St. Paul daily globe., 1894-04-28
woLCoTr on TdE COxEYITEs

WOLCOII On L Il = CONE YITES
A most astounding statement was
made in the senate of the United States
on Thursday. Senator Wolcott, of Col
orado, a multimillionaire, who lives in
the most prodigal luxury, wearing a
brand new suit of clothes every time he
takes seat in the senate, stated in
grandiloqueRt style that "there should
be no man suffering for bread in this
broad domain of the United States who
was willing to work. There was today
no man who sincerely desired to work
for the support of himself and family.
who could not get work. or bread to put
into the mouths of himself aud his little
ones until work could be found.'
Perhaps Senator Wolcott is ignorant
OF the real conditions of industry in
this country. Ignorance is the only
palliati0u for such Measurements, but
it is not an excuse. He holds himself
aloof from the toiiing masses. He has
nothing in common with them. But
the condition of affairs at his own
mines. from which he draws his mill
ions, ought to be known to him, and his
ignorance is IneXcuSable.
There is no fact more Self-evident
than that there is not work enough for
the people of this country to do, the as
Sertion of Mr.. Wolcott To the contrary
Notwithstanding. At the lowest estl-
mate there are million of men, heads
of families, who have had little or 10
work for the pasteght months. and who
are today practically dependent upon
charity for sustenance. These are not
willing vagabonds. They would work
if the opportunity offered, and they are
constantly i'll search of the opportunity,
1t is an insult to class them with tramps
or cranks. even though they may be
compelled to associate with those classes
from want of a chance to assert their
manhood aud Independence. That there
are vicious and lazy men composing
tramp armies cannot be denied; but
there are hundreds of thousands OF men,
every whit as honorable as their sena.
torial maligner, who are today of that
class simply because they are compelled
to belong to it or suffer from hunger OF
die OF starvation.
hC )LOISCIiSS IaIIH SyStciu, VI WHICH
Senator Wolcott is an ardent admirer,
and the free silver craze. of which he
was one of the chief eXponents, are re-
sponsible in large share for the tramp
armies that are now traverSing the
country and menacing the national
capital. 1t is not strange that the
vicious element has obtained the as
tendency in these mobS. The suffer
ings and wrongs of the better class have
made them reckless or inditferent-have
dulled their moral sensibilities. If they
stop to think, they revolt at their sur.
roundings; but des peration has full
control of them, an d, neither needing
nor caring what the consequences may
be. they march sullenly forward, steel
ing their hearts against the nober i'm
pulses that are striving for cuntrol, and
resolved to eXtort by force what has
been denied their eiitreaties and the
assertion Of their rigilts.&
The GLOBE has no defense to make
of the tramp armies. TheE were ILL
conceived, and have been managed by
dangerous and unprinciplcd, if not
criminal demagogues. They will fail OF
accomplishing their avowed purpose,
for they have created a revulsion Of
feeling among all good citizens. The