The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-12
THE JACK CADES OF KANSAS
Ex-senator John J. Ingalls, in the St. Louis Glot
Democrat.

Ex-senator John J. ingalls, in the St. Louis Globe
| Democrat.
| -Four hundred and fifty years ago
there was much political and social dis
content in the English county of Kent
George Bevis and John Holland saic
there were too many gentlemen in Eng.
land; that the nobility would not veal
leather aprons, and that the magistrates
and kings council ought to be laboring
men, because the best sign of brave
mind was hard hand.
They told Dick the butcher, and Best
the tanner, and Smith the weaver. that
they were robbed and plundered by the
party in power; that bad and corrupt
men We're iii office: that the public
domain had been squandered; that taxes
| were too high: that misgovernment had
3anlshed justice and prosperity. So they
alltell IN, with swords of Iath, under the
command of Colonel Jack Cade, the lead
Ing re1ormer of that time, and marched
Cd LONDON to the number of u, 900 or
2O,OO0. lie promised his followers
that seven half-penny loaves should be
sold for penny; that the three-hooped
pot should have ten hoops: that it should
DE felony TO drink small beer: that all
lands should be held iii common and the
cities turned out to grass, that the edu-
Gated and wealthy classes should be de-
graded and poverty abolished; that there
should be no money, and all should be
fed and clothed at his expense: that he
would kill all lawyers, and that his
mouth should be the parliament of Eng
land.
His rabble mob captured London, but
tln1itV rprItp6 10
tive. A few days later he was slain in
single combat by Alexander Iden. a
sturdy kentiSh farmer, about whose
iieldS he was proving, and his head ex-
hlbited, stuck on pike, on London
bridge, as warning to the advocates of
paternalism government.
Jack Cade's body lies Wondering in
the grave but his soul goes marching on.
The Omaha platform is feeble imita-
ton and echo of his formulas for adj lust
ing the relations between capital and
labor. for the equal distribution of
wealth, and the equitable diffusion of
the burdens and benefits of society. 1t
is an ancient probleni--old as history,
venerable as Adam.
Every age it is renewed, and each gen
Grafton has had its Jack Cade. deluding
the wretched and unfortunate with the
same vagaries, chirleras, nostrums and
panaceas that have cheated mankind
since the flood, and will. perhaps, con-
tnue 10 cheat them until the final con-
migration, And still the nobility do not
wear leather aprons, nor are seven half
penny loaves sold for penny, and many
are compelled to drink beer or 90 with
their thirst unslaked.
The denunciation of the Standard Oil
company is not because it has increased
the cost of living, for it has not, but be-
cause Rockefeller and his associates have
become millionares. They have sue
ceeded and the others have failed. So
the discontinued have assembled under
the leadership of Jack Cade, who
promises cheap money. the overthrow OF
the plutocracy, the national ownership
of other mems fortunes. and the pllaCe
OF society for the benefit of those who
believe that an act of God can be re-
pealed by an act of congress.
Jack Cade assures Lazarus that lie is |
as much entitled to terrapin and !
champagne, good clothes. coupons, |
a steam yacht and private |
car as Dives; and that the reason |
why he has not is because Dives com |
PEELED congress to enact a tariff. demon
etize silver. issue bonds and fill his coli |
ers by law.
To refute these heresies, readjus the
Of the citizen to the state. ap-
pease the craving for change. allav dis
content, reconcile employers and en-
pioyed, arrest the tendencies to danger. |
Gus accumulation without impairing |
the rights of individuals, to preserve |
liberty and the independence of
the state. is task that will test the
of Mr.. Cleveland and his
associates. who have done so much to
the crisis they are now re-
luired to meet.