The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-06-08

but don't point that gun st my head.
cause It makes me nervous He blows
up the express car as matter Of accom-
mediation to me, and the expressman
comes to the door, rubbing his
sleepy eyes open and says: It's won
der you wouldn't let man get little:
rest. That dinky little safe in the cor
ner hasn't got anything in it to speak Of
And then we blow up the little safe first,
and maybe find all we want, and we
hurry up, so the boys can 60 on about
their business as quietly as possible.
1t Is all reduced to system, now, like !,
running railroad or pipe lines, and
am contented with my lot, and there is
no strain on my conscience, as there is
would be il was robbing the poor in
stead of the rich. OF course, there are
some things that would like to have
the government do, like building us 4
house and furnishing us steam heat, be-
cause these caves are cold and in time
Will make us rheumatic, but can wait
another year, when we shall send a del
egate to congress from this district who
will look out for our interests. The Nor
mons are represented in congress, and
1:don't see why we shouldn't be-"
Well, you have got gall, all right
said pa to the bandit. "You mean to
tell me you had rather pursue your
course as train robber, away out here
in the mountains with no doctor with
in hundred miles of you, and no way
to spend your money after you get it,
sleeping nights on the rocks and eating
canned stuff you pack in here after rob-
bling a grocery, than to enter the realms
of high finance and be respected by the
people, and be one of the people,
With no price on your head,
one of the great body of eighty million
men who rule country that is the pride
Of the earth? You must be daffy," said
pa, just as disguised as he could be.
"Sure, Nike" said the robber. EVERY
body here respects me, and who respects
the Wall street high finance and life in
surance robber? Not even their Wallets.
Me one of the people! Ye GODS but you
watch these. same people for few
years. You say they run the govern
ment! They and their government ara
run by Wall street, which owns the
United States senate, body and SOUL
The people are pawns on chess board,
moved by the players, and they only
talk, while the Wall street owners act.
Let me tell you story. once had a
dog trained so that he would lay down
and roll over for cracker, and would
hold a piece of meat on his nose until
his mouth would water and his eyes
sparkle, but he would wait for me to
snap my fingers before he would toss the
meat in the air with his nose and
snatch it in his mouth, and swal-
low it whole for fear l would get it
away from him. He would stand on his
hind legs and speak and beg for bone
to be thrown to him so he could
catch it, Do you know, the people of
this country remind me of that dog. If
they do not assert themselves and take
monopoly, high finance, insurance rob-
berry, grating and millionaire and bill
honaire ownership Of everything that
pays by the throat and strange them
all, and. do business themselves instead
Of having business done for them by the
money power, they will never get noticed
except when they do their tricks like
my old dog. When the time comes that
the people wear collars and are led by
chains, and they have to stand on their
hind legs and speak to their rich and
arrogant masters for bones, and hold
meat on their noses until Wall street
snaps it's fingers, you will want to come
out here in the mountains and live the
free life of train robber with con-
science. What do you think about it,
bub?" said the robber to me-
''Well," says to him, you talk like
a socialist, or Democrat, but you talk
all right. If am one of the people will
do as the rest do, but I'll be darned if
will get down and roll over for any
body: =