The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-04
DEFENDS THE Class ISSUE.

DEFENDS THE CLASS ISSUE.
Mr.. MacEwen sends us an overriding
communication. which appears else
where, from which we are unable to
extract any particular information ex-
cept that he believes that Mr.. Lind,
or anybody else, is right in preaching
the gospel of arTaying class against
class. We have gone through MI.
MacEwen's letter carefully without
finding in it anything except q reitera-
ton of that statement and a monstrous
enlargement of it. He says: 1--WE have
United States have become more SER
vile than the subjects of many Euro
pean monarchies." This is the sort
of absurd talk that has become too
common in Il political life. Has the
writer of this letter inspected PERSONAL
ly the condition of the subjects of
European monarchies and their at
titude toward their social n po-
litical superior? If he has, his per-
ceptive powers must be extraordi-
narily blinded or he could not make
any such assertion as this. 1t is a mis-
representation of the American spirit
and the American life. Our people are
not more, but less, servile han n
others in the world. The attitude of
the American w~orkingman and the
American small capitalist is one of
independence absolutely unknown to
the rest of the world.
We cannot find that Mr.. MacEwen
has any other basis for his reiteration
Of the charge that class distinctions ex-
list than the fact that we have rich peo-
pie and poor people among us in the
United States. That is unquestionably
true. 1t will always remain true as
long as men are created with differing
degrees of ability to earn, to say and
to keep. Except in as far as it can
be proved that such differences of con-
dition are due to legislative action,
this Ices not constitute a class distinc-
ton, or an arraignment of our political
system. Says Mr.. MacEwen: "You
seem to assume that if the rights of
the people had been taken from them
they have no redress" When and in
what language did the Globe ever
assume anything Of the kind? All this
kind of wild defamation in the air is
unpatriotic, to say the least of it. Let
Mr.. MacEwen, or Mr.. Lind, or anybody
else who has assisted in this unholy
crusade, point out specifically what
rights have been taken from the 20
pie. We venture to say that any man
who can lay his finger on one of the
political rights of the American people
that has been taken away deliberately,
and can be shown to be denied to them
now, and will make a campaign on
the biggest majority ever heard of.
1t is the fact that needs establishing.
Who are the "despoilers? 2" What are
the statutes by which they ave taken
away the political rights Of others, and
what is the practical remedy? The
quotation again inserted from-sMr.i
Limbs. speech states that party lines
have been rearranged I'M this state in
order that "the producing classes
may receive for themselves that
share of the benefits that are claimed
and enjoyed by the non-producing
classes" This may be very taking in
a stump speech, blu 1t very vague.
Who are the "non-producing classes
- a. lE.--1-1-O ? -.
a few individuals who might properly
be called "non-producing," but there
are precious few of them. Most of the
people hat we have met are hard at
in one way or another. AS to a
'class" in this community that could
be called properly non-producing, we
have no knowledge Of them, and the
burden of proof rests with those who
assert that it is so large and so privi-
legged as to have obtained complete
control of affairs and to require a
revolution to get rid of it.
We say again, as we lave said be-
fore, that, no matter to wha party a
AtCA AAAo pOAOAA6, " Id cause ne
may champion. we should protest with
equal emphasis and earnestness
against an attempt by him to embitter
the people of this country against each
other, to array them into hostile
camps and to feed the fire, already too
fiercely burning, of hatred and discord.
We warn these men, whatever their
present motives may be, whether pure
or mixed, that this spirit is ~inconsist-
ent with the maintenance of liberty,
and absolutely, destructive of the posi-
bility of a Republican form of govern
ment. Let them look at their his
tories and study the fate of other ma
lions. Never has thi class issue been
embedded in the life Of the people;
never las a nation risen sharply ar
rayed, class against class. without
bringing into power the military die
tator n running liberty, no matter
class that triumphed. Far Be the time
from us when that fatal condition that
has laid the nations low shall exhibit
itself here. No duty. to our mind,
rises superior to that of every a
whatever be his political Affiliations,
to reject and repel this doctrine that
class must be set against class in our
political contests. Put forth as it now
is, without, thus far, any evidence pro-
duced of the subversion of political
freedom by classes, it certainly war