Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-04-29
LABOR MUST UNITE.


ing. 1t blinds men and inspires them.
as it were, to sign their own death war
rant. 1t has very cunningly hypnotic
! ed the American people and through
its agency they haye submitted to be-
come the servants of the Aristocracy
of Wealth. Partisanship has succeed
ed to decoy the people of this country
! and the voting population seems to
have been rObed in the nOxious gar
ment OF prejudice. This is not the
work Of moment; the scheme was
originated years and years ago by those
who receive the benefits therefrom and
each year it is sought to strengthen the
iendish cause. The purpose for which
it is being done has always been kept
in the background and the authors of
tue plot never fail to appeal to the peo-
pie in the name of patriotism. The
people of this countryside great ma
Jorlty OF them-are sleeping and the
approaching storm has thus far failed
to arouse them. They persist in re-
naming passive and dislnterested even
though they jeOpardiZe themselves and
enslave an unborn generation. Wealth
sits proudly upon his pinnacle and
laughs at the misery into which the
masses have been plunged and the vot-
ers OF the country themselves, defend
| the situation because it has been
brought about by party with which
they have been affiliating. But this
happily does not apply to all and it is
some qualification when we see that
the numbers who will no longer allow
self appointed master to do their
thinking, are steadily increasing. They
are those who have felt the effect of
class legislation, they have discovered
the cause and are now seeking a rem
| edy. There can be no question but
that the last few years have done much
toward educating the laborers and pro.
ducers of the country and within the
next six months the lines will be clear
ly drawn. The old parties will meet in
conventions few months hence and
declare for the usual policy without
promising the people relief and will
head their tickets with men who are
known to be in sympathy and harmony
with the wealth owners. The third
party will assemble and the Declare
ton of Independence will be declared
anew In language plain and unequivo-
cal which can easily be understood and
which cannot be misconstrued. When
this is done they will have an oppor-
tInity to choose between freedom and
the restoration of prosperity or slavery
AID priyatiOn. The labOrers of the
United States have it in their power to
CONTROL, they comprise fully eighty per
cent of the population of this country
and If they but would unite and exer-
else their power, could absolutely die
tate who the public officers shall be
from president of the nation to road
overseer of the township. But here is
the rub; those who are satisfied that
Capital Is depressing them seem to be
divided among themselves as to a rem
edy, others still hold to the dear old
party of their daddies and all are at sea.
This is the way industrial slavery is
prolonged and Shylock gains his vic
tory. The people are responsible for
this state of affairs because they have
it in their power to remedy it. They
could restore their rights if they would.
and if they longer hesitate they will
sink hopelessly and it won't be long
until their condition will be worse than
was that of the black slaves before
their emancipation. The chattel slave
was sure of clothing and food but the
| debt slave has not even that assurance.
Laborer, farmer, mechanic, how
much longer will you stand divided?
How much longer will you permit your
liberties to be preyed upon by multi
millionaires? How much longer will you
permit the rich to escape taxation?
How much longer will you allow cor
porations to lower the price of prod
ucts and of labor and thus permit a
few thousands of people to control and
own over 65,O00,O 900? Let party pride
and minor differences be dropped when
human liberty is at stake. Let the in
dustrial forces unite and strike a blow
at the common enemy and the race
will be freed from oppression, pros
perity will again return and this will
| once DlOre be government of the
people, for the people and by the peo-
pie.