Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1895-11-01
NO OPPRESSION HERE.

coal miners in Michigan against
starvation wages, against less than
masters gave their chattel slaves,
the Inter.Ocean says:
The reserves, if ordered north,
will take their gatling and rapid
firing guns. They are composed Of
the scions of the wealthy and
aristocratic families of Detroit, and
have been organized only about a
year. This will be their first taste
of actual service.
Can not the laboring men see what
the militia is for? The SONS of wealthy
people, armed to the teeth with the
most destructive implements, to be
thrown against the unarmed men,
because they refuse to longer sub
nit to starvation wages to keep
these rich scions in luxury. 1t is
the same methods of the feudal ages.
They propose to live off profits from
the working people or kill them.
Then read the following from the
same report:
The worst trouble will come
when the mine owners begin their
wholesale eviction of the striking
miners from the houses they occupy,
which are owned by the company.
Many of these miners have lived in
their houses for over score of
years, and the scenes which will
follow when the sheriff's posse serves
dispossessing warrants will il not
exceed those so often read about in
Ireland, and, no doubt, the tenants
will fight for their homes with more
vigor than they have for an increase
in wages.
Have | not told you again and
again that he who owns the earth
the land-own the people? Here is
paper supporting plutocracy ad-
hitting it. If the company did not
own the land they could not be
thrown off the earth because they
refuse to slave for the self'appointed
rulers. The landlords never made
land and have no more right to it
than the men they are ejecting at
the point of the bayonet-not as
much right, for the minere are using
the land and the landlords are not.
This state of things has existed from
time immemorial because the rulers
have persuaded the work, RS that
private ownership of land is right
and must be supported, and our an
cestors helped support it by fighting
for the rulers to enforce it and the
worl ing people to-day vote for men
for office who believe in private
ownership of land. The workers
hate these rich mems militia, too,
but they vote the old party tickets
and the old party law makers vote
to create and maintain the militia.
There never was greater oppression
in any country than is here reported,
but the working people who suffer
under it are kept ignorant of the
cure for it by the men in the pay
of the people who get rich off the
labor of the workers. This condi-
ton could be changed in a few
months if the working people would
cease to be dupes of the politicians
and the various so-called religious
teachers. For all tyrants have been
supported by the churches, and no
matter how poor the workers these
teachers seldom go ragged or hung
ry and | can recall no instance in
history where the churches have
taught the people how to overthrow
the rulers who rob them. So long
as laboring people vote for men who
believe IN private property in land
and monopolies, so long the laboring
people will be treated just like these
miners. They support these condi-
tons by their votes, and would
hang man who would go among
them teaching the political economy
They are dupes and get the treat
ment of dupes.-Appeal to Reason.