Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-11-13

this state, but 1t is carried on in every
saloon. have a neighbor who sQuan-
ders all his wages there while his wife
Is compelled to take in washing to
support the family. The marshal knows
all about it; all the ministers know r.;
all the good and pious brethren know
lt-but gambling goes on. 1t takes
money to gamble, and that gives it the
color Of respectability.
1t is crime to beg for work, or the
price of meal.
While l sat there the marshal came
out and stood in the open doorway Of
his office. A pair of painted Drosti-
tutes passed by; he raised his hat to
them; he knew they had paid their IL
cense. and they were doing business
under the law. A gambler passed by
and exchanged friendly nod with the
officer. Last week he killed man. IT
was called justifable act. The dead
man had drawn gun on the gambler.
The gambler had fleeced him, of course,
but that belonged to the profession. He
kept the finest gambling hell In the
city, and his wife was leading MEM
Der OF the Methodist church. Her do
nations were liberal.
In the state wt<sss Z now live the
chairman Of the board Of county COM
missioners attends to the charity
fund. He is honored in proportion to
the economy he forces upon the I'M
fortunate and dependent poor. He Is
pompous man, loves to be admired
by the society ladies. He never had
any morals to speak Of.
He passes by the stool where I am
sitting. A few rods farther on he is
accosted by poor widow whose mis-
fortunes have driven her out to hunt
assistance. She has been to the COM
missioners' office, but he was not there.
Had not been there for two days, was
attending to his profession-bookkeep
ing-at the office of his employer, two
miles away from the commissioners
office. He could not draw his salary as
commissioner except when performing
actual duty for the city and county.
He took out his book and wrote an
order for rs cents to the corner gro
Gerry, which he handed to the widow.
1t did not consume over five minutes
of his time, and he had already been
credited with days work by his en-
ployer. But he Immediately got into
street car and rode up to the commits
sioner's Office and ordered the clerk to
credit him with one days
The taxpayers say it costs SO much
to keep the poor, and the commission
er is told to make the poor live on
less amount of luxuries.
A real estate broker drives past with
a victim from some foreign shore. He
has told the stranger a thousand lies
about the country. The soil is so rich
that crops grow with scarcely any Gull
tivation or care. The price of the land
they have just been out to look at Will
be doubled in two weeks. The title is
clear. and it is the best neighborhood
God ever blest with his bounty.
The stranger only has few hundred
dollars to invest, but the broker as
sures him he can get work at good
wages in the city, and he had better
invest his ready cash before the good
bargains are all snapped up.
know what the end will be. The
Door, deluded stranger will invest ev-
cry cent of cash he possesses, In the
faith of getting employment to support
his family. When it is too late he Will
see how he has been deceived. There
is no work to be had in the towns-his
family is hungry-he cannot sell his
interest in the ranch, because there
was big mortgage on it before he was
swindled into buying 1t.
Well-meaning neighbors tell him he
can get work up in the mountain
towns. He goes up there and starves
for a few weeks while hunting for
work-takes pneumonia one day, and
the next day he is a corpse, waiting
In the morgue for some friend to recog-
nize his features.
His wife and children find work; the
wears roll by, and they wonder what
became of the husband and father. inc
broker grows wealthy and full of grace
with him almost every Sunday, and
has long ago sought and found par
don for his many deeds OF skinfiint-
ism.
There is nothing romantic about this
story. nothing that appeals to our pa
triotism. but it is a true story OF
American life. I have painted 1t Just
as I saw it with my own eyes. l defy
the heather and barbarous nations to
produce a more disgusting picture OF
inhumanity to man.
And yet have told nothing OF our
crimes. The picture 1 have painted is
simply one depicting the daily practice
of our law-abiding citizens. 1t Is all
supported and favored by our churches
and church people.
If Christ came to America penniless.
how long would 1t be before he was in
the chain gang?
Poverty Is a crime here.
Judging from the cartoons in the