The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-08-26

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Who would be free themselves must
strike the blow"
The Interest Question.
The whole tendency of our Christian
civilization is to develop the Shylock
in the American breast. Save &C
cumulate. get ahead. become in a
small way "a capitalist get some
money out at interest and you will
see the immense advantage there is
in saving. The first start once made
and then the returns roll up rapidly"
This is the advice OF earthly wisdom
from Christian ministers to the three
ball Jew. On the ground of thrift
economy. self discipline. development
of individual character the advice is
timely and good. but in the rush for
wealth the claims for justice and
equity are ignored. Somebody must
pay the interest that rolls up so rap
idly. and the debtors have rights
under our free government that the
genuinely Christian elements OF So
ciety should recognize. For every
lender there must be borrower for
every Shylock an Antonio. Money
does not grow of itself; it
must be earned by somebody.
On behalf Of the debtor class
rapidly becoming larger = the Peo-
pies party raises its voice. and de-
mands that relief be given by care
fully considered political action. 1t
calls upon genuine lovers of their
kind to consider the ethical questions
underlying the interest question. It
claims that underlying all other ques-
tions of public moment to-day is the
interest question. 1t says to every
honest citizen. Examine every wrong
demanding redress to-day and the in
terest question. like a hydra-headed
monster. is found to be the underlying
cause of the wrong" 1t gives statis-
tics the truth of which no one denies,
showing that as a result OF excessive
interest the rich are getting richer
while the poor are getting poorer. 1t
points out the fact that similar
conditions and tendencies have
brought about the downfall of every
nation that has come into power since
the world began. And all call upon
every tue American citizen to help
avert the ruin sure to result in our
country unless some action is speedily
taken. Patriotism as well as the
spirit of justice proclaims that the
Peoples party on this question is
right A vote for that party re.
cognizes this evil and tends toward
an effective remedy. while vote for
either of the old parties ignores the
whole question. Can there be any
doubt as to how the honest citizen
should voter inceritas. in Advocate.
The Way to Do 1t.
You are the fellow that l am after
in this article. mean the fellow
that is striking at his boss to get
higher wages. Let me put flea in
your ear. have some nuts for you
to crack. The first nut that l desire
you to crack is termed a railroad nut.
1t is about this size: The total stock
and bonds of the railroads of the
United States is in round figures
&c. 600. 900. 0U0. The annual interest
on this sum is $500. 600. 900. Now,
the fellows that get this interest don't
run great many locomotives, don't
fire a great many engines, don't do a
great deal OF cracking, nor have
many fingers cut off coupling cars.
There amt many OF them that lose
work that is actually needed in run
ming these railroads They don't
pretend to do that They say simply
that this is their capital that is work
ing for them while they sit down and
watch the railroad boys do the work.
Now. how shall we raise tho
wages of the railroad boys?
Why if these fellows don't
do any work what is the matter of
dispensing with them? Amt that
what the employer does? When he
has no moro work, when he finds a
fellow ting around drawing pay
when he don't earn it. he simply dis.
charges. Now suppose that. we dis
charge this class of work Il en- on the
ground that they are not needed
Now. we think that we hear some
fellows say how are you going to do
that? Well we will take as case of
illustration. the United States post
Office The postmaster general says
in his last annual report that he did
over $67. O00 900 of business last
year; that he employed over 100. 900
people,; that his establishment has
been running over one hundred years.
and that he has never had strike in
the establishment He also informs
US that there are no drones drawing
per cent. interest upon the bohds or
stock representing the plant If the
railroads were run by the same source
the $3.50. 900. 900 would be divided be.
tween the people who patronize the
road and those who do the work. -
Ralph Beaumont in the Topeka
Tribune
An Old Foe Of Labor.
For twenty years. since good old
Horace Greedy ceased to be the New
York Tribune and Whitelaw Reid
took his place. the Republican candi-
date for vice pres dent has been the