The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-04-07
AN lRREPREsslsLE CONFLICT.

AN lRREPREssIBLE CONFLICT.
The American Farmer and Laborer Must
and Shall BE FREQ.
War now RACES between the masses
and the classes on this American con-
tinent although unheralded by diplo-
matte correspondence or cartel of
defiance. It RACES because the reign
ing plutocracy is unjust and unmer-
ciful in it's dealings with humanity,
while unpatriotic to the verge of
treason in it's relations with our gov
eminent.
In order to secure the greatest
possible amount of the wealth an
nually created in the country the
plutocrats must keep the producers
in condition of practical serfdom.
To this end the allied corporations
have declared unrelenting war on the
great defensive societies of working
men. societies organized to maintain
the rights OF members and to keep up
the wages capitalists are striving to
force down to the starvation line.
High interest, high railway tariff
and low prices for products, unite to
make dead-fall mortgage trap that
ultimately catches most of the farm
ers. Once its prey, they are num-
bereG with the class of permanent
tribute-givers, and after they have
taken mean and stingy living for
themselves and families the bulk of
the fruits of their toll is turned over
to a new and improved breed of
feudal lords
The memorable antagonism of in
terest between the producers of
wealth and the capitalistic syst EN-
has intensified of late years into
clearly recognized, irrepressible con-
t1ict, which must go on until the
workers are reduced to the condition
of slaves or until the present pluto
cratic order is overthrow and swept
from the land.
A series of tragic events within the
last twelve months are portents that
these two mighty armies of implaca-
BILE foes will soon muster their bat
talions for decisive battle, says the
Vanguard.
During the last year there have
been fierce skirmishes between the
plutocrats and the producers which
were of almost enough Importance to
rank as general engagements
These little battles were fought in
Idaho, East Tennessee, Pennsylvania,
New York, Wyoming and Kansas,
and in every one of them the pluto
Gratis were victorious.
The dramatic harmony of history
required that the humble toilers
should be thus defeated at the outset
of their quest for justice and a larger
liberty. Countless generations of
lowly men have sweat blood that hui
manity might progress to diviner
levels of being, and still the inexor-
able law holds good that men, nations
and races climb to perfection through
agony and sacrifice.
The salient feature in all the six
battles in the six states named was
the ease and dexterity with which
the plutocrats changed from law and
order citizens to gangs of despera-
does, and from ''saviOrs of society" to
anarchists, according as their inter-
ests could be best served by these
Jekyll and Hyde transformations.
In Idaho the mining millionaires
made the state and federal officers
governor, judges and United States
marshals, militia and United States
troops-tleir co-partners In murder
ing and imprisoning innocent work
ingmen This was a plutocratic vic
tory through perverted law.
In Wyoming the rich cattle barons
determined to drive out the small
farmers. They organized gang of
| cut-throats. and started on tour of
murder. After assassinating several
settlers, they were taken away from
the civil authorities by United States
troops sent to protect them from being
punished for their crimes. Gold and
! influence juggled the legal system
until they went scot free
In East Tennessee the miners rose
up against the unbearable horrors of
the convict-lease system, as run for
the benefit of lot of Northern mil
! lionaire politicians. The militia, the
judges and the sheriffs were so hot in
| defense of the plutoc"atic slave
| drivers that merciful men were in
danger of being shot to death for
plying outraged miners who had
been bayonetted without shadow of
reason. Force, unsanctioned by law,
won the plutocratic victory in Ten
nessee.
At Buffalo, New York, a few hum
dred switchmen struck against long
and illegal hours and poor pay. They
did not threaten the peace. Yet the
Vanderbilts, together with the cor
rupt magnates of other railways,
easily succeeded in having the entire
national guard of that great state
ordered to Buffalo, while the civil
authorities were abjectly at their
command. This parade was not
made because it was necessary, but
as an object lesson to the working
men, that, right or wrong, under the
law or outside of it, the millionaires
could use all the forces of the COM
monwealth at their mere whim and
for any despotic deed, no matter how
much it might outrage abstract JUS
tice and the fundamental law of the
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