The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-11-14
THE MASSES TO BLAME
THEY COULD REMOVE THE ILLS
THEY COMPLAIN OF.
The Industrial Glasses Must Assert
Their Manhood.

Is it not about time to stop blaming
capital and capitalists, monopoly and
monopolists for the ills which affiict
labor and commerce to charge the
blame home, where it belongs-tO la
Dor itself?
Really the suffering people arc alone
to blame for their condition.
If they have not made their own
condition. they have permitted it, they
have and continue to acquiesce in
measures and politics and to give sup
port to men and parties which have
reduced them to poverty and serf-
dom.
We all remember how eloquently
John A. Logan started out in defense
Of the people against the financial
schemes of Wall street, which resulted
in the panic of 1873 and the long period
of unparalleled suffering and labor de-
preston which has followed in it's
wake.
But his words fell on deaf ears.
The people defed the Republican
party, and believed it, like the pope,
WAS lnIdlllDle.
His eloquence was like sounding
brass to the masses.
They needed not it's warnings nor
cared for the calamities he predicted.
He saw that he was sowing on stony
ground and on sandy barrens, where no
harvest could be hoped for, during his
day at least.
When few years subsequent he was
asked why he had turned his back up
on the people and was lending his up.
port to their enemies, he replied:
THE masses don't hold state and
| national conventions.
The masses don't elect senators and
presidents. and | would be left if L
didn't work with those who do these
things"
The robbers Of labor know the slav-
cry of the people to party.
They know the strength of party
ties and with what blind and idola-
trous devotion the masses worship at
the shrine of the G.. y. p
They know how Zealously the masses
will vindicate and defend all measures
Of public policy, no matter how dam
aging or dangerous to the public veal,
provided it receives the Endorsement
of party conventions and the sanction
of party leaders.
Farmers stand with folded arms and
see corporations detroy the value of
their lands and products, rob them Of
markets, destroy their medium Of eX-
change, force them into debt and their
lands under irredeemable mortgages,
eXtort ruinous rates for transported
tion, levy burdensome taxes, while
honest toll, are being accumulated and
piled up in the great cities. Society is
suffering from the effects of unjust
class legisla tion.
We complain of the money monopo-
ly. 1t is creation of law.
We complain of the transportation
monopoly, 1t is child of legislation.
We are alarmed at the growth of
land monopoly. 1t is fostered by legal
encouragement and protection.
We complain of the eXtortion of the
coal mOnopolieS that refuse to employ
men to dig coal whose families are
starving for want of employment and
at the same time deprive thousands of
for want of it.
We complain of low wages, low prices
and scarcity of money when the people
have it in their own power to reverse
those conditions had they the courage
of mouse to demand and the indie
pendence of manhood to act. and these
evils will continue and intensity until
men cease to be partisan slaves and
assert their manhood and God given
rights.
Until then let them suffer, for OF
suffering comes wiSdom.-Chicago SEN
tinel.