Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-04-06


the time when they fought for the liberty Of
the southern negroes. 1t has aroused the
hon IN their natures robbed them OF their
serviry and fear, and infused them with
the spirit OF conflict and revolt, without
which they would soon have been driven
by their oppressors with whip and spur,
and without lines or bits.
COUNTRY WAS DYING OF DRY ROT
For quarter of century the country
has been dying OF dry rot. Commercialism
and monopollsm, which cry peace for prof.
ITS sake, have SO poisoned the better sen
tlments ot our people that they were fast
becoming willing slaves. Every new test
OF the courage during this time has shown
that they were gradually Welding TO the
influence OF the capitalists who own the
| machines and who thereby carry the key to
the larder. The economic necessities of our
workers had made them so thoroughly de-
pendent that, up to the time this war broke
out, they had apparently forgotten their
duty to themselves and posterity and be-
come numb and palsied in the presence of
their god--tbe fob" The old spirit of
chivalry which characterized the fathers OF
the republic had seemingly forsaken them,
and their courage to fight had become nil
| IN the presence OF their awful necessities.
PEACE PRATERS APPEAL TO THE
BULLET.
Crafty preachers of peace have carefully
educated the people to tolerate their
wrongs rather than to fight. Designing pro-
moters OF industrial slavery have persist
entity exhorted in favor OF an appeal to the
ballot, while on every pretext they have
debauched and defrauded the ballot and
punctuated their teaching with an appeal
TO the bullet. The system OF private armies
had grown to such proportions and the
number OF corruption murderers had 50 in
creased as to completely awe the pro,eta-
ran classes who have allowed thems elves
to be slaughtered on the public highways
without utterng more than passive COM
plant. These things argued for the com.
plete enslavement of the people; it boded
bad for the future, but happily this war
has turned the tide. The people know their
power. They have regained their conf.
dence. They will never again be cowed
as they have been in the past Liberty has
taken new life and freedom proudly re-
sumes her old sway and brooks no interfer-
ence.
TO "CIVILIZE" WITH SYNDICATES
Gigantic debt, great armies and increased
| taxation wall be the result of this war The
capitalist will seek new fields in which to
| espolt. The cry for more territory is al
| ready heard among those who would civil
i1e the conquered territory with bond Gym
dicates and broker shops. For years inter-
| est rates and profits have been declining in
America, labor is becoming congested, plu-
| tocracy is seeking new fields to plow. An
outlet for our surplus labor and surplus
| manufactures must soon be realized or the
troubles OF our capitalist classes have only
begun. The monopolist who opposed the
war Is now its strongest supporter; the
peace-prating plutocrat has become the
| ranting advocate OF conquest. The pledges
OF congress and the president will be turned
into a lie to satisfy the greed OF the plu.
tocracy and the folly of its serfs.
CLEVELAND INCONSISTENT.
But why should any advocate of the pres
ent imperial system of industry oppose ex-
pansion? BY what right does Grover Cleve-
land, the chief spokesman OF monopolstic
interests, cry out against the acquisition Of
territory? The argument Is all against him.
Expansion means revived industry. more
jobs, and easing of the labor market, and
new opportunities for the extension OF the
system which is heralded as the acme of
perfection by those who believe in the di-
vine right OF capital.
The only man who has the right to op-
pose the expansion OF territory and the con-
quest of new fields is he who believes in the
cooperative commonwealth, and hopes 70
establish on this soil the industrial repub-
lie. Ii the system of capitalism and wage
slavery under which we are now living is
right, then conquest becomes right by viz
tue OF necessity,
WAGE SYSTEM DEMANDS EXPAN-
SION
The wage system depends for it's success
upon expansion, destruction and unremlt-
ting chaos. Turmoil, with its attendant de-
structon of properly and its waste OF the
productions Of mankind, can live and thrive
only upon reproduction. Wages can be
paid only when there is work. and work
can be had only when new exploits are
undertaken, or old productions are ami
hlated.
Ii the plutocratic system is wrong, then
expansion and annexation only add to its
power and influence, and should be stub
bornly fought on that ground alone.
SOCIALISTS OPPOSE EXPANSION.
The advocates of the system which
teaches that waste and destruction are
wrong, and that prosperity should not de-
pend for its advent upon adversely, who
believe that men should be permitted the
free exercise OF their genius and should not
be forced to life of everlasting labor:sel!-
ing, can consistently oppose any proposition
for the expansion OF territory which Will
necessarily more firmly intreneh the pres
ent industrial system.
THE FRATERNAL STATE.
These preliminary remarks suggest a dis
| cussion OF the changes which we propose IN
our industrial system. We are the aovo-
Gates OF the fraternal state. What are its
functions? No abstruse reply Is required;
| The question was answered once and f9r all
by the phrase Of the Declaration Of lnde-
pendenee which asserts the right OF lie,
| liberty and the pursuit il happiness; But
what OF life? God alone gives life, but HE
without the means Of protection and susie
nance is a paradox. We hold il to be the
duty OF government TO protect. promots
and sustain life as well as 70 assert the
| right.
LIBERTY MADE A LIE.
The declaration Of the right OF life mx,st
be taken in no narrow and restricted senee
| The citizen. must not only be preserved m
hia life and the fruits of his toll. but NJ
must be Afforded en- opportunity 20 toI. MS
| life win be OF small consequences unless ne
be permitted to support Il with toon, far
ment and mantl enjoyment. hs hosrty
viii be q bitter burlesaus Snlese be De per
mitted 70 occupy. unmolested by vulgar mo-
nopolists. such portion OF the earth as pay
be neediul TO him. To declare liberty wsn-
out providing to enforcA Il ,s an economic g
Lie. Mans happiness cannot Be assured
his constant effort and highest hopes sfs
| for the ooarse reauirements Of animal exist
ence only. Intuisively, be feels that ne was
bonn for higher aims than life OF prsearf
/ w.. kn r,thara PpR-