The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-13
Demagogism.

The Philadelphia Times administers
scathing but just rebuke to an in
considerate contemporary in the in
terror Of the state which had intimatcd
that undue influences might be brought
to bear in behalf of Sheriff Martin in
the event that his case should be ap-
pcaled to the supreme court. IT char
actcrizes such insinuatiOns not only
as Cowardly but also as vicious in
their poisonous influence upOn ignor-
ant classes in the population who,
without the ability to think the matter
out accent at face value what they
hear in dcrogation of the courts and
are thereby betrayed into ruinOuS mis-
conceptions Of American government.
FnqucstiOnably the Times is correct,
but it could have gone even further
1t could fairly have charged upon 'he
spirit of dcmagogism the Whole re-
sponsibilty for the shooting at Latti-
mcr as well as for many of the per-
marent ills that atTlct the industrial
life IF the American people. 1t was
delnagogism leavening With chronic
unrest the pioneer miners that in the
first place forced the early employers
of labor in the anthracite fields to con-
slider the experiment of introducing a
low grade of alien labor Again it was
demagogism which enabled this i'm
portation to be eIfected-that dema-
gugism which in spread eagle heroics
was wont not many years ago to con-
tend that America was the open asy-
lum for the oppressed of all nations and
that the man who should dare to pro-
pose Il restriction and an intelligent
asserting of immigration would he in
effect a traitor to the glorious princi-
pies of American liberty. Thanks to
this stupid bOmbast, the foreign in
pour kept up until the whole circle Of
industry was disarranged, but still
demaCoClsm was not abashed.
1t again set to work, now to poison
the old immigrants Dr their sons
against the new. and anon to start fer
mentatiOn among :he alien classes
| themselves. The discerning observer
who has been brought into close range
with the bulk of the rougher types of
| recent immigration into the anthra-
cite region cannot have failed to note
the pacific and honorable disposition
of the masses IF these aliens when
| their ignorance has not been worked
| upon by human fire brands for some
ulteriOr purpose. Had the inevitable
| been accepted manfully by the cCm-
munities in which these aliens settled,
and Influences been set to work upon
| the newcomers to lead them gradually
| into unison with their surroundings,
| it can scarcely be doubted that instead
| Of Lattimers ana HOmeSteads we
| should even at this early day be well
| along toward the assimilation Of this
now irritant body Of foreigners into at
| least tranquil if not Intellectually ex-
altcd citizenship. But demagogism as
| surned the upper hand; race was turn
| ed against race, laborer against en-
| ployer. the ignorant citizen against the
majesty Of the law and finally bullets
| had to be used to qucl the flaming
| spirit of insurrection.
1t might be thought tht the mis-
| chevious work of demagogisnl, which
| is so conspicuously in evidence, would
cause the public some dav to turn a
deaf ear to the demagogues. But on
the other hand we have Barnum's word
for it that the American people love
to he humbugged.