The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-23


o1Sy property an@ civilization but finally
even themselves. having after them a
mere 54xrrr-1sst waste zs 4 cooled lava
Overflow becomes nsere Sag ard esndegz-
Taty seek to sasly 20 Fs~ir banners all
<ne forces that rake fer social 5sssEyte<
and national destruction Taey hold pr
lures TO the a17e~t mar, x-zo. through no
IaaH Of his own. hss net w.th crushing
as2aStsr. and g5o strikes At what ae calls
TIA @os1tl1sx Of society wlta the SaFre
unreasonable anger taa1 makes eAisd
ssrlke a. fns table or door against whsca
tE fsss kE-t Itself
They dazzle iae eye az the visionary So
cal refo-rer fxeli known TO every man
~ho has struggled FOR practical reform as
a. ons or MS greatest snenlest: the being
WHO reads Tossrol. or. il he possesses Jess
intellect, Beiiamy and Henry George: who
sSudaes Carl Marx and Proa41on and De-
as<Fes that a. this stage 81 the worlds
progress IL - possible 10 make every one
Happy by an immense social revolution,
5ass as other enthusiasts. OF similar mem
TAI CALDER. believe IN the possibility Of
constructing perpetual motion machine
Bid for the sapport of kpav~~-
iney bid for the support OF snaves who
see their profit in social CONFUSION, hop
Ing 20 End IL II they be deTnag0gues. In the
shape Of high Office. or II they are more
vulgar Er0ng-doers. in the opportunities
II
! nsS attract 10 their standard the SaIien
men without very mucn intellect or very
much strength OF character who are
gwen 10 emotional bursts, both of good
and evil. who are apt 10 think themselves
injured because they do not get along as
Well as their more thrifty or harder
working or more intelligent neIghpors and
who can he readily red by dsEnagogues
into an agitation OF which they viii ulfi-
mateiy be themselves the most helpless
victims.
There Is something pathetic in the
sighr OF these eupe& OF the demagogues
ana visionary reformers. They are not TO
blame as much for hardness Of heart as for
Stiffness OF head They mean well usually.
but they find LIE difficult and d4sneart-
ening problem. and instead Of standing 10
their work Ike men. winning II they must,
they whine about the social forces being
unjust and listen eagerly both 10 the de-
signing scouEarei vAo exercises bis pas
sions for his profit and 10. the wsll-mean-
Ing enthusiast VINO thinks he has some
patent euTe-all 70 make every one happy.
These am.able enthusiasts like 10 assure
the masses Of struggling mankind that
their SPECIFICS VIII cure all misery aud do
away with unequal distribution OF wealth
and secure business success alike TO the
deserving and undeserving. just quaek
doctors are willing 20 guarantee that their
equally strong and equally clear sighted
III each OF them can be allowed to try his
own patent remedy he is willing TO com
bsne with IL the remedy OF others. Mr..
Bryans own favorite motto is reputation.
but he is willing 10 join with Mr.. Aitgeids
recipe of free riot and free pardon OF those
fouiest Of criminals. the men WHOSE crimes
take the form OF assassination, and even
Mr.. Tiliman's nostrumS, which, so far as
they can be understood, irtciG il a general
attack on everything tass 8 decent,
whether the abhorred spirit % decency
takes the form OF speech or action.
Complicated System at Robbery.
"Ali OF them believe. or affect TO believe.
that people generally must be benefited by
giving them something which they have
not got: and as of course this something
must be taken from Nobody else their
plan ultimately resolves itself into a
rather complicated system OF robbery. by
which every class tsxcept always that
which by hard work and thrsfs has accu-
rntilated a competency. is TO be benefited
by the plumber OF every other class. II Is
both amusing and melancholy TO see the
straights to which the apostles of this
doctrine are reduced the minute they in
any degree eEdeavor 20 pat II into practice.
The present movement was started large
~ in agricultural communities. and in
order 10 appeal 20 those among the farm
ers who were disconnected il was propos-
ed 10 allow them 10 pay all their debts In
money worth half what 1t is at present.
The largest creditor class in the United
States Is the class of wage-earners. and
f.ow the PopalIst and Popocrat leaders
ind themselves awkwardly placed when
they endeavor to explain to TO the work
ing man just how he Is going TO be bene-
flied by having his wages eat down one
half. They rarely try 10 explain ii ar all,
1.
bowling that tnasmuch as all weil-to-do
men and employers OF labor don't like the
prospect OF ruin. the less well-to-dO and
the working men generally should grasp
at ruin with enthusiasm. II is highly typi-
cal and characteristic OF the whole class
OF make-believe social reformers. who
want 70 overthrow our existing civlliza-
tion so as to benefit the poor man. that the
very first practical step which they pro-
pose 20 take Is one which would entail
more suffering on the poor man than all
the oppression of the most evii-mlnded
capitalist could infict on him in "A CEN
tury. II is grim ard striking example ~
what We have 10 expect from the men who
believe they can benefit one class by
harmlng another. and who affect 10 think
that by a general overthrow OF the exist
ing order OF things they may be able 10
help some deserving people rise upward
through the brutal chaos OF pain and
hatred which they viii cause.
Worst Possible Foe. of the People.
1T would be flaicul. 20 wish a better OBJ
teet lesson Of the truth that these men
are the worst possible foes Of the very
people whom they profess to befrleud.
There are many OF ts who can swim In
troubled waters. hut the poorest. the most
helpless. the men who now find Il the most
afrcult to I've. are the very people who
would go down soonest in the storm In
the hideous welter Of social revolution
q il the brutal tie reckless. and the
criminal who prosper. not the hardwork-
ing, sober ard thrifty. Life Is often hard
enough a. hest: it IS sometimes quite as
hard for the rich "a for the poor. and 700
often me good man. the honest and patri-
oGic citizen suffers many blows from fate
and sees some rascalS and some oilers
prosper uudesaFvediy. bat the suresi way
20 Increase hss misery tenfoIa IS for him
10 riay into the hands o. the scoun3rsity
teraasoxties. 70 abandon taat stern moral
trv without which TO man ana no nation
can ever permanently succeed. al TO seek
a temporary relief t0r hls own real ~
imaginary sufferiaEz ~ plunsIng others
iafn IL Gsory.
..Sfr Rryan Is very apr 20 rail az the
ere,fitsr class. lie forvels thst me ia~sezt
class OF creditors n snis country - rhe
class Of ~aEe~sRrners. Very rtrh men are
by IN means % necessity creditors The
sseople y 30 have fhelr UEgte al 81 savings
hanks or srglss Comgpa ntes. or wA0 have
Nfa insurance poslc3es-aN 90 faese would
suffer nnnch more than Ghs very r'ch men
" Asr. BRYAN had MS wAv. Eui shose a no
Mould su~er most would se ere wage
earar~s E.very Saturday n.Eai. or az least
ans SATURDAY 81 each gDonth. the wage
ssa~rs>rS she creditors Of tAe.r employers
Tor the uoxk tAsy bad done. are pad tha