The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-08
end shortly. or England will find herself
called upon to reckon with world of
A ui.tarical.ParnlIel.

A Historical Parallel.
The incidents of "Shays' Rebellion are
unfamiliar to the public of today. but
| the memory of that abortive revolution
| has been revived by the late Edward Bel
lamy. in the form of novel. In this he
! describes wildly the pathetic condition
| to which the farmers of Western Massa
chusetts were reduced by the heavy taxes
which made it impossible for them to
keep out Of debt or eventually out of jail.
| The prisons were crowded with insolvent
| debtors. and in the nature of things they
stayed there indefinitely. since by confine-
ment their power of earning was taken
| from them. The few rich men Of the
community, meanwhile, gathered in the
farms of the insolvent in default Of I'M
paid loans, or allowed the debtor farmer
| to remain al large on condition OF his
working for them at nominal price.
The result of 1t all was that the people
took the law into their own hands and
there was an attempted revolution, which
effected change in conditions. Debt was
removed from the list Of offences pun
ished by Imprisonment, and the taxes be-
came more reasonable.
There is a curious analogy between the
condition of these Massachusetts farmers
in 1890 and the years Immediately follow
ing, and the condition of certain classes
of laborlng people all over the country in
the year 1900. The oppression OF today
is on scale far greater than that OF the
last century; and affects not the whole
working population, but large classes
here and there Wherever money gives a
man more power than he ought to have,
there this condition of oppression exists.
The employer of today cannot imprisop
man for debt, but he can throw him out of
work, and keep him out. In Berkshire
County just before Shays' Rebellion.
practically all the farmers and mocha mics
in some villages were either in Jail or
working for nominal wages, saving their
nominal liberty at the expense of their
independence and completely in the pow
er of the man who happened to hold their
mortgage. In some communities today
the entire population, except the capital
list, who has his mortgage on the freedom
of the citizens, is either working for him
at his price. or in The ranks of the unem-
ployed.
1t may he said that it is not SO bad
for man to be discharged as TO be put
in prison for debt. but the actual result
in both cases is often nearly the same.
The man who is put in prison loses not
only the time he spends there, but the
time, whether long or short, which 1t
likes for him to get back his strength,
Skill, and custom when he leaves the
place; and also whatever extra work is
needed to get his business into the con-
dition in which it was when he gave 1t up.
The man who is unemployed for any great
length Of time loses, frst. the wages he
might have earned during that time; sec
to borrow to support himself and his
family, and third. certain confidence in
himself and ability in his special line Of
work. Every day that he is out Of work
lessons his chance of getting 1t, just as
every day in prison lessened the debtors
chance Of getting out. In these days.
when the whole trade in one commodity
10 centralized by single firm, an action on
their part which throws several hundred
men out of employment in that particular
locality means large addition TO the
tramp army. In the case of the Massa-
chusetts rebellion the trouble was caused i
by inordinate taxation. It is well to re-
in this day and generation, that
when taxes are levied they are paid. not
out of Fortunatus' pocket. but by peo-
pie who are obliged to earn money enough |
10 live, or starve 10 death, and that there |
is limit beyond which taxes cannot be
raised. or steals carried on, without Sc
rious trouble.