Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1893-02-03
The Iead@r.
Washington corresp ondence.
Plain Facts for tho People to Read.


We have been in the capital of the
great American Republic for thirty days,
with an active reportorial nose. We have
searched its great area, its public build
ings, its poor quarters and its palatial
sections-for the design of the founders
OF the Republic. twas not discovered
the chaste beauty Of its marble plinths
and splendid architraves were speechless.
It is lost.
It's lost amid dovergrowth Of funkeyism.
Mans image is livered into apery, and
delights itself. Washington is wonder
full mausoleum, the whited sepulchre Of
an eternal winter, covering the dead spirit
of Colonial Simplicity.
Washington as a city is a vast and
beautiful overgrown village, like the
Cushan palaces Of Persia, bnilded by
patient slaves who expect to '.level up
the race" with a party voodoo worship.
They sustain breed of aristocrats with
the money that ought to send the children
of twenty millions Of our population to
school-levelling up the sewer-scraper's
ragamuffin to be the peer OF a goose e-down
darling; patient slaves, who in mine and
forge and field warm the dunghills Of the
dead patriotism Of 70, and mistake the
livid resurrection Of ghastly Poverty and
feverish Greed-for the Cross Of 4 new
Christ-for Humanity glorif1ed! This is
Washington. tits beautiful.
Like St. Augustine, the dream-city of
Florida, it is beautiful. One was glass
ed, and marbled, and orientalized by the
serfs Of the Standard Oil infamy-the
other by the hip-hurrahs OF partizan
worship.
The very air in midwinter is hot and
luminous with parched and parboiled
Pride--with neither age nor heroic deeds
to sanctify the painted cheek. The
palace OF the president is not good enough
for him now! And thus quilted to un'
known depths-the mighty chasm be
tween the snob aristocracy, and the tol
taxed to support it grows apace. The
imperial nineompoops haunt their purple
and fine linen the ragged Caesars Of
future crime can scarcely write thelI
names.
Think of this: A lady whose two
daughters rlghteously enough have tc
work for living for all told US this story
1.-The ladies of the cabinet cannot Of
course return the calls. to all who leave
cards at the receptions. A wife of one
Of the secretaries did not understand this,
and drove around to return all calls.
And what do you think! At one place
she drove up in her phRton and-hor-
rors!-just think of it! She found the
lady woman out in front of the house
washing the windows! What a place for
Secretary's wife to call; the Receptlon
should not be so open.
This was no time to be silent, and we
replied:
/" Madame think of the greater disgrace
of that secretary's wife receiving her
granduer from taxes drawn from the win
dow washers!
Oh but-but-
But what? Was this republic con-
structed for the slobberation Of snobs-or
the elevation of window washers to the
Queenship Of honest women
''But in refinement
Madame, if in one hundred years re-
public does not educate the toiler's Off
spring to the level Of the purple spawn,
when will it? That woman ate honest
bread-and the society darling did not.
Cultivated? Alas, the republic cultivates
the sill-gartered children of the palace.
The windows Of God should be opened
in the suburbs Of He'll.
Washington is everything that the capi-
tai of Humanlty's Empire should not be,
nothing that it should be. When the
masses relize the mighty changes Of the
last thirty years they will find the fiorous
roots of this great National Cancer
stretched abroad-to the periphery
.prldefui Washington.
Congressman McLaurin 9th dist. S,
Car. re-electeO says he was sent as a
democrat, but that he IS an alliance
man, and when the democrats don't
stand on the Ocala demands they will
miss him!
Reformers in congress are not crushed
with a grin today. We sat beside a
laboring man in the gallery this week
and made remark to that effect. He
replied, "That's right, Glory hallelujah"
1t was Tom Watson's little foot that
smashed the re-bond-issuing bill. The
old Florida claims bill came up-and it
was John Davis, of Kansas who broke
it's neck!
What is congress Why, a body of grave
thoughtful, sedate, studous, dignifed,
anxious, attentive, watchful, serious men
within whose souls the fire of human
love burns upon that altar builded to HUI
manity but century since Patriots!
Did you ever see recess in county
school, when it rained, and the girlmaa am