Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1892-02-12

horror and Indignation in Jerusalem of
old than would among us that of con-
ferring distinction of rank upon our
most eminent citizen. But is there not
growing up among us a class who have
all the power without any of the virtues
of aristocracy? We have simple citizens
who control thousands of miles of rail-
road, millions of acres Of land, the means
of Livelihood in great numbers of men;
who name the Governors of sovereign
states as they name their clerks, choose
Senators as they choose attorneys and
whose will is as supreme with Leg
islatures as that Of a Franch King sit
ting in bed of justice. The undercur-
rents Of the times seem to sweep us back
again TO the old conditions from which
we dreamed we had escaped. The de-
velopment Of the artisan and CONNER
cial cla$es gradually broke down feuda-
lism after it had become so complete
the men thought Of heaven as organized
on feudal basis, and ranked the first
and second persons of the Trinity as
suzeraih and tenant-n-chief. But now
the development of manufactures and
exchange, acting in a social organization
in which land is made private property,
threatens to compel every worker to seek
a mastery as the Insecurity which follow
ed the tlnal breakup of the Roman En-
pire compelled every freeman to seek a
lord. Nothing seems exempt from this
tendency Industry everywhere tends to
assume ya form in which one is master
and many serve. And when one is mas
ter ands the others serve, the one will
control the others, even in such matters
as votes: just as the English landlord
votes his tenants, so does the New Eng
land mill-owner vote his operatives.
Therefis no mstaking 1.-THE very
foundations Of, society are being sapped
before dur eyes, while we ask, how is il
possible shat such civilization as this
with it's railroads, and daily newspapers
: and eleetr,c telegraphs, should ever b.
destroyed? While literature breathe
but the, belief that we have been, are
V and tor abe future must be, leaving tn
savage STATE further and further behint
US, theE.s1 are indications that we ar
{ actually turning back again toward
Il barbarism Let me illustrate: One u
{ the characteristics of barbarism is the 10,
= regard for the rights of person and c
u propertyss, That the laws Of our Anglo
!, Saxon ja9f fsestors imposed asspenalty fc
u murder ;.3finc proportioned to the ran
Of the victim, while our law knows n
Z distinction rank. and protects the low
. est FROM tie highest the poorest frol
e the richest, by the uniform penalty c
. death, sx looked upon as evidence {
u their b$Ybarism and our civilization
y And So that piracy, and robbery, an
u slavc-tr%dng, and matchmaking, wei
y once regarded as legitimate occupations
I" is conclusive proof Of the rude state c
y Development from which we have SO ia
y progressed.
But tits matter of fact that, in spit
t of our laws, any one who has none
~ enough and wants to kill another may g
into any one Of our great centcrs of por
IL ulutions and business, and crafty hi
L desire, aud then surrender himself
J Justice with the chances as hundre
|" to one that lie will suffer no greater pena
e lty than temporary Imprisonment an
K the loss of sum propotrioncd partly
/ his OWL. wealth and partly to the wealt
S and standing of the man he kills. Hi
J money will be paid not to the family {
t the murdered man, who have lost thei
/ protector; not to the state, which ha
t lost Il citizen; but to lawyers who under
!" stand how to secure delays, to find wit
o nesscs. and to get jures to disagree.
l. And so, if Il man steal enough, he ma
G be sure that his punishment will pract
{ cllly amount but to the loss of y pa!
Il Of the proceeds OF his theft; and If h
G steal enough to get off with fortune
s he will be greeted by his acquaintane
y as Il viking might have been greete
O after Il successful cruise. Even thoug
s he robbed those who trusted him; eve
q though he robbed the widow and IL
J. fa:hcrless. he has only TO get enough
II and he may safely tiaunt his wealth
;. the eyes of day.
e Now, Ethe tendency in this direction
q an increasing one. 1t is shown in grea
$ est force where the inequalities in tt
l. distribution of wealth are greatest. an
is it shows. itself rs they increase. If il
r. not Il return to barbal ism what is i,
. The failures Of Justice to which ! hay
. alluded are only illustrative of the /,
n crcasing debility of our legal machiner
IL in every department. 1t is becomin
:. common TO hear men say that it woul
be better to revert to first principles III
. abolish law, for then in self-defense ii
y people would form Vigilance Committee
IS and take justice into their own hands
j. Is this indicative of advance or retrt
=, Eression!
" All this is matter OF common cbserv;
'e ton. Though we may not speak il ope!
le lE. the general faith in rcpu blican inst