The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-24

| ed. striven, fought for many days; he Is
exhausted; and the smell of the pottage
is savcry. Common humanity would die
| tate that he be fed by right: but jacob
| has to drive bargain. The starving man
cannot have the pottage without sacrific-
| ing his birthright. II he wants work. and
fair pay therefor, he must please his mas
tiers. not only in material but in spiritual
| things. He must give them his vote.
| Perhaps the Republican leaders who
make this threat of starvation to the thou
sands and hundreds OF thousands Of free
| born Americans in their employ do not
realize how dark is the indictment against
themselves and their methods involved in
it. Perhaps they do not see that in stating
openly, shamelessly, positively. that the
workingman can only hope fot a chance OF
honest labor in case he supports them and
their interests. they are convicting them
selves of a degree of moral turpitude which
would make Benedict Arnold blush. He
only made himself a traitor; the men who
to vote the Republican ticket for the sake
of bread are trying to make traitors Of the
whole working class OF the country.
Nothing is more common In this day and
generation than to hear the SNUG, COM
placent apostles OF Things As-They- Are
advise young men to be cautious in ex-
pressing opinions or in taking extreme po-
sitions. They do not encourage free
thought: it is dangerous. Here is the
Standard Oil University forbidding the
teaching of anything contrary to the great
truth that money is the root Of all good.
There we find great magazines refusing
articles by young authors en- the> ground
that to accept them would offend some
rich man who would feel his toes trodden
upon. Worst of all. in the very pulpit are
clergymen preaching political sermons urg-
ing their hearers to flee from the wrath
CT the trusts which is to come If they fol-
low Bryan. There are great many people
who seem to be possessed Of the idea that
to disguise ones thoughts is venial sin,
especially when the thoughts concern some
great social or political question. They
would not deny. of course, that one has
right to disbelieve in orthodox creeds. but
it would not do to talk about it. They be-
lieve in free voting, of course, but in prac-
teal life it does not do to offend ones
employer. Such arguments are not con-
vincing; they are not even new. They are
trite as Genesis. When such men utter
platitudes about manly virtue, truth, and
independence. 1.-The hands are the hands
of Esau. but the voice is the voice of ia
cob" And not all their hearers are blind.
The workingman is, urged to vote for
Mckinley, because he will thereby secure
work. He is told that IL he votes for
Bryan there will be anarchy. disruption,
and panic, and no work for anybody. Per-
haps Jacob told Esau that there wasn't
any more pottage to be had. If he did 1t
is doubtful If Esau believed it. The real
menace. however. in this threat lies in
the fact that it is not safe for any work.
ingman to make himself prominent as
leader Of a movement of which his en-
ployer does not approve. There is good,
sound, selfish reason for, this. 1t is only
through votes that the trust gains its pow
er. Commercial conditions have created
it, but cannot perpetuate it. If all its en-
ployes vote right a man who will not in
terfere with the operations Of syndicates
and combines will be put in the White
House. Otherwise Inconvenience might be
suffered through Jealous Attorneys Cen
eral who would investigate the New Jersey
incubator and destroy promising and
healthy young plans. If the workingman's
vote is absolutely free, and if he thinks,
enquiries, and investigates, there will be
trouble for the trust 1t is necessary that
he do this if he has free vote, because
that is what self government means.
Therefore his vote must not be left free,
and he must not think. He must be con-
tent with his mess of pottage.