The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1900-09-08
The Appeal TO Reason.

and l~ncIdenEally Vi Ino e"o'o ="
Socialism as a mere news
paper enterprise it may prove q success
but is not with the newspaper itself, SO
much as with its hobby, that we wish
TO deal. 1t might however be remark
ed passing that the title Of this journal
Appeal to Reason, is q misnomer, IN
the minds of many for the reason that
to urge upon a community to embark
in, enterprises requiring inmensecapltai'
while the community possessed little or
none, a hardly be called an appeal to
reason. There is no lawful. or honest
way by which the commonwealth can
become owner of Railroads, Land and
Factories, to be operated for the public.
Perhaps the Appeal is like Falstaff-
"Les us take any mans horses the
laws OF England are at my command
ment.n That is an old method OF ac-
curing property. It is the Appeals
success however, as a politicalpower in
the land, which we wish to consider
The Appeal attempts to organize q
neutrality-suspicious. unions, wage work.
ers and those who will not work at all,s
as well-into a political party to vote
for Eugene Debs, for president OF the
United States. under the title Of Social
Democracy. Great things are promised
when the Socialists once got into power
and reasons thicker than b~lackberries
are given. This all looks quite plausi-
BILE and nice on paper theoretically. 1t
is wholly impracticable and always will
be so long as men are what they, are.
How does the Appeal ever expect to
elect a President Of the United States
or, a Congress- Where will the votes
come from? From the laborers-the
wage workers, the tramps, the wander
ing Willies ct i'd onane ge's~s who con-
stitute the majority of voters? II the
Appeal expects these men to vote for
Debs in any great number, it is wofully
deceived, as it will learn at the count
next election. The vast majority OF
these men will vote for Mark Hanna
and his man Mckinley next election,
just as they did in 1906.
/ When Mark Hanna opens his cam :
paign and blows his old horn and calls
to come up and form Republican clubs,
with free beer, free whisky and a cam
paign barrel. the majority of these men
will be there, and when thay are told
Of, McKialey and Prosperity and big
'Wages, to come they will throw up their
old tattered hats, and greasy caps and
nearly split their beer tainted threats
yelling for Mckinley. These men never
}. vote for nothing-theY must be paid
for their votes, and as we assume the
) Socialists will have no barrel and buy
: no votes, in the. coming campaign, Sc
, they will get nom worthy of mention
These were the men who elected Nc.
Kinley in 1896 and are just as ready
, now to vote for him again (for a con.
, sideration.)
The Appeal might just as well at
tempt to drown the roar of q Kansas
! tornado, by blowing a rams Horn as tx
q get these voters to vote for anything
a without pay. They don't take promi
!, ses-they must have the ready stuf
down, and Hanna has it and know
, how to use it. For what else is q, barre
of 10, 1000, 900 dollars required. Now W
do not say and do not wish to be under
stood as saying, that all laboring men
+ mechanics and wage earners, are such
Not by any means. There are some a
honorable as any class of men, but I'M
fortunately they are not in the majority
: The conduct Of these men. durin!
strikes, in numbering, beating, maitreat
l ing ~inoffensiVe people, who have moth
2 ing to do with the strike shows tina
: clearly.
One more consideration. Let US sup
pose the impracticability of carrying a
election has been overcome, we are a
once met by a new difficulty that
how can the great industries Of tn
: country be successfully run by publ
: officials. Let US only contemplat
p;obard rroker and Tammanv rnnnln