Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-08-17

people these cUndltlOns, unnatural al
they are, will not De forever endured
The victims Will reacn u poInJ whei
they come to the savage concIus.ul
thai patience Is no longer virtue, anC
and In their evaporation they wal
force REIMBURSEMENT Vi conditions, lel
the cost be wnat IL may. have salo
the Inertia OF the mulGltuue Was re-
markable, and IL IL True, yet II Will mol
do to rely upon the prOverDlaI inactlvl.
ty OF the people forever, Tor II Is u we'll.
known TACT That tney wlll sometimes
act and move, and wnen they DO, sucn
movements are apt to acquire sucn
frlghtful momentum that tney Will
crush with annlhllatlng force every op-
stacle that happens to get in the way.
The cause Oh true reform suffers I'M
mensely because great many people
rest secure in the belief that their tree
dom remains unlmpalreu 50 long as
they are not actually sold upon the
block. Their understanding of the
case ls, or seems to De, that u state OF
slavery is impossible unless the law
boldly authorizes and sanctlon the open
publlc sale Of one man to annoher. 10
own human flesh and blood rs an OK is
owned, absolute, unqualified, is In their
Judgment the only condition that can
establish bhe Oulous relationship OF
master and slave. The auction block
and the whip are, according to their
reasoning, the lnseparable cuncomit-
ants OF state Of slavery. 1t is the ap-
sence OF these tangible, physical agen :
cles that Is conclusive evidence TO
their senses that state of slavery does
not exist, that freedom remains unas-
sailed, Is in fact 1ourishing. This mon
ster delusion has in the past, from time
to time, deferred. and Is now deferring
the regeneration of the political life OF
this nation. 1t is this wrctched haliucina-
ton, supplying the powers of compre-
nenslon among so many people, that
gives the opportunity and furnishes the
license to the pirates in our midst to de-
YOUR our substance with impun-
lily. Once let the people learn
that they may be reduced to
a condition of practical servitude
while still permitted the use OF the
forms and ceremonies to which they
were accustomed in state of actual
freedom, but which are now empty
forms and shallow, meaningless cere.
monials, devoid of power and harmless
OF purpose; let the working classes
once thoroughly comprehend that the
power to hx wages and determine
prices is the omnipotent power in this
material world; the power that can
most effectually create the autocrat
upon the one hand and the mental on
Gha Ofhar. that n fl iof Sooia%v,& ~ -
same time with the two fold curse of
multimillionaire and pauper: hence let
these truths penetrate the popular
understanding and the carnival of the
thieving and gambling fraternity
would abruptly come to an inglorious
end.
The interesting question then is, is it
possible to arouse the masses to q real
sense of the danger hanging over them
before this danger eliminates in a
calamity and overwhslms them? There
are, indeed, at the present time, many
indications of popular awakening.
Unless we set the people down as in
durable idiots, it will be impossible for
US to believe that they will much longer
continue to submit to the almost whole
sale confscation of their earnings and
the heartless spollation of their poIiti-
cal Inheritance. The criminal opera
tions of the multi-millionaire con.
splrators are growing SO recklessly bold
and frequent, the effects of these opera
tions are so far-reaching and disastrous,
that public attention is being aroused
as 1t never was before, and. unless our
people are exempt from the operations
OF the natural law that governs, else
where, and are amenable to another,
the workings of which we do not under
stand, public Indignation will follow
and the inevitable outcome will be a
readjustment of conditions where the
Jetfersonian doctrine of the political
equality of man will be assigned its
rightful place, and the administration
of justice be the moving, governing
principle.
Ii humanhlstory teaches one thing
more thoroughly than another, if hui
man experience demonstrates one thing
more keenly than another, it is this;
that liberty cannot long survive where
the law creates and confers privileges
and immuni ties upon one class, which
it witholds from and denies to other
classes. Special privileges are in
S@P60AS Va OSAdS SAOnVOuS VI
enjoyed, unless preceded by the de-
struction of that political equality
which we have always SO fervently
boasted to be the very corner stone OF
all free government. That class legis-
lation has now reached the imminent
danger point, to maintain which will
involve the permanent degradation OF
the producing classes, is beyond all in.
telligent dispute, and yet, in their
utter madness, the bene-
ticiaries of this legislation are
planning and demanding that the fields
of their operations be widened. With
one accord they are asking such an ex.
tension of license and power to plumber
that, should all their demands be grant.
ed as the republican party now con.
templates, as it is in fact anxious tc
grant, an Imperialism OF wealth will
rule this country such as this world
never saw. An Imperialism without
conscience, destitute of mercy, riotine
in the very debasement of the common
people, reviving the damnable doctrine
of despotism, enforcing the cruelties Of
the ancient Pharaohs, compelling the
people to make bricks without straw
Such will be the character of the gov.
ernment that will grow up when the
beneficient republic of Washington and
jefferson goes down.
Do you ask me for evidences to sus