Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-09-14

toric truth, that of all human agencies
that have helped to batter down the
barriers ignorance and barbarisn
erected and SO long maintained; which
have helped to efface the hostile boun'
diaries which segregated nations, iso
lated men and made mortal enemies o.
those whom God did create brothers
of all human agencies that have helped
to dispel darkness and bring light in
to this world, commerce has been the
most potent, the most powerful. The
doctrine that this power, capable OF
bringing to man such universal benef
cence, power which we may not if.
reverently call God-like; the doctrine
that this power should be restrained
should be shackled, is not only an I'M
philosophical, short-sighted, but Il
seems to me, an atrocious doctrine; q
doctrine that outrages the higher
law, seeking to supplant with the en-
actment of puny man the eternal de-
crees of the Almighty.
If there be upon all this earth 90
natural right vouchsafed to man by
the irrepealable law of heaven, which
human governments should guarantees
to thar people unimpaired; if there is
oneSnatural right, the invasion OF
which should be resisted as sacrile-
gious, that right is the right to sell
ones labor and invest it's proceeds ne
best suits the one who has performed
the labor. To labor is to create, and
to this creation, the creator has the
first, the final, and the only right. A
denial of this right is so utterly indie
feasible, such an infraction of natural
Justice, that no plea in extenuation
can be accepted. A denial of this right
can take place only through the unjus-
tifiable exercise of arbitrary power, or
be the result of the crude notions OF
society.
THE OPPRESsOR's POWER.
Were it net for the passive obedi-
ence, nay, indeed, very often the &C.
tive cooperation of his victim, the
oppressor's power could be, not only
enormously diminished, but altogeth.
er destroyed. The history Of our race
is SO replete with the pitiable recitals
of wrongs endured by victims, who
not only did not murmur, but who ac-
lively addressed themselves to the
task of justifying the wrongs they
suffered, that ones faith in discrim-
mating human intelligence is some
times almost shaken. 1t is not alone
ancient, but modern, and very modern
history which furnishes conspicuous
examples of this kind. We need not
dig up the case of the ancient warrior
who enthusiastically obeyed the com.
mand of his chief, rushing with shield
and spear into the battle, not to better
but to intensity the severe conditions
of his own servitude. We need not
even take the case of the serf who
cheerfully toiled year in and year out
that he might enjoy the God-giyen
privilege las he was taught OF deliv-
ering tribute to his feudal lord. With
in our own day we have witnessed, and
are witnessing, the inexplicable phe,
nomena of men voluntarily oarlng
their backs to the blows inflicted by
cruel masters. During the long years
African slavery existed among US, the
moor white man of the south suffered
the infection of the wrong in
scarcely less degree than the aetual
slave himself. Slavery made OF him
an inferior citizen. It invested hlm
with every inferior attribute. Slavery
differentiated the poor white man OF
the south into the fixed type OF So
cial and political subordinate; but
strange to say, he joyously welcomed,
he cheerfully endured, this fixed state
of his degradation. No man upon all
this earth more strenuously defended
slavery, more heartily damned the
niger" than this poor white creature
who was sharing in common with hls
black brother the odium of an instltu-
ton the devil himself had outlawed.
could not have been maintain
cd twenty-four hours had it not been
for the votes of the poor white men OF
the south who never owned slave.
INTERESTING PARALLELS.
Now here we have some complete
and interesting parallels. The gold
standard could not possibly be up
held were it not for the votes OF the
men who own no gold, who control
none. who never will own or control
any. The so-called protective system
could not be fastened upon our people
except with the active help OF the men
whom the system can not possibly
protect, but whom, on the contrary
it systematically robs. The destruct-
i've power welded by corporations ana
trusts could be instantly destroyed II
we could only get the help OF those
who are the victims of corporate greco
and trust manipulation. But this ser
vice instead of being given to the
cause of their own emancipation, rs
freely given over to the use OF the op'
presscr. It would indeed be impossl-
BILE to seriously wrong our people II
they would protest, or to enslave them
if they would resist. 1t is their own
acquiescence in the wrong that makes
the infection of the wrong possible.
EXPOSE TRUE CONDITIONS.
But let man have the courage to
point out to the people these things,
show them their true condition, dem.
onstrate to them the fact, acquaint
them with the truth, that they are the
victims of their own folly by sanction
ing with their votes the wrongs that
Cypress them, and he is at once brand
ed as dangerous public enemy, one
bent on destruction. He is instantly