The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-12-22
.ere satisfactory and we were assured that

II
| as when a cyclone bursts from the horizon Of a
| western prairie, the whole condition was
| changed and the country was plunged into
profound apathy. distrust and despair. The
| wheels Of the mills ceased TO revolve The fires
| in the foundries were extinzuished Wages
| were no longer accessible Money, like beer
| and whisky in q prohibition state. became
natural curiosity. And there is no immediate
prospect for a return Of this prosperity.
1 am told that there are in is country p
000, 200 men able and willing to work out Of
employment was told that in Detroit there
are 1850 families dependent on charity. In
Philadelphia few weeks ago was told that
| 5000 people will perish before the winter is
over unless private charity comes to the rescue.
In Johnstowu. O.. the center of q growing.
scientific iron industry. i5.u0I men have had no
employ since last August
Two million men unemployed are onesixth Of
the entire population Of this country, the rich
est. most powerful most intellectual and pro
| gressive of nations 1t is rather critical con-
| sideration and no question more Immediately
affects the politics OF to-day than the causes OF
poverty and the cure and remedy for POVERTY.
While am here 70 preach no gospel Of pes
simism to ring no alarm bell, to sound cry
Of fire At midnight yet a firm that the great
momentous. serious and formicab Ie problem OF
the day is the fact that one-sixth Of the people.
in the midst Of plenty, with abundance oneyery
hand. ara starving venture, nav / may con-
tend that this is the result OF legislation. Of
our political institu ions. the inevitable outflow
of our ANGLO Saxon civilization. But never,
that. detestable as are the doctrines. absurd as
are the remedies proposed unless he thought
full. intelligent and patriotic take hold Of the
problem. is IL possible to avoid the catastrophe.
1t is well enough to sneer at the ideas form
ulated as the cure for evils. but American
citizen will hesitate TO say that these condi-
lions must have immediate amelioration polit-
In han ia
formidable weapon. Ii would not mean so much
in Russia, or in Germany. or in England even
for in the latter place is hereditT, stratificar
ton society standing army and navy in
the control Of kingly power
But here, what more formidab weapon could
there be than a hungry and exaspersted ma
iority.
1t seems unjust and unreasonable that one
man should have superfuitv beyond the ca
pacity Of extravaganza to squauder. while an
other should not have bread for his family to
eat But deny that the government should
furnish employment But we are charged with
the exercise Of our duties. pynasties are dan
gerous. the cyclone is dangerous the turbulent
torrent of the Miss uri seems dangerous. But
there Is something more dangerous in the de-
termination OF an indignant exasperated and
hungrv majority, with feelings Of discomfort
and injustice in their hearts
1t is no crime to own a million dollars. but 1
doubt IL any man ever earned. in the sense of
giving an equivalent. million dollars There
was time when there were no millionaires-
and no tramps. no socialists. no anarchists and
no populists. Laughter. l painfully
aware that there are many Of the latter
Ilaughterl and hope they will disappear some
time. But they will never disappear until the
causes which brought them into existence dis
appear. 1 have no faith in the dogma that the
rich are growing richer and the poor are grow
ing poorer. The contrary is true. There
has never been an hour since the angel
stood with flaming sword before the gate Of the
garden. when the dollar OF the rich man
brought so little return for his inves tmeut and
there has never been time since man began
to toll when the dollar OF the poor man rought
so much of the necessities of life. But it is
harder than ever before to acquire cJmpe-
tency.
There is a great gulf fixed between the rich
and the poor between the laborer and the en-
ployer till IL is almost as IL they were in two
| hostile camps During the past year ssOO.0O0.-
900 has been destroyed in loss Of wages, de-
struction of plants and deterioration Of capital
This great sum is enough 10 paw the national
debt and instead Of the condition becoming
ameliorated it ia becoming intensified There
is hardly a dag when there is not some new
contumacy, some new struggle between some
corporation and lsbOrers. in which the people
and the patrons suffer.
One of the most popular explanations which
has been offered is that on account OF competi
ton and fndividualism root-hcg or-die. a free
chance for all and the devil take the hindmost
| there has been an overproduction- but IL is
explanation that does not explain II says that
the reason that there are so many barefoot
men in the country is that too many shoes have
| been made in the factories Of the east aud the
reason there are so manv hungry men Is that
too much wheat and corn has been grown on
the prairies OF the west
The trouble has been not in over production,
but under-consumption While 1 sm not a be-
lever in the forcible distribution Of the assets
of society, yet Law down the axiom that our
institutions must b so modified that any citi
zen able aud willing TO work should have the
opportunity.
1t Is social and political question Ulti-
mately it is something that Affects the doctrine
of protection. not from republican or demo
cratic point Of view. but whether the best way
TO keep our men employed Is to have what we
need made abroad lspplausel; that the way 10
increase our agricultural products Is 70 send all
our lsborers TO the farm Applause There
must be a consideration aside from the sen
tence that IL Is a condition and not a theory
that confronts
have heard il asserted that there are !, 800 =
| COZ, 90 people on the earth and that half Of
them wear no clothes / saw $1,000 people
stand on four acres Of ground without serious
| inconvenience All the people Of the world
| could stand on the soil Of the state Of Texas
and would still have room to NOV around.
| The United States is capable OF supporting
loo DID, jO people in plenty and happiness So
| the explanation Of over-population does not ex-
| plain
Foreign Immigration.
would say that it is not over population
but over population Of a certain kind, and
| thank God that az last the gates Of Castle Gar
| den are beginning TO swing outward and that
there is a large emigration to Italy. Hungary
and other foreign powers I have no observa-
| tons to make derogatory to foreigners as
whole No man coming 10 this country TO be
| al American citizen and who is able to support
himself and family Is an alien He Is welcome.
| In every emergency that has arisen we have
received immense aid from foreign blood. and
in The great struggle for the nation life there
was not a battlefield but was illustrated By
| foreign bravery and Redeemed with foreign
| blood Welcome the Englishman, the German
the Frenchman IL he comes here to become an
American citizen But We have here about l..
| 1900 people who Will make exceedingly good
| strangers.
| The great majority of the tramps. the anarch-
lists, the socialists the enemies 70 free inst1-
| tutions who desire 70 overturn a ID destroy the
| government are men who never ought 70 have
| been allowed 10 come here at all But such Is
| the coEardice OF political parties and the pust
| lanimity of political leaders that no leader
| dares formulate and no party dares incorpor-
ate in its platform the prin iple that is forcing
| itself more and more into the hearts and minis
| OF the American people-that there must be a
| radical and immediate change in our laws re-
| gardiug immigration No man ought 10 vote
who cannot read write and speak the English
| language
| Some time ago I was in New York and 1
! asked a policeman. standing al the head OF
! VI 1lberry street IL il would be safe TO walk
/ Ne He rerlied that IL i kent
| nv mouth shut IL might be Well I Ualked
i I