Dodge City times., 1891-05-29
SOUND ADVICE.

The Reform Leaders Should Raise % stand
ard Ample Enough to Shelter All BE
meath Its Folds.
Mrs Mary II. Ford, of Kansas City,
Mo-, has written book, entitled
(Which Wins: a Story of Social Con-
ditions." The dedication is as follows:
This volume is dedicated to the Farm
ers' Alliance, the members of which,
although busy toiiers, have become,
what the greatest men have always
been, both toilers and thinkers, rs
slight testimonial of the authors re-
spect and sympathy for the aims and
achievements of that great organiza-
ton"
One of Mrs. Ford's characters, John
Thurston, is labor reformer and
withal a philosopher and sage. lie
soliloquizes as follows:
so, Christ why did you die in the
world SO long ago, and what must you
think now of the lessons men teach as
yours? They use your highest thinking
rs an excuse for the meanest conduct
and feel themselves ut liberty to OPP
press the poor with a good conscience,
because you once said we should have
them always with MS! And your church
fosters that system of prctentious pub
lie giving and secret oppression which
you were foremost in denOuncing. l
suppose bingham will square his &C
count with Heaven by building an or
phan asylum or a public library Tor
some city, and console himself Tor the
sufferings of those he has starved to
pay for it, by the thought that they are
vermin, and ought to be thankful for
the privilege of dying to provide more
enlightened class with the Opportuni-
ties of culture"
He reasons thus:
"When we stop and realize what our
present standards are, we can't help
being Mortified. Social and political
considerations leave the personality,
with its merit or demerit practically
out of the question. We seek the &C
auaintance of people because they have
a certain income and live in houses of a
particular style; we nominate men t6
Office who can contribute large y to the
expenses of the campaign. and whose
characters are not too good for the
Vaccinations of the politicians, and
then we elect them because they belong
to the party we have chosen to support
Doesn't it all seem perfectly absurd
when we look at the matter from n
impartial standpoint? Is there any
need more vital to the human sou
than that of companionship with
beings who will inspire and strengthen
it? Yet we cut ourselves off from sucf
fulfillment for reasons which are pos
itively senseless, and is there any neet
more vital to the corporate creature
the socially connected man, than proper
representation in his legislative halls
Yet we deny ourselves this absolutely
and allow the choice of our representa-
tires to be governed by principles 81
pernicious that it is only an accident i
man comes TO represent the people
who cares anything about their neces
stiles The men who go to Washing
ton, therefore, and to our capital cities
60 there with adherence to party prin
ciples written first of all upon thei
hearts, and It never seems to occur Il
them that the welfare of the people il
in their keeping"
And gives the following advice:
sItseems to me You labor union fellow
are too narrow. You don't try to ap
peal to any one outside OF your own or
der, and as long as you restrict your
selves in that way, you can't accom-
plish anything important You mus
get out of class limitation and reach al
men before you can do much for re
form.
.Its q very simple thing. Instead o.
calling yourselves labor union party
and working solely among the laborins
men and their organizations, go on
among men with a peoples ticket ans
appeal to every one who suffers from
any sort of oppression to vote It The.
won't do it at first but just let it dawl
on them that you mean what you say
that your ticket stands for freedom an,
equality, and you'll be amazed to SCI
the people flock to your standard
Nearly everybody suffers, an
the only thing which will retard You
success is the fact that people hav'
grown SO accustomed to Legislation
without representation, through tn,
chicanery Of the two great parties
that they must have time to think on
the possibility of real representation
and what il tmeans Il won't take then
long; one or two campaigns Will do tn
work, for you see the need b great"
Nav tho tribe of John Thurston
newer grow less and authors like Mar.
n Ford increase In numbefA We hop
e. fon3 Wju have . lHEe c1rculat3ou