who worked for you had
just as much right TO that land as you
had?''
Says he: 'Old Crank, I thought YOU
had little common sense. You have Just
heard Mr.. Towns explain how he made
money by giving away half Of his town
lots; don't you see that the Government
was acting on the same principle? The
land was where nobody could get to it, or
get anything which might be raised on
IL TO market, consequently 1t was not
worth ten cents an acre; but when rail-
road was constructed through it it became
available for use, and consequently valu-
able. The half which the Government
retained was worth ten times what the
whole was worth without the railroad;
besides, the lncaIulable benefit in cheaper
fares and transportation which the road
furnished TO all who could use it. AS for
the men whose labor made the road they
were paid as much for their services as
they could obtain elsewhere. Instead of
the world being harmed by the way we
obtained our wealth ii has been i'm
mensely benefited, as anyone with half
any eye can see, and what we have ac-
qulred we have TO keep exchanging for
other products of labor in order to derive
any benefit ourselves.n
turned away and saw little Miss
Music dressed In silks and satins and
many furbelows, and i said to her: miss
Music, you look as lovely as Aurora did
when she uprose in splendor and
sprinkled the dewy lawn. 1t must cost
good deal TO keep you in such magnifi-
cent array. y good many of your beau
tlful sisters are swinging around the
cooking stove or hanging over the wash
tub, or performing other arduous toll.
DO you think it is right for you to make
ali this display while they can hardly OBJ
tain enough 10 hide their natural beau
typ"
Thank you. Old Crank, for your COM
pliments," said she; ''and L wish every
one of my sisters were as well off as |
am. God gave me musical voice, and it
Is . pleasure 10 me TO delight the thou
sands who listen to my singing, and their
plaudits are very sweet to me, and / can't
see how am inJuring my sisters by ex-
ercising the one talent given to me. AS
for my toiletit is the product of my sisters