Waterbury Democrat., 1902-08-04
RETIRED BUTCHER HITS BACK.

 He Doubts the Honesty of Writer
 Signing Himself A. D. B.
 Editor of the Democrat:
 I noticed in Saturdays Democrat that your socialist C? correspondent agrees with what said to your report CT on the work of the trust in Water bury, but he does not think much of my idea with reference to a remedy. He wants the farmers of Connecticut to sit on their fence rails and spend all their time talking politics while the western farmers keep turning up the soil and making it yield enough to meet the demands of the whole coun- try. He nkens the Connecticut far mer to the man who still persists in operating with the old printing press and thinks that modern methods of invention have taken the place of the hoe and the backache. I have no in tention of entering into discussion over this matter, but before l con- clude I think ought to say that the working people should take what your socialist correspondent says with big grain of salt. Appearing in your paper, one would naturally sup pose the article was aimed at the trusts, but aeading between the lines it soon becomes plain that there IS something wrong, the end sought be- ling to discourage thrift and industry in Connecticut in order that his own | job might last the longer and his per- centage increase. He says it does not make any difference whether he l is a trust agent or working man. It does. We want to hear from honest workingmen, but when a voice reach es us from behind the curtain we feel like asking who is doing the talking. The hoe and the backache will be companions of man as long as the world lasts, notwithstanding the in- ference of your correspondent that the world owes us a living and that we can have it without turning hand provided we throw aside individual effort and trust to politics, You're away off, MT Socialist CD. admit that every man should keep in touch with public affairs and be at the polls early on election day, but I cannot subscribe to the suggestion that every man should look to the ballot box alone as q means to helping himself and others No matter what party l is in power, the great majority of the human family will have to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow and any man who teaches the opposite of this is not working for the public good
 l I admit the truth of all your core spondent has said on the trolley question, but should like to ask what the socialists Remember, I don't believe that "A. B. B" is a socialist) have done to prevent this robbery? Have they ever sought to rally the people in opposition to the party that has given away these valu- able franchises? Your correspondent insinuates that the democrats and re- publicans are chips. of the same block. How does he know? When were the democrats in control in Waterbury? When were they. masters of the situa- ton in the general assembly? If 1 "A. B. B. wants your readers to take Istock in him why does he not point at the party that stands convicted in stead of making a body that has not the power to do anything one way or the other party to the crime? Your correspondent may call himself a sO- siaIist, but I think he has said enough himself without anything from me to prove to the satisfaction of your read- CTS that he is creature in the employ lof the trusts and therefore entitled to Inc consideration from the working people.