Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-20
Fun Dinner Pail VS.. Manhood.

A valued Republican correspondent and
comrade referring to the expression that
"the Democratic party is the natural home
of every white man who tolls for living"
asks, what laws have the Democratic
party enacted for the benefit Of the work.
ingman7"
We know of none, the Democratic party
when in power legislated for ALL the people
and not for any particular division or class.
The Democratic party ignores the Re-
publican classification of American citizens
and very properly recognizes neither trust,
nor organized toiler in the sense of
enacting separate and distinct legislation
for the protection OF benefit of such
classes. The Democratic party legislates
for the MASSES. the whole people and not
any fraction, division or fraction thereof
Aud up to 1901 this legislation prevented
the classification Of the American people
into millionaires and paupeTs; into captains
of industry and the working classes"
Our soldier friend FEELS if he is unable
to EXPRESS the difference between being
workiugman in Goo7 and in 1860. And the
difference Is due to the vicious legislation
OF the Republican party. The trouble with
our old soldier critic is that he fails to COM
prehend the policy Of his party lin throw
ing a sprat to catch mackerel." In other
words enacting meaningless and pretended
legislation for the alleged benefit Of the
workingmau to emphasize his degradation
as a toiler of the helot class, and PROTECT
ING" the monopolist the trust and the
captain of industry by laws which permit
the robbery and impoverishment of the
masses.
The object lesson is daily presented the
tOiler and the wage Garner of the non-eu-
forcement Of laws which were enacted for
mis- alleged protection from trusts and
monopolies, while the laws enacted Tor the
privileged class are enforced with the rigor
of Federal injunCtions" against organized
labor or discontented wage workers. The
Beef trust at present occupies the attention
Of the public and even the law officer Of the
government when forced to notice it, hired
attorneys TO investigate to whether there
is any statute by which it can be reached
and prevented from capriciogsly raising
the price Of meat beyond the power of the
toiler to purchase any portion but the liver
or the kidneys of tn animal for his Sun
days dinner
The Democratic party legislated for the
workingmau precisely as it legislated for
his employer up to 1861 and withstood all
efforts and schemes to cla sify him as a
toiler or helot. To the Democratic party
he was then and is now an AMERIcAN
al av Lee
his employer, the manufacturer, the physi-
ciau, the merchant the lawyer, and the
professional m an And while this principle
of legislation prevailed the manual laborer,
the skilled artisan the employer, the mer-
chant, the professional man, and the manu-.
facturer were equal before the law and they
were ALL Americans.
This the old soldier critic will remember
as the condition Of Northern society in ante
bellum days. Behold the change The
Northern toiler called to arms to free his
colored brother toiler accomplished the task
and was rewarded by the elevation Of the
slave toiler to his plane, but not to that of
his employer. On the contrary, the eudow-
ment of the emancipated slave with the
privileges Of citizenship enabled the EN-
ployer to reduce the white toiler, not only
in the social scale, but in the denial of
the proporiiouate compensation heretofore
paid him for his share in production. The
white toiler does not and must not regret
the emancipation Of his black brother from
enforced servitude, but the white toiler
deserved better fate than that the vote of
the black man should have been utilized to
diferentiate the white man who fought for
his liberty into a helot class The only
equality conferred upon the emancipated
slave was, and is, the equality of COM
peting in the labor market with his white
brother and voting the Republican ticket to
perpetuate the rule Of the classes over the
masses-the PROTECTED trusts and mono
poles over the helpless wage Garner
Old soldier must not be deceived by the
class legislation Of his party even when a
measure in the so called interests Of the
workinRman is enacted and thrown as a sop
to the whale. Every such measure meet
ing with his approval or in response TO his
demand and support opens the way and
establishes a precedent for the enactment
of measures a thousand times more beue-
fetal in the interests Of the employers Of
labor.
All class legislation is vicious and un-
Democratic. tits monarchical and paternai,
endowing the servant with the attributes of
the master In other words conceding
powers Of governing class to the few and
the specially privileged and emasculating
the masses Of their inherent and birthright
equality as peers and citizens.
The danger and viciousness Of demanding
special protection for any one section of
the people is illustrated in our protective
tanf. These tariff laws have been the in
struments with which the wage Garner was
socially reduced as peer and AMERICAN and
by which it has been made possible to
classify him with his own consent az ''the
toiling class" looking to Congress for legis.
latiou in his favor as an organized and dis
tinct element Of social inferioritY in the
body polite, Democracy alone viii elevate