The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-11-30

lions and nonsense, 1t has grown strong,
and is still gaining territory every day.
Its teachings are accepted n believed
in, not only in countries where the major
ity of laborers have given up farming dec
AIDES ago, but also in countries where near
ly all the w~orkingmen are still occupied in
the filling of the soil.
One should think that a doctrine like
this that asks the workingman, living and
working in free, open air, occupied in good
healthful farming work., to give up his Tree,
wholesome life ciose to natures bosom and
move into the noise and impure atmosphere
OF the city, to work like a machine at mo-
notonous work in a factory, and to live
In filthy. sQualid tenement lodgings that
will drive the color out of the cheeks of
his children, would not have much chance
Of success among thoughtful men who,
working their. native soil, are not used to
being slaves, as the worker in U modern
factory practically are.
And still this doctrine that Is called
Socialism is rapidly gaining even In a
country like Russia, where " per cent OF
the ~workingmen are still occupied in farm
work.
All over the world. the large, too large.
cities are drawing the young people away
from their rural homes. They see nothing
but the glare and brightness Of city life,
and 1t attracts them like the fame of
candle attracts a moth, but l am glad to
u : ludt OuI WOI hluSulcu ISuSSiop dS d
ge-cral rule. have heard nothing of the
theories Of Socialism, or, If they have, con-
slider them a foreign invention that they
DO not care to trouble their minds with.
I wish that Socialism might meet with
as little success in all other countries.
All its propaganda, all its proclamations
and sending representatives INTO the par
liaments. should be of little or no interest
to the freeman that follows the most nat
ural occupation Of man. tilling the soil Of
his fathers and forefatherS
The labOrer Of to-day who Is still stay
ing away from the immortality and un-
natural atmosphere of the city, who spends
his time In sowing the seed and reaping
the harvest that God may give him, does
not need higher wages or shorter hours
he only needs one thing-land, and he does
not need SO very much OF this to be able
to support himself, his wife and a family
Of morally and physically strong children.
All intelligent Russian laborers understand
that this Is true.
A simple Russian peasant wrote to me In
q recent letter: If we revolt. and all iand
remains the property of a few privileged
individuals. it is clear to every one that our
revolution has been in vain. l have friends
living in who tell me that they
have a Constitution, d Parliament, but still
all land is owned by a few very wealthy
men. What is the advantage of having a
Parliament and Constitution when the po-
ltical parties think of nothing but their
own interests and forget the people, whom
they are supposed to represent. and who
are driven into poverty and despair by the
oppression of the wealthy and the taxes OF
the Government
Land" says the ignorant peasant. 'fs
all that is worth fighting for, all that is
necessary to enable a man to make a lfv-
ing" And still the Socialist leaders say
nothing about the land, or at least its i'm
portance Is put second to that of owning
the factories.
1t is strange. to see how a laborer. who,
having voluntarily left his free and easy
and. foremost of all. perfectly healthy life