The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-01-27
PERTINENT POINTS.

The report of the board of health
shows that during the month of No.
yember % persons committed suicide
in Chicago. Over half, Of these, it is
said, killed themselves because they
preferred a quick death to a lingering
one by starvation. This must be the
result Of too much prosperity. Bring
it on more gradual, Hanna. They can
not stand SO much prosperity, with
big P. at once.
Poverty makes towards of us all;
but continued too long may make us
bold and fearless, or even desperate.
When it comes to that, look out. The
to bay. is DANCE rens beast.
According to the New York World,
J. d. Rockefeller has an annual in
come of $8,6OO,0OO. That is just $23.-
562 a day, or not quite $1,000 an hour.
On the basis of eight hours a day, he
makes just $40 a minute.
According to the United States CEN
sus report the average wages of the
workingman of the country is $22 a
month.
Rockefeller gets $40 minute, and
| the laborer gets $22 month. Rocke.
| fellcr has good time; the labOrer has
| a hell of time. Rockefeller lives like
| a prince in palace; the labOrer lives
| in hovel, which is not even his own.
! Fate(?) assigns to one man less than
| dollar day with working, while an-
other has an income Of fifty dollars a
minute without working. Is that JUS
| tice?
Rockefeller gets as much in one day
as $4,000 workingmen. Is he worth as
much? Do his services to mankind
| entitle him to such reward? Does he
work $4,000 times as hard as %, 600 la
| borers?
The Indiana coal miner averages
$21O per year. He pays, let us say, IS
per month for rent, or 500 per year,
leaving him .1O5 for food, fuel, cloth.
ing, doctor bills, education, etc. For
all these necessaries less than SO a
month! Can you, Mr. Merchant, live
on that? And you, Mr.. Banker; how
would you fare on 50 a month? Why,
that wouldn't pay your meat bill,
would it? How many suits of clothes
Of the kind you wear could you buy a
year with such a income? But then,
conditions; it is the 'damphOol" labor
ing man himself. Let him alter them.
1t is in his power to do so, if he wills.
A majority of the Democrat tic Con-
gress men elect are gold men. And yet
there is some talk of a reformed Dem0c-
rdcy Fie! A regenerated JeffersOnian-
Jacksonian Democracy! Bah! Twelve
years ago we heard of Jeffersonian and
Jacksonian Democracy when Cleve-
land was elected. Eight years ago we
heard it again, and then again four
years ago. We were told that in Grow
er we had "Old Hickory and the
"Sage of MOnticello' combined. There
was no such man as Grover Cleveland
with his regenerated Jeffersonian-
Jacksonian Democracy! And now,
what have you got? A country filed
with tramps and idle men, and bonded
to death. Ruination and stagnatiOn
and starvation on every hand. Dc
you want any more reformed Democracy:
The United States is about the only
country in the world that tolerates
private ownership OF the telegraph.
InYes tigatiOn reveals that we pay
about five times much as the English
for the same service. 1t is said that
SO cents will command as much service
in England as $3.50 will in America.
Government ownership in all the 9th.
er European countries gives them as
low rates as obtain in England.
The Americans are patient, long
suffering people. Why, they have
hardly thought of government owner
ship in this country yet.
We are glad to note that the Popu-
list press generally is in favor Of fight.
ing along the lines laid down in the
Omaha platform. 1t is the unani-
nous opinion that free silver cannot
again be made the leading issue. Gov.
ernment ownership and the Initiative
and Referendum must be brought to
the front. p. j. 5,