People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-11-25
True Patriotism.

lTut PdlIl0llSll.
But seriously now, we have one of
the grandeSt governments in the
world. We have the grdndest people
and the grandest country in the world.
With our mineral producing noun
tainS, our hillside pastures and fertile
prarieS reaching from the Atlantic
on the east to the Pacific on the west:
with our rich valley from the Lakes
to the Gulf. Is there any country on
the globe with more fertile valleys
and prarieS, more wealth producing
mines, more powerful water power,
more magnificent scenery and more
natural resources for the happiness of
mankind? And is there a people on
he face of the earth that appreciate
these natural advantages more than
the American peOple?-0Xford Bird.
We quote the above text because it
is only one of thousand like par
agraphS that are being thrust before
the eyes of the people in contradis-
tinctiOn to calamity" Notice the
phraSeOl0gy: "We have one of the
grandest governments in the world"
OF course: don't yOUssee our "rich val
leyS,' fertile praIies," ''wealth-prO-
ducing Mines" powerful water
courses" magnificent scenery, "natz
ural advantages
We can heartily coincide with all
these complimentary remarks of our
native land, and to bring it still closer
home will affirm that Kansas is the
garden spot of the country and Sum-
ner county the most favored corner Of
the garden, but there is not a line of
argument in all this tending to show
the superior grandeur of our govern
ment. Ireland, the worst tyrant-
ridden land in the world, says Cham
bers Encyclopaedia, has with its
splendid climate and fertile soil, IA
prospect of great national prosperity,
based on most remarkable, though as
yet only partially developed agricul-
tural resources" And we might
mention Italy, Russia, and many other
countries, but the point we wish to
make is that natural resources count
| for nothing when it comes to arguing
Just government. Our wonderful re-
sources and unlimited cooperative
franchise laws, are an attraction to
combined capital TO prey upon us and
faSten their fangS upon our store
house, as they have already done in
every nation on the face if the globe.
1t takes something besides natural re-
sources to insure national prosperity
as the experience of other countries
prove. The VOICE will cOncede that
We have the "grandest government"
on the face of the globe, but its grand
uer consists in its functions being
lodged with the people. Since this
is so, the intelligence of the people is
of the first magnitude, for the stream
cannot rise higher than its source.
1t i'll behoves an intelligent people
thus situated to shut their eyes to
growing evils which stand out so
prominently by the governmental
statistics. Eternal vigilance is the
price of liberty" Men who point out
the drifting of property out of the
hands of the many into the hands of
the few, and verify their statements
by unQuestiOnable impartial govern
mental statistics, are put down by the
rabble as calamity howlers," and
their patriotism seriously called in
question. Is this the way to encOur-
age intelligence and patriotism? Can
we afford to shut our eyes to cOndi-
tiOns that threaten the overthrow Of
the one advantage that distinguishes
lis from other nations?
England would be only too glad to
put us in the same condition as Ire
land.
Turn the facts as we will, twist and
sQuirm, explain and apologize all We
may and the fact still remains that
gradually a larger per cent of our peo-
pie are becoming landlesS and home
less year by year and as this progresses
decline in intelligence will follow
with its consequent loss of power and
inspiration. No one expects the
transition to take place all at once.
1t would necessarily be by easy stages.
That is the alarming feature. 1t
creeps upon us unawareS. The peO-
! pie who now jeer at calamity howl
ers" are just as honest and prtriOtic
as anybody. but they fail to grasp the
plain tendencies of the period.
Ill fares the land to Fastening ills prey
! Where wealth accumulate and men decay"
Mrs. Carson appeared in the MOni-
tnr lnct rnnl- in an aYtnndad card of