The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-02-01
INGERSOLL on THE PRESENT ORDER
OF THINGS.

not feeding him-the invention was not
for his benefit.
The other day heard man say that
it was almost impossible for thousands
of g Jod mechanics to get employment,
and that in his judgment the govern
ment ought to furnish work for the
people. A few minutes later I heard
another say that he was selling a patent
for cutting out cloth, that one of the
machines would do the work of 20 tail
OFFS, and that only the week before he
had sold two to a great house in New
York and that over forty cutters had
been discharged. "l@
On every side men are being dis
charged and machines are being in
vented to take their places. When the
or eat factory shuts down the workers
who inhabited it and gave it life, as
thoughts to the brain, go away, and it
stands there as an empty skull. A few
workmen by the force of habits, gather
about the closed doors and broken win
dows and talk about distress, the price
of food and the coming winter They
are convinced that they have not bad
their share of what their labor created.
They feel certain that the machinesin-
side were not their friends. They look
at the mansion of the employer but
have nothing themselves. The employ
er seems to have enough. Even when
the employers fail, when they become
bankrupt they are far better off than
the laborers ever we're. Their worst is
better than the toiler's best. "a
The capitalist comes forward with
this specific. He tells the wOrkingman
that he must be economical yet,
under the present system, economy
would only lessen wages. Under the
great law of supply and demand every
saving, frugal, self-denying workman is
unconsciOusly doing what little he can
do reduce the compensation of himself
and his fellows. The slaves who did
not wish to run away helped fasten the
chains on those who did. So the saw
ing mechanic is a certificate that wages
are high enough Does the great law
demand that the worker should live on
the least possible amount of bread? Is
it his fate to work one day that he may
get enough food to be'able to work an
other? Is that to be his only hope, that
and death?
Capital has always claimed, and still
claims, the right to combine. Manu-
facturers meet and determine prices,
even in. spite of the great law of supply
and demand. The rich meet in the
bank, clubhouse or parlor, Working
men when they combine gather in the
street. All the organized forces of So
ciety are against them, Capital has the
army and the navy, the judicial and
! the executive departments. When the
rich combine it is for the purpose of
exchanging ideas" When the poor
combine it's a conspiracy" If they
act in concert, rally, do something it is
d "mob." If they defend themselves it
is treason. How is it the rich can con-
troll the departments of government?
In this. country the political power is
equally divided among men. There are
certainly more poor than rich. Why
should the rich control? Why should
not the laborers combine for the pur-
pose of controlling the executive, the
legislative and judicial departments?
Will they ever find how powerful they
are? A cry comes from the oppressed,
the hungry, the downtrodden, from the
the unfortunate, from the despised,
from men who despair and from women
who weep. There are times when men
dicants become revolutionists-when a
rag becomes a banner, under which the
noblest and the bravest battle for right
are fought.
How are we to settle the unequal con-
test between man and machine? Win
the machine finally go intopartnership
with the laborer? Can those forces of
nature be controlled for the benefit of
her suffering children? VIII extrava-
gance keep pace with ingenuity? Viii
the workingmen become intelligent
and strong enough to become owners
of machines? viii these giants, these
Titaus, shorten or lengthen the hours
of labor? VIII they make leisure for
the industrious, or will they make the
rich richer, and the poor poorer? Is
man involved in the general scheme"
of things? Is there no pity, no mercy?
Can man become intelligent enough to
be generous, to be just, or does the
same law of facts control him as con
trels the animal or vegetable world?
The great oak steals the sunlight from
the smaller trees. The strong animal
devours the everything at the
mercy of beak, and claw, and hoof,
and socth-of hand, and club, and
brain, and greed-inequalitY, injus-
tee everywhere. The poor horse
standing in the street with his dray,
.eEerworked, overwhipped and under
fed, when he sees other horses groomed
to mirror, glistening with gold and sill
yer, seorning with proud feet the very
earth, probably INDUCES in the usual
.sociaiistic reflections; and this same
horse. worn cut and cid, deserted by
his master, turned into the dusty road,