Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-10-15
NO. e..
Whittier Are We Drifting?

tClpatlnS lIOuDle III the near IutuIe. WAL, VI
rumors of war, inAict every quarter of the
globe Governments are suspiciously watch.
ing each others movements. There seems to
be lack of confidence. Each fears that the
other is trying to gain some unjust advantage.
The long cherished thought of the fatherhood
of God and the brotherhood of man appears to
have lost its charm in universal scramble for
wealth and power. To-day conscienceless
greed is corrupting and destroying the civiliza-
ton of the world. Can it be helped? I en-
phatically answer, yes. Will it be? frankly
say don't know.
We have troubles here in our country,
which will likely be all we can attend to. I
don't like to be called pessimist, for those
who understand me best, know that | am in
clined to look on the bright side of life. Butt
must confess, that regard this as the dark
est hour in our nations history. I know the
criticism that this will subject me to, but it is
none the less true, and he who, believing as
do, fails to sound the alarm, falls short of his
duty to humanity. Murders, robbery, and sui
eide, are of hourly occurrence. Mob law is rap
idly gaining prominent foothod III nearly all
the states. Law-abiding, unarmed, defeuseless
laborers, peaceaby marching along public
highway, as they have lawful right to do, are
met by an official mob, and without warrant or
rightful authority brutally murdered, and this
awful outrage is endorsedby the monopolistic
press of the country. And these cruel muir
derers will go unpunshed here, but, as sure as
there is a God IN heaven, they will have to an.
swer for the blood of their poor victims in the
world to come.
We hold public meetings, make contribu-
tions and indulge in long prayers for the Ar
nenians, and pass resolutions condelnning the
cruelties of the Turks, WHILE in our own coun-
try, we burn men at the stake, and punch their
eyes out with red-hot irons, and not one of the
perpetrators of these barbarous outrages are
ever punished.
Embezzlement, especially by a banker, OF
public official, if the sum is only large enough,
is treated as misfortune" instead of crime.
And if occasionally, just to restrain the in
dignation of the people, one of these aristo-
Gratis is convicted, he is soon pardoned and re.
stored to citizenship. During the coal miners
strike, railroad company could, without leave
or license, take whole train loads of coal, and
it was counted "shrewd business" "good
oke''; but, if poor hungry striker took loaf
of bread, that didn't belong to him, he was at
once branded as thief and punished accord.
ingly.
The constitutional right Of citizens to peace
ably asse nbe, and discuss their grievances, and
appeal to their fellow men to join them in their
struggle for 1elief has been denied bv the courts
and tor an alleged violation of the courts in
junction, men have been sent to prison, the
sacred right of trial by jury being refused.
Political liberty, so far as the laboring class is
concerned, is gradually becoming thing of
past. The 9 per cent of the families who own
II per cent of our country's wealth rule the
nation to-day. The righteousness Of cause
counts but little when pitted against this enor-
nous aggregation of wealth in the hands of a
few. This absorption of wealth by favored
class, uni ,ss checked, will destroy our repub-
lie.
Are these things not sufficient to set loyal,
thoughtful friends of humanity to thinking?
Do exaggerite when | say that this is the
most serious a,d critical hour in the nation's
history?
What is the remedy for these evils? Why
simply this: LIT all who love God, home and
humanity get together and find out where the
monopolies and trusts, Wall street the Bell
who have carried elections by budozing.
Doodle, and fraud stand; and then get on the
other side and organize a strike, not with Win
chester rifles or budgeons but with free
mans ballot, and in this way possess the ma
chinery of government, and run it in the in
interest of all the people.-John P. St. John