People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-07-04

rounded by a system under which |
more than 0ne-half of the enormous
wealth Of the country, derived from
the bounty Of nature and the labor
Of the people, is owned by little
more than 10000 of the people, while
one million American citizens, able
and willing to toll, are homeless
tramps, and starving for bread. We
have a social system'which offers to
tender, virtuous, dependent women
the alternative between prostitution
and suicide as an escape from beggary.
This is organized crime, for which
some day unrelenting Justice will de-
mand blood atOnement."
l speak plainly because love my
country and the old flag. 1 desire
her prosperity. But l assert that
unless this nation repents and re-
forms, a mighty revolution will sweep |
this land from one end Of it to the |
other. The streets Of our cities will |
lie slippery with blood. There will
be a horrible dance to death, lighted
up by burning houses and cities, amid |
of dynamite bombs. IT capital con-
tinues to rob and degrade labor, and
the government continues to sanction |
the crime, then the time will come
when labor will combine, and arise in |
its wrath, strike for freedom and life |
aud overthrow the existing order of |
things. l fear a coming revolution |
ard reign of terror and blood as in |
France a century ago. 1t will be |
blood atOnement. 1t will be divine
vengeance as in Egypt, God fighting
on behalf Of oppressed and outraged
humanity. Their war cry will be
that of the ancient Jew. THE Lord
Of Hosts is with US; the God of Jacob
is our refuge" and their watchword:
For GOO, fUg home, aud for native
land" Their motto: "Give us liberty
or give us DEATH" When that day
comes, may God protect the right.
l am MOI alone in these views. Cap
ital sees it and the government is
aware OF it, hence the increase in the
navy, the standing army and the state
militias. But when millions of out
ragged men from all over the land
spring to arms and the God OF beaver
and earth leads then forth to battle
the state troops will melt away like
the dew defOie the sun. | plead Tor
humanity, for justice, Tor honesty and
fair dealing. This alone can avert
impending doom. But am not at all
certain that even this can turn aside
the storm at this late date. Nodoubt
there was a time when the sins OF
Egypt, Babylon, Ninneveh and Jeru-
salem might have been forgiven by
repentance, but there came a time
wnen they could only be wiped out
with blood.
Doubtless the sins Of this nation In
regard to cbattel slavery might have
been forgiven at ore time by repent
ance and reformation and the abCli-
ton OF slavery; but the time came
when blood-shedding alone could &C
cOmplisn it. But the Bible and seCu-
lar history teaches that some sins af-
ter certalL TINE can olly be wiped
out in blood. We may talk about
ethics, education, the power and pur.
ity Of the ballot box, and passing GER
ia measures OF reform, but God may
consider the crime so great as to de-
mand blood atOnement. Wemay talk
about evolution and forget that reyo-
luton is ONLY delayed evolution. Rev.
Oluti0n is simply natures revenge for
our hardness and obstinacy-Goj's
way foe accomplishing in short time
by force what we ought to have done
by slower and peaceful measures. Ev-
OlutiOn is Gods normal way of bring
ing about reform; revolution is the
abnormal method Of Cod to attain the
same end. 1t is for man to say
whether reform shall come by evolu-
tiOn or revolution.