Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-01-25
Grandpa.

peoples party to be anarchists and mere
theorizers and shrewd schemers. It's a
big job grandpa-too big-you'll find
there's more downright work than fun
| in your task.
We are sorry, however that he i'm.
poses on the Cresset boys by requiring
them, out of courtesy, to set up nearly
whole column to prove that 1.-THE boy''
hasn't good political idea in his head
| and isn't capable of doing all the
thinking for the people of this section;
and that he hasn't cut his eye and
wisdom teeth.
Now grandpa, we don't claim TO be
very wise, and for that reason have
publicly invited others to use our
columns. But while we candidly ac-
knowledge that youth is prone to error
and liable to indulge in dreamy visions,
we ask you to be equally candid and ac-
knowledge that old age is liable to find
itself welded to past decisions, hug
g'ng the skeletons of past energy,
worshiping the theories it has been
taught to worship; fretting with pettish
jealousy and intolerance at the folly of
new ideas, new improvements and the
new world about them: still advising
younger generations to plant potatoes
in the moon.
But as we have said. the people down
here do their own thinking, despite
grandpa and 1.-The boy" Grandpa and
tile boy" can only think and "theorize"
like the rest.
There is one popularity about these
Bill Mckinley worshippers that is, to
say the least, striking. They attribute
every particle of improvement and
progress i'll the past 80 years to the
lone fOunt of every blessing" high
protective tariff. They are so "un-
patriotic as to leave nothing to the
native ability and push and the in
ventive genius of the American people.
They cheat dame nature out of all the
| credit she claims for the abundant
natural resources we enjoy. They at
| tempt to swindle God Almighty out of
his share in the make up of American
prosperity, and give it all-all to the
| credit of an artificial tax. If we are
prosperous, it may be in spite of, rather
| than by means of an eXorbitant tariff.
| Because we have amaSSed great wealth
does not prove that much of what
| should have gone to the toiler has not
been absorbed by the manufacturing
monopolist. Because we have Slight
ly higher wages does not prove that the
| changing conditions of society do not
require more.
The statement that a slight
lowering of the tariff requires
the cutting down of wages, is absurd
in the face of the fact that these
manufacturing barons have piled up
and are piling up millions on millions;
Lying in elegant castles in foreign
lands, giving thousands and millions to
libraries, colleges and the like; and
spending millions more to hire pinker-
tons, fight expensive legal battles,
hold many magnificent banquets and
| dabble in and pOllute polotlcs.
1t is absurd in the face of the fact
that Carnegie himself has stated that
Europe could not compete with us in
the produce of iron beyond our seaport
| cities. 1t is absurd in the face of the
fact that the bureau of labor statistics
of Mass, has proven that in many IN
stances the labor cost of the article was
less in America than IN Europe. It is alb
surd in the face of the fact that the
tariff is in many if not most instances
greater than the labor cost of the
article. 1t is absurd in the face of the
fact that Ignorant and pauDer labor
have never, on equal terms, been able to
| compete with Intelligent and well
paid labor.
Our manufacturing system has be-
come one Of pools, trusts, combines,
law defierS and organized anarchists,
crushing out small competitors and
sending them where the woodbine
| tWlneth; forcing artificial prices, by
| limiting outputs and cOrnerlng pro-
ductiOn; forcing down wages by the
necessary divisions and consequent
dependence of labor, shipping in pau
pers. forcing contracts during needy
seasons of the year, etc. They or
ganiZe to influence legislation, they
combine to influence the courts and
fight the laws instead of inforcing
them. They are strong. In nearly all
cases they do not need protection, but
the people need to protect themselves
from their rapaclous greed.
Now grandpa, these are cold facts
In spite of material prosperity, there
may be gross inequality. The cries OF
evicted tenants in New York, more
than all Ireland; the groans of the
wretched miners OF Pennsylvania; the
signs OF the needle women of our large
cities 1.-THE accumulationS of mortgage:
and bonds, which are only the proofs
by which one party claims right tt
tax another; the alienation of farm
lands from the hands of the producers
all these prove our system of inequality
the taxing of one industry to supporl
another, the taxing of labor and poverty
to support luxury, dissipation anC
wealth.
Now, Grandpa, we are sorry to dis
agree with so wise a man and so able
man, but 1.-The boy" can't see it your
way. We have hundred other reasons
we haven't time to give. We know
your surroundings, your wealth, you
interests, your past training and as
ISOLATION incline you to favor tn,
Orivaleged classes; but ours have beer
different. We have been taughtto shoy
less respect to plutocrat than to the
manly man who tolls and earns an,
paws for what he gets and has.
In conclusion. grandpa, we thanh
you for your thoughts, though they diff
fer from ours. Your theories" and oul
theories" clash, and out of this cIasl
WHICH we call agitation comes ultimate
ly the truth. crystalized in the form O
action. But after all, grandpa, yor
and l are small fry in this great move
ment of the people. And say, are vol
aware that it is the people who are nov
moving? II is no longer mere politicians
Politicians heads are coming off re
CARELESS of party. The people ar
wanting to know why in 1.-The landof IN