The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-12-23
VOICE FROM THE PAST.
what Victor Hugo Said on the Question
OF Labor.


The slaves implore their rulers and
as much now as in the days OF Spartan
Helots
am one of them, and | add my
voice to that OF the multitude that il
may reach the cars OF the rich. Who
am /? One OF the people From
whence came !? From the bottom.
less pit How am named | nm
wretchedness, My lords | hive
something to say to you
My lords, you are placed high
You have power opulence pleasure
tho sun immovable at your zenith
unlimited authority. enjoyment un.
divided, a total forgettuness OF 9th.
ers. SO be it But there is something
below you; above you, perhaps Ny
lords | impart to you novelty. The
human race exists
am lie who comes from the
depths. My lords you are the great
and the rich. That is perllous. You
take advantage Of the night. But
have a care there is greater power
the morning. The dawn cannot be
vanquished 1t has within it tho
outbreak OF irresistible day.
You, you are the dark clouds of
privilege. DO afraid, Tho true mas.
ter OF the house is about to knock at
the door,
What is the father OF privilege?
finance What is his sonp Abuse.
Neither chance nor abuse is endur.
ING. They have. both OF them. an
evil tomorrow.
| come TO warn you, come TO
denounce 10 you your own bliss. 1t
Is made out OF the ills OF othors.
Your paradise is made out OF hell and
of the poor.
/ come to open before you the
wealthy the grand assizos OF the poor
that sovereign, who Is the slave
that convict whois the Judge.
| am bowed down under what |
have to say. When to begin?
know not have picked up in tho
vast trough struggling pleas. Now
what shall do with them? They
overwhelm me and Throw them poll.
nell before mo.
am a diver and bring up from
the depths II pearl tho truth. /
speak because know have OK.
perlence. have seen. Suffering?
No, the word is weak, o master In
bliss! Poverty have grown up in
il; winter-l have shivered in II;
lamine-l have tasted it, scorn--I
have undergone IT, tho plague 1
have had IT. shame--l have drank Of
it.
! felt it requisite that should
come among you. Why2 Because
Of my yesterdays rags. 1t wns in or.
der that my voice might be raised
among the satiatod that God com
mingled me with tho hungorod. on!
have pity. OH you know not this
fatal world, whcreto you think that
you belong. 50 high you are outside
Of it, will tell YOU what It Is.
Abandoned an orphan alone in
boundIess creation made my entry
into this gloom that you call society.
Tho first thing that saw was law
under the form OF II githat; the
second was wcalth--it is your wealth
under the form OF woman dead
OF cold and hunger; tho third WAS
luxury under the shape of haunted
man chained 10 prison walls; the
fourth was your palaces beneath
which covered the tramp.
The human race has been made by
you slaves and convicts. You nave
made This earth dungeon. Light is
wanting air is wanting, virtue is
wanting.
The workers Of this world. whose
fruits you en- oy, live in death. There
nre little girls WHO begin at eight by
prostitution. ana who end at twenty
by old age Who among YOU have
been to Newcastle. on. TyneP There
are men in the mines there who chew
coal TO fill the stomach and cheat
hunger Look you NJ lancashire.
Want Of work everywhere Are you
aware that the llnrIcch fishermen eat
grass when The fishery failsp Are
YOU aware that Mt Burton Lazars
there are still certain lepers driven
into tho woods who are fired at If
they come out OF their dens? In
Peckridge they have no beds in the
novels and holes are dug in tho
ground for children TO sleep so That
in place Of beginning with the cradle
they begin with the tomb.
Mercy have mercy for the poor
Oh | conjure you have pity!
But no. you will not | know ye
all Devils bred in hell aud dogs
with hearts Of stone. Upward to
your golden thrones for ages has como |
the cry OF misery the grOau OF hun.
ger and the sob OF despair and ye
needed not. What mercy thou hast
given shall be meted sSt to you in
turn.
Bear in mind that the series OF
kings armed with the sword wa,
interrupted b. Cromwell armed with
the uyc.
Trem0le' The incorruptlhle dlsso.
lutons draw near; tho clipped talons
push out again; the torn.Out tongues
take to tight; become tongues OF fire
scattered to the winds Of darkness.
and the howl in the infinite, They |
who are hungrl show their idle teeth. |
Paradises built over bells iottcr.
There Is suffering and that which is
above leans over and that which Is
below gaps open. The shadow asks |