Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1899-02-04
PROSPERITY IS COMING.

For long weary months | have
heard this caption repeated with little
variation of the monotone.
One hope after anothe had expired,
leaving the world a dark and dreary
void, but sudden revelation has filled
me with delightful sense of the glo-
rious beauty and wondrous poten-
TALLY of Mckinley prosperity, and
since then cannot duubt the presence
of the oft-promised benediction.
At first the railroads and the trusts
were very much in evidence, and their
luxurious accessories left little room
to doubt that they were prosperous.
All the high officials and confidential
clerks were very animated and very
positive in asserting the presence of
prosperity,
The department houses, the law
svndicates and the heavily endowed
colleges all proclaim the presence and
the potentially of genuine McKin-
ley prosperity. l bowed my head
and listened to the throbbing pulsa-
tons OF an ever-increasing volume
of business, but above the rumble
and roar of traffic l heard the sad
walls of hungry, footsore and weary
searchers for employment. Is this
feature product of prosperity?
Surely they exist together. No one
can doubt this who credits the evil
dence of his own senses.
We have wealth, luxury, ease and
rushing business on the one hand,
and this we call prosperity. On the
other hand we have poverty idleness,
want, wretchedness and sore distress,
but we don't call this prosperity-it
is hell-there is no other word or COM
bination of words that can so well
express the truth as the word l have
used.
Some people seem inclined to treat
such contrasts with lightness, but he
who does so must be unwisely ven
tureSOme.
Was prosperity intended for class?
Are the creators of wealth to bow
their necks and toll on and on? Is
there to be no respite? Are they to
be strangers forever to the comforts
and luxuries which their toll creates?
Are none but the drones, the hypo-
critics and the plunderers to appropri-
ate the ripe fruits Of toll wuich they
scorn to do? Has injustice been en-
throned, and do all those who profess
toknow Christ and Him crucified burn
incense on the altar of 1nammon? Are
the professed followers of the lowly
humble toiler by telling him in the
presence of his desolation and his
wrongs that he is prosperous? None
but a buffoon, a bowling lunatic, can
now look an honest worker in the
face and tell him that he is pros
porous.
Prosperous with bay windows and
sky lights in his shoes! Prosperous
with his elbows gently protruding
and with fringes ornamenting every
aperture of his cheap clothing Pros
porous with an empty flour chest and
no work. Prosperous with trap
doors in his wool hat, protruding
knees and bosomless pantalaonsl
Prosperous with flags of truce gayly
huttering from every rent in his buds,
as he backs gracefully up against a
fence to let gaudily attired, sweet
scented representative of the drones
sweep past in his luxurious carriage!
Prosperity that leaves its mark on
each brow; its shadow in each heart!
Prosperity that surrounds its dupes
with halo of contentment as they
go in search of a job or soup house
wearing a breech-cloth, or the cast-off
clothing of a self-respecting tramp.
Oh, how long Will We mock the
toiler?