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

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A MISCHIEVOUS LIE.
The anarchist Bergman, l., making
his argument before the court and id
ny in excuse for his attempt to murder
Fl. Z. Prick, 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" He continued: This is the
beginning Of the end; it is now war
against the present condition of affairs.
The rich grow richer and tue poor grow
poorer, and the end is near''
There Is always an excuse on the
lips OF every criminal, however cruel
and execrabl9 his deed may be. Berg
mau's excuse is a manifest lie. Yet
1t is not original with him, nor is he
singular in disseminating what is IA
, plausible, yet m'scliievous assumption
that AL evil condition exists, which is
described Ivy the WoIus: The rich are
growing ric1er and the poor are grow
ing poorer" 1t is Il mistake and all
error which passes current among far
better people than Bergman. There
are honest people imposed on by it, aud
there are demagOgues, who know bet
tor, aud yet use it, as I. plausible lie
Can 10 used, to deceive and misltad.
Gullible preachers are grooming it, III
= uN.ll pkAf |,
prosperity was obtained through sin
Pseudo stateulan are echoing it from
IRON manga stump. 1t is the current
Justification ut every form Ut spleen
and discomfort.
Every mischevuus falsel,ood has
something plaUslb!e-sumethin only
apparently tut--or something ONLY
half true, in it. That wealth and pov-
tlLy should each tend to Increase its
own condition is d truth us old as hu.
mau. 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 bis i'm
mediate necessities helps him to /. lar
ger thrift. But it is not true that the
poor in the conditions of to-day are
prevented FROM lettering 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 agrees
sion as he is now. Strikes never occur
III 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
a Chicago 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 at
from $3.50 to 50. Farm hands received
$l2 a month, and day laborers in the
town ST. day. To-day the servant in
the kitchen gets $3.50 to S. a week,
averaging not less than So. The farm
labor which cost SIP month costs $26
now; with 81 aud even So day during
harvest for extra hands. The govern
ment commissioner reports the price
of skilled labor as commanding, for
carpenters $14 week in New York and
$3.50 in Chicago; bricklayers get $40 a
week in New York and $24 in Chicago;
and 50 on through eighty various kinds
of employment. If the poor man is
poorer, it is not because he is paid less
money for his toll" Aud all the arti-
cles of prime necessity, such as flour,
pork, beef, butter, sugar, cotton and
woollen goods, have declined al aver
ago Of Al per cent, so it cannot be the
increased expense of living that is ma
King him poorer.
Interest on money, in one form or an
other is the rich mans reliance. Does
the present rate Of interest indicate
that he is getting rich faster than in
former times? lu 1856 u. 5. bonds
yielded the investor over 81 per cent,
the recent stock issues average to the
investor only 1t per cent. If the rich
man is becoming rich faster than for
merly it is not by being "bloated
bondholder. The stockholders in ma
tional banks, *s class, are not getting
rich faster than formerly, as 955 of
them, one fifth of all that were ever
organized have gone into forced or
voluntary liquidation. Municipal Sc
curities yield only about per cent.
one half the rate of former years.
We may be asked, very pertinently,
If the poorer class earns more and is
at less necessary expense for living,
what becomes Of the surplus? We are
70 1n1 Int 80 &