Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-06-23

politicians and republican partisans
should claim that times have improved
since McKinley's election, but the can
did and sober minded man will not be
apt to be led astray by this narrow
gagged class of people. If times have
materially improved there ought to be
some evidence of it in every day life,
and If there is any reason for hope that
they will improve IN the immediate fu-
ture the person or PERSONS making the
claim should point it out. If it be real.
ly true that the era of prosperity has
dawned, there isn't a man, woman or
child in the United States who will not
learn it with pleasure. No sane person
will find any cause for regret to know
that his future has been made brighter
and that the general problems of social
life have been solved. But, much as We
would all desire to look on the bright
side of things, careful look into pres
ent conditions and future probabilities
is ample cause for despair. When the
thoughtful citizen calls to mind the
conditions of the multitudes, especial
ly in the centers Of population, and
finds that in this year the number of
unemployed is greater than it has ever
been before, when he Is forced to the
conclusion that the wealthy have be-
come more vOraciOus and arrogant than
at any previous time, when he learns,
as he will learn if he is a reader of
newspapers and magazines, that the
labor employing institutions of the
country are gradually reducing their
numbers, and cutting the wages Of
those whom they retain, when he sees
that the number dependent upon public
charity has increased enormously dur
ing the past six months, and crime, sui
eide and insanity becoming more and
more prevalent, when he thinks of all
these unnatural conditions he naturally
wonders where the turmoil will end.
He certainly cannot see prosperous
times approaching and when he is frank
IN so saying, his prejudiced and unin-
formed republican brother puts him
down as crank and malcontent. But
1T will not be long until even the most
rabid partisan will be brought to lev
ell where he must see what his blind
following of unscroupulous leaders has
brought him to. Everywhere in Amer
lea, and in the entire world, the masses
are on their last pegs. A little more
capitalistic oppression and arbitrary
legislation will bring on an open revolt.
There are some who will 20 hungry and
unclOthed and see their loved ones suf.
fer for the necessities Of life for the
party's sake, but the great majority of
the American people are not 80 consti.
tuted. Already we hear of indignation
meetings among labor organizations be-
cause republican campaign promises
have been dlsregarded, and more will
follow. A great many have already
seen that they were held up last No
vember and their votes were stolen.
They are awake to their own folly and
they have resolved to profit by the sad
and costly experience. They will not be
caught in the same net twice--that is,
a majority will not.
Coming back to the text, we would
like to inquire, what hope is in the flu
ture? There is nothing in the con
gressiOnal atmosphere which can be
any source of inspiration. The new
tariff bill is certainly not a measure
which will add to the happiness of the
American people. It will make cheap
products for the farmer and dear manu-
featured goods for the laborer. Every
ordinary article of consumption will be
burdened with tax, the forts of cor.
poratlons and capitalists will be
strengthened better than ever before
and the farmer, the merchant, the me.
chanic, the laborer and in fact every
body but the wealthy man will be sub.
merged IN the abyss of serfdom. These
are the only logical conclusions to be
drawn and they are borne out by histo-
ry itself. The fall of the Roman Em.
pire and the French Revolution were
due to corrupt legislators and Cypress.
I've capitalists. America can avert SIM
liar disaster; her people have the bene-
fit of historJ and experience of 9TH
ers; whether they will use it to
profitable advantage remains yet to be
seen. AS long as they allow
themselves to be carried away on emp.
ty partisan fancy that they are being
carried OIL smooth wave of prosperity
while their vltals are absorbing one an
other, there is no hope; but if they are
arousing themselves to the emergency.
as we believe they are, and have de.
termined to assert their Americanism
by casting ballot for personal free
dom, equality and independence, the
difficulties and priyations of the pres.
emit will be removed and prosperity will,
come in reality when republican politi.
clans are dethroned and republican pol.
icies are supplanted by the principles of
the Declaration of Independence once
more.