Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1894-08-24
THE LESSON OF JULY z

THE LESSON OF JULY j 7
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
... AND THE GREAT STRIKE.
Words Of Wisdom by q Champion Of the
Rights Of Man From the Latest Battle
field In the Midst Of the Strife Forced
Upon the World by Greed and Tyranny.
Especial Correspondence
July has ever been momentous
month in the history of nations. Great
changes, great connections, have many
times surged to the surface in this su-
preme period Of the year when all ma
ture is most intense. The initial week
OF the month this year has been so full
OF important events as to overcrowd it
and leave the spectator dazed. The
memorable Fourth stood out less con-
splcuously than ever before and had less
OF buncombe and spread eagle eloquence
In its observance. Even the most brazen
OF Chadbands could scarcely find assur-
ance to extol our present prosperity and
freedom, for, looking out over the
country, he could see only few rich
enjoying these blessings, and elsewhere
wandering bands of idle, hopeless men,
toilers drudging in pain and poverty,
silent workshops and furnaces, mining
region blacker with despair than it's own
dust could ever make it, blockaded rail-
roads, states in a hostile attitude toward
the general government, and resentment
and bitter discomfort brooding every
where.
Yet deep in the hearts Of all Ameri-
cans dwells strong love of liberty. 1t
is so strong that that one sublime effort
of our forefathers has been reverenced
and cherished to the forgetfulness of all
else. That one grand Declaration of In
dependence and its successful mainte-
nance have been taken as guarantee
that the results would last forever.
They have forgotten that freedom
lives only in progress; that the barriers
must be removed, the road made clear
and things be kept from fossilizing.
Liberty is not liberty if imprisoned
within bonds, however beautiful those
bonds might be in the beginning:
1t is dawning upon the masses of the
people that something besides "cele-
bration" once year and "whoop 'em
up" old party campaign every fall are
necessary to the preservation Of liberty
Liberty does not mean anything if it
does not mean an opportunity to live as
we'll as the civilization Of the day af-
fords. An independent country means
nothing if the workers in it must pay
tribute to foreign landlords and titled
village owners. Equality is but an empty
sound where railroad kings, coal barons,
Spanish dukes and merchant princes die
tate the laws and handle our executive
Officers as though they were chessmen
while the producers are all more or less
miserable and the worst are being crazed
to desperation.
These awakening masses may not know
exactly what to do to regain their close
relationship to the old proud words, lib
erty, equality, fraternity: But that they
are awakening and recognizing the stu
alton are hopeful signs. There is this
significance in all Of the occurrences of
the Immediate past in the assembling
of all classes of labor reformers in a
convention at Springfield, in Governor
Altgeld's message to the president and
in the great strike.
This widespread, combined protest of
labor presents situation never known
before. Whatever may be the outcome
and the conclusion may come ere this
reaches my readers 49, the movement
shows that workingmen have recognized
their identity of interests as never be-
fore. When once this recognition gen.
orally prevails and these mutual inter-
ests considered above every other clash
ing interest, then will the industrial
problem be approaching quick solution.
When before have the workers of all
classes come SO nearly in touch with each
other? Who would have believed several
years ago that the feudalistic misery in
one small town up here by the lakes
would plunge the whole country into an
intense, determined struggle and awaken
the sympathies of every working man,
woman and child?
Today this boastful city Of the west
presents a curious spectacle Out in
Pullman the streets are very quiet The
girls whom Banker Gage called fools for
making pillowcases at 38 cents day
are sitting with folded hands before bare
cupboards wondering what Gage meant
when he at the same time said all the
Pullman employees ought to go to work
for whatever they could get. The skilled
workmen are sitting sadly at home, re-
pairing to the relief quarters for bread
or standing guard over the dukes prop
erty which they created.
Upon the peoples ground on the lake
front, where they must now keep off the
grass" a troop Of United States soldiers
are encamped, their bayonets cleaning
in the sunlight, their latest improved
cannon set for use. White ribboned men
and women mingle with complacent
aristoorats to gaze curiously upon the
unwonted scene. Throughout the city
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