The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-09-22
A MISCUIEVOUS LIE.

nifty.
A MISCuIEVOUS LIE.
The anarchist Bergman, il making
his argument before the court and ju-
ry in excuse for his attempt to murder
II. Z. Frick, claimed that his deed was
not one of personal spite, but that he
was led to attempt murder by brooding
over ''the injustice of the ruling
classes" H. continued: This is the
beginning Of the end; it is now war
against the present condition Of affairs.
The rich grow richer and the poor grow
poorer, and the end is near.''
There is always an excuse on the
and execrablo his deed may be. Berg
mans excuse is a manifest lie. Yet
it is not original with him, nor is he
singular in disseminating what is a
plausible, yet misctievous assumption
that AL evil condition exists, which is
described Ivy the WOIus: The rich are
growing ric.'er and the poor are grow
lug poorer" 1t is Il mistake and an
error which passes current among tar
better people than Bergman. There
are honest people imposed on by it, and
there are demagogues, who know Eet-
tor, aud yet use it, as Il plausible lie
GulliOle preachers are grOanilg it, III
lachrymal reglet, as though Il nations
prosperity Was obtained through sin.
Pseudo stateu,an are echoing it from
from many stump. 1t is the current
Justification Ut every form ot spleen
aud discomfort.
Every mischievuus falsehOou has
something lauSib!e-sumethlng only
apparently tlue-Ur something Uhly
half true, in it. That wealth and pov-
elLy should each tend to Increase its
own condition is d truth us old as hui
lnau. society, and will always be au III
cvitable fact. That which makes Il
man poor helps to keep him poor, and
every dollar Il man gains over his i'm
mediate necessities helps him to il lar
ger thrift. But it is not true that the
poor in the conditions of to-day are
prevented from bettering their estate
by hindrances which justify the pistol
or dynamite Of the assassin, or by any
other causes which did not always exist.
On the other hand the facilities of
prosperous classes are relatively no
greater than they have been. The
changes are in favor Of the poorer
men. Never Was the working man so
able to defend himself against aggres-
sion as he is now. Strikes never occur
iu non-prosperons times or places. A
strike is not likely when ten men apply
for the job one man can do. The war
upon the prosperous classes can in no
event help the poorer classes.
Let US test the matter as to the rela-
tive condition Of the rich and poor as
compared with former times. The poor
depend on wages; as they rise the poor
mans condition improves, provided
his expenses are no greater, The fol
lowing statement, which we copy from
aChicago pBper, states the truth: 1--WE
can remember without difficulty when
domestic service was we'll paid in the
country at 81 a week and in the city al
from 81 so to 81. Farm hands received
$l2 a month, aud day laborers in the
town ST. day. To-day the servant ir
the kitchen gets $3.50 to SIS week
averaging not less than So. Tho faru
labor which cost SIP month costs $2|
now; with 81 and even So day during
harvest for extra hands. The govern
ment commissioner reports the price
of skilled labor as commanding, fo
carpenters $14 week in New York an<
$3.50 in Chicago; bricklayers get $50 ;
week in New York and $24 in Chicago
and 50 on through eighty various kind
of employment. If the poor man il
poorer, it is not because he is paid les
money for his toil.'' Aud all the arti
cles Of prime necessity, such as flour
pork, beef, butter, sugar, cotton AM
woollen goods, have declined ali aver
age Of Al per cent, 50 it cannot be tn
increased expense of living that is ma
King him poorer.
Interest on money, in one form or an
other is the rich mans reliance. Doe
the present rate Of interest indicat
that he is getting rich faster than il
former times? lu 1856 u. $. bond
yielded the investor over 64 per cent
the recent stock issues average to tn
investor only 1t per cent. If the ric
man is becoming rich faster than fol
lnerly it is not by being a ''bloate
bondholder." The stockholders in n;
tional banks, ,,as class, are not gettin
rich faster than formerly, as 955 {
them, one fifth of all that were eve
organized have gone into forced {
voluntary liquidation. Municipal sc
curities yield only about 4 per cent
one half the rate of former years.
We may be asked, very pertinentl!
If the poorer class earns more and
at less necessary expense for living
what becomes Of the surplus2 We Al
sorry to day that out of the earnings {
the working class come the millior
money which make distillers, brewer
and saloon keepers such an importa1