The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-28
THE SECOND. SOBER THOUGHT.

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THE SECOND. SOBER THOUGHT.
The common man has reason TO be
proud OF himself these days In ordinary
times the common man-the lhboIer' the
farmer. the mechanic. the CLERK Inc snoP-
keeper the man. in brief. who does me
.oiutry's work and pays it's taxes
earns his wages and supports his FAMILY
is accustomed to look upon sage OF
Gould. or Rockefeller. or lllNemeyer' or
some other eminent anaconda as me lypI-
cal American.
Hut ~ is the common man. the home
building. routine. duiy-loying. plain GILL
zen himself. who is the true American
n 30 had not been for him there would
have been no war With Spain.
The eminent anacOudas and all thelr
breed fat or lean were more than Will
ing shat the Cubans should be oppressed
starved and murdered 10y spain Just as
long as IL might please 'hat Mrs. Mack
among nations To 90 ON with the infamN.
The anacondus were willing that orr
navy should serve Spain by mterceo'ing
arms and supplies sent 20 the gallant
Gomez and his men. They were Willing
fhat the American Republic should ac-
cent q money payment for the lives oi us
sailOrs who were aSSassinuttd Nheh 'ht
Maine was sunk.
An the anacond3s cared for was that
nothing should disturb them Wiil- the!
continued 20 gorge dollars.
But the common man said No. ne IisS
% heart I'm his breast and q head That
doesn't bubble with questions OF right
and wrong lie knows that liberty is
right. that tyranny is wrong tAai gener-
osity is better than seliishness. ana ina
crime should b. punished. He believes IN
God and though he has little money ana
viii do anything honest 10 get more ne
dosen't hold money above his country ana
humanity and justice.
So the common man has put MS 1907
down. issued his orders. and behold.
SPANS death knell Ia the New Noriu
has struck
When the common man rouses himself
everybody else I'm this Republic hastens
TO obey
or how very little importance the ana
coudas are when the common man taxes
the floor i'm the United States!
The humblcst jackie on any OF me ma
tion's war ships is now bigger man ll
the popular estimation. ana IN iact, IMAM
is Russell Sage or John d. Rockelehet'
Henry O. HaVemeyer or any other emf
uonl anaconda. Men who signify money
and nothing else shrink TO Iigmy size
when The Manhood OF the Republic walks
IN the pilot house and lays its mighty
bord rpon the wheel OF the snip OF
Stato.-New York Journal
We cannot refrain from quoting In TINS
connection the trite phrase that "Whom
the gods would destroy they first make
mad.
The New York Journal is beside itself.
If has rallied the restless element in this
country and stirred up what 1t is pleased
TO term the common men with the re-
suit that the country has been precpi-
tated into war.
The Journal is greatly puffed up with
ns victory. but it has sounded its own
death kneI. Every such article as that
which we print above brings the people
more and more to reflection. and opens
their eyes wider and wider - the fact
that they have been outrageolsly hood
winked by this sensational newspaper
ana those leaders whom it represents.
The war has come and it must be fought
To "a finish. It is the bounden duty OF
every citizen to give the government his
support. This is our country and we
must defend IL against our foes. no mat
ter how the war was provoked. But
peace will come BY and by. and when It
does come the people of this country will
have reckoning with the professional
agltators. They will have found out then
who 10 Is that has been trying TO array
class against class, 10 stir mp strife. TO
make the people discontinued, and they
will have found out who were directly re-
sponsible for this war They will have
found out that all such leaders are dan
gerous. in that they have their own sell
fish ends 70 serve regardless Of the well
fare of the nation. They Will then draw
| the distinction between those who run
with the crowd and incte the people,
and those who stand by their convictions
| and with true American conservatism do
| all that they can TO restrain the people
and to prevent them from being led
astray.
The Times has determined 10 impress
this lesson with all the emphasis OF
which IL is capable. We have not ceased
since this agitation began several years
| ago TO stand upon the watch tower and
10 warn the people against its logical and
| inevitable result. For this The Times has
! been denounced as the organ of the
money power and as a traitor to the
people But that has not prevented US
from sounding the note of warning and
| We have not ceased to cry aloud. We
have presented the arguments Of the case
as we saw them. and we have begged and
mplored the people to stop and reflect
In whatever direction this revolutionary
spirit has manifested Itself we have
opposed and attempted TO restrain IT,
But revolutions never go backwards,
and this one could not be checked until
e plunged the country into war.
Feilow-citlzens Of Virginia. for Gods
sake reflect. The Times has no enmitie,
and never bears malice We could not
without doing violence 20 our own feel.
ings. at time like this speak harsh
words. But we will speak the truth. anC
we would drive this truth home with al
! the mower ct our command.
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