The herald., 1897-05-03
ARE AMERICANS
PROGRESSIVE
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IL ID customary TO THINK co. and the habit
Of frequently reciting the Declaration Of
Independence and imagining that we are
very free and equal" independent, orig
inal and progressive. no doubt often saves
us from the necessity Of being 80 In fact
In reality, we are lot Of initiative. custom
worshiping. precedent-follow4ng monkeys.
Take the matter Of gentlemen's dress
What change or improvement of iinpor-
tance has been made in It during the past
fifty or more years? The average man
thinks he is not fit to appear on the street
or In office or store unless arrayed in at
least a dozen separate and distinct art+
cles OF clothing, when in reality half a
dozen would be amply sufficient and much
more conducive to comfort and health.
What more Is really needed than shoes,
pantaloons. soft shirt. hat and under
wear? And yet absurd and old-fogy Gus
tom requires man to add to these an
awkward sti6 shirt, collar and necktie.
vest coat and frequently overooat and
gloves, even when not necessary to COM
fort. A man. will stand before glass and
bruise his fingers. break his finger
nails and lose his temper for fifteen min
utes In trying to button stiff collar, which
he wishes was in hades, and which when
buttoned will cut his throat. simply be-
cause other people do so!
woman will work q week at disagree
able drudgery in order to buy q fashion,
able hat when she would look much better
in her old one or without any. She will
buy goods for gown at a cost Of 80 cents
to 81 a yard because 1t is fashionable
when she would look much better. sweeter
and more sensible in goods that can be
had for cents per yard. and when she
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and school books for the children. She
will tie herself up in corsets and squeeze
her hands into tight-fitting gloves on a
hot day in July. because she imagines GUS
tom requires It, when she would give
the world" to be free from both and able
to do as she pleased. without being crit
icised.
Although the will OF the people IL sup
posed to be the supreme law Of the land.
the people will allow themselves to be de-
feated by the arbitrary dictum Of one man
If he happens to be a judge. who, like a
king, "can do no wrong" or who. as they
foolishly imagine. Is entitled to respect,
no matter what his absurd, mercenary,
public-be-damned" decisions may be.
Some Americans have such reverence
for the founders Of our government that
they are liable to lose sight Of the fact
that constitution which may have been
very creditable and up-to-date a hundred
years ago for few people just emerged
from old world dominion, may not be the
proper thing for today. especially when II
Is to be interpreted by unprincipled In
dividuais In the pay of and in sympathy
with corporations and trusts. whose pc
cuniary interests are directly antagonistic
to the general welfare of the people.
This respect for the established laws.
customs and precedents of our worthy
forefathers Is SO great that
II Is deemed almost sacrilege to attempt
to change them. This fact 10 taken ad-
vantage Of by cunning and unprincipled
politicians in order to defeat reform meas
ures desired by the people; and one of
these scheming and mercenary intriguers,
who is popularity supposed to know the
i-.-' - r----s-- A--
element against It, and US
ually to defeat 1t.
1t is high time for direct legislation In
all the affairs Of the people. and office hold
ers, from president down, should be elect
ed by direct vote.
The early American doctrine, in vogue
when people were comparatively honest
as well as equal financially. that a man
IS entitled 10 all the wealth ne IS able TO
accumulate, obtained such q firm hold In
the opinions of the people that selfish and
men have been permitted to
build UP gigantic fortunes through fraud
and dishonesty at the expense Of people in
general and to the endangering OF our
free republican institutions. Any attempt
to make these devil-fish disgorge their ILL
gotten gains is met by the cry Of 'uncon-
.I,.ASz
tic" to the serious alarm Of quiet. well
meaning milksops who prefer to be piun-
dered peacefully rather than not be plum
dered at all at the risk Of trouble.
This state of affairs has about reached
It's limit and unless the American people
have more patience than Job and less
spirit than a sick lamb they will provide
a means of relief through q progressive
tax, or otherwise. That the laws, as well
as the officials who make and admins
ter the laws. are not what they ought to
be is conclusively proven by the woeful
condition in which the American people
find themselves at th0 time. In a time of
peace and plenty in 1.-THE richest country
on earth" where the Almighty has sent
an abundance of rain and sunshine and
every blessing which nature can bestow,
millions of men, women and children are
idle and hungry and without money to pur-
chase the necessaries Of life.
R. ALONZO GIBSON.