Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-05-24


get your Lying; the capitalists of New
York and London, or the common
people of your own state and neigh
borhood Are you too simple to see
that, il you help the syndicates to
squeeze from your neighbors the ulti-
mate dollar, there will be nothing left
for you Can you not understand that
main reason why times are hard in
your business is that the time is rap
| idly closiug in when those who stand
"at owe" you will coolly answer your
pleadings for your accustomed share
Of the apple with the assurance that
"there amt going to be no core ?' Do
not flatter yourself that you will get
much sympathy. You will be en-
titled to none, for you are bringing
disaster upon yourself through your
own wlfull blindness. But "there
| are Others" Women and innocent
children will suffer, are suffering, on
account of your pig-heaIed stupidity.
POsterity is interested, and some of
us would like to leave to our decenl-
ants a world in which more than one
per cent of the people may find it
worth while to live. In what condi-
tion do you think even the next gen.
Grafton will find itself if events follow
the same course for the next thirty
years that they have followed for the
last thirty?
Your mind is so busy with your own
affairs that you imagine ynu have no
time for deep and independent study
of economic questions; so you take
your opinions ready-made from the
class who have less care for your well
fare than you have for that of the
| lowliest hodcarrier of them all. 1t is
| true that their arguments are often
| plausible if not closely examined.
Brains and talent can always be
bought, and some of the brightest
minds in the world are prostituting
themselves to the uses of our would
be masters. The press with hardly an
exception, is 10 the hands of the COM
you not apply your knowledge, apply
ing to every statement and argument
| the test of reason instead Of eagerly
swallowing every morsel of falsehocd
acd sophistry with which the powers
that be, see fit to supply you?
What has all this to do with Oregon
politics? 1t has this much to do with
it: that this campaign is lining up
of the forces. This is one little skir-
mish in the worldwide struggle which
the goth century will see fought out.
The world has seen the same thing be-
fore, as you know if you are student
of history. The Roman Empire went
down from the sane causes which are
working for the destruction of our
present civilization. Ever since the
dawn of history the same drama has
been in process of enactment over and
over again. A strong and virulept
people arise; form a great and power
full nation; attain high degree OF
civilization; accumulate great wealth;
/
the hands of few; the liberties of the
people are lost, and they sink TO the
level of inert and hopeles slaves; the
barbarion comes in and soyerTuns it
all. Isn't it Goldsmith who says:
"Ill fares the land, to fostering i'll a
prey,
Where wealth accumulates and men
decay"
Do you think that the world has
out-grown this tendency? You haYe
but to open your eyes to see it drift
ing faster and and faster toward the
same catastrophe.
You have a holy horror of being
classed with Populists and cranks
and demagogues. Did that sort OF
people ever yet bring a nation into
the dust Don't you know that
every man of great and progressive
mind who has ever arisen to help the
world has been called by his contem-
poraries a fanatic and dreamer !?
Cranks aud Missionaries we haze in
the Union movement; we heard, one
at the ArmOry Saturday night: but
their hearts are beating for the good
OF the race; While the Republican
party has come 10 be the subseryient
tool OF all the forces which make for
the destruction OF liberty. Under
which flag do you wish TO fight; the
yellow rag of financial and industrial
Weylerlsm, or the starry banner OF
humanity?
Though it is advice which no gold
standard authority ever gave since
the world was young, l will repeat TO
you the same appeal that last week
made TO Number Three; THINK
FOR YOURSELF.
DAVID BURR CHASE.
Salem, May p, 1898.
Aftarnna trial Vou will llsa no other