The herald., 1894-04-01
MANS COLUMN.
cONDucrNp nY coo ANp MAaoa.

/
prominently into the foreground. They
are, What can we do with our unem-
ployed? and What can we do with our
misemployed2 The one has to do with
labor held in the merciiess, throttling
grasp Of capital; ths other with con-
gress, which has helped betray labor into
that grasp. 1t is no longer possible for
US to deceive ourselves as to the cause
OF our distress. 1t is a money famine
which is so sore in the land; and. who
can now resist the belief that it is
largely due to misemploymsnt in the
past OF our law-maklng representatives
They have employed themselves making
laws for class, the money class, where
as they should have been enacting just
laws for the good of all, the whole peo-
pie. 1t ie not q new crisis that con-
fronts us now but one that comes peri
odically, though with ever-increasing
violence, and, consequently, OF sure
menace to the stability Of our inatitu-
tions. Whether we shall be able to pull
through the stringency OF today intact
as we have pulled through less terrible
ones remains to be seen. 1t begins to
| ApOA Iuob HOW no II bOOGll huHOCA Va
the unemployed were b5nt on facing our
misemployed at Washington and would
endeavor to pressthem into performance
OF their duty as servants of the whole
rather than as slaves OF the money
class. AS to the gravity sof the situa-
ton we can do no better than give the
very words of John Davis. M. O., in the
ranks, to be sure, OF the mieemployed,
but like the people, reelng helplessly in
the net the spider of our civilization has
woven about us:
"By the repeal of the silver con.
promise measure OF 1890, the gold stand
ard party has crossed the Rubicon and,
in my opiulon, there is no probability
that it will retreat. After taking that
step it was doomed to win or die. 1t
was proud, aggressive and tyrannical.
Slavery was declared to be 'as old as the
world and as universal as man. and the
ownership OF labor by capital was said
to bs the normal condition of the
human race; it wss argued that in Rll
countries and in all times, slavery had
predominated over peoples and govern
mepts; and its haughtiness knew no
bounds.
so, now, the money power dominates
all governments. 1t oppresses, and claims
the right to oppress, all peoples; and
there is no limit to it's aggressiols or its
greedy demands. The money power
does not seize the man in person. 1t
prates loudly OF personal liberty. But
it seizes all the means of life and the
agencies OF commerce, and then bids
men to live or die as bes. they can. 1t
has established less merciful than
chattel slavery, comprehending all
| Of
demning all to death, or permitting life
on the hardest possible terms. This is
the money power, and the dangers in
which it involves the peoples of the
world constitute the Importance Of the
money question in civilized society,""
~
A week ago our citizens were instructed
by Mr.. Joseph Medill, the distinguished
newspaper man and former mayor OF the
city by the lake, that our city charter,
as it now stands in running gear, is a
quarter OF q century behind time, and
cannot turn out effectuRl work to meet
the present demand of the Angale1oa
He also confirmed our solemn conviction
that our taxes were too high for the
health and prosperity of the average
resident. We have. he said, the boom
price ex pense to meet with a collapse,
contracted currency. Officers and sala
ries too large for the amount of work
performed. Summed all up, we are sui
fering from heavy pressure of laws
and light supply of money. With oil
OF these sentiments of the ex-mayor We
agree. But when he suggests that we
ask for a revision OF the charter, and
that it be framed after the national con-
stitution, we respectfully demur. II it
is responsibility and quickness OF action
that is lacking in the present charter.
certainly we have n poor model before
us in the working of our present con-
gress, which PROCESSES to follow to the let
ter our national constitution, even to
the right OF the common citizen to bear
arms. As to responsibility, they are
"strictly not in it" They come and go,
reporting to no one, vote their own sal
aries and regulate their own hours OF
work. In short, they neither fear the
laws OF God nor man, yet they do pride
themselves on being supporters of the
constitution. And the supreme judi
ciary so far support them in their ire
sponsibility. So it seems, we, the dear
people, are suffering from three ire
sponsible fathers-in-law. First, our
state legislature in creating the charter
swaddling clothes OF our infancy. Next,
l our city fathers in their irresponsible
father-in-law restrictions, keeping us in
our baby hood OF long dresses by heavy
taxation and unwise expenditure. And
last, not least, our national fathers-in.
law have decided to continue the whole
nation as pulling infants by their con-
tinued protective tariff and contracted
currency. We boast in our eagle flights
OF our native Americanisms. What
have we purely American but tobacco
and the Indian7 Our laws are, mostly,
with our language. English. In fact,
our statesmen still shink everything
which has power to win the obedience
and respect of man must have its roots
deep in the past. If we could be con-
tent to keep only the roots of the past
we might still graft and bud according
to modern experience and environment.
A wag, or perhaps statesman, said of
England: "Her laws seem to be new
stems grated TO old stalks" Americas
laws seem to some OF us laity more the
reverse of those of the mother country,
that is, old stalks grated to new stems.
The grating at present is getting too
heavy and the pruning knife is called
into question to stop the toppling over
of the American plant to the old graft.
Our constitution must must be pruned
or dug up root and branch. Veto power
is graft of the tyrsnt and should have
no root, branch nor bud in q democratic
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