The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-02-21
PEOPLES FORUM
WHATS The MATTER WITH THE
TIMES

radically wrong! And one 1ecd not
be calamity howler" or prophet
of woe" 10 make that plain, unyarnish-
cd. statement Notwithstanding,
thousand calming assurances ron
those in high places" thIt everything
Is moving along with hopeful progres.
siye prosperity. the people know that
times were Gcver harder, conditions
were never more unsatisfactory, than
they are now.
Tho poor are suffering-yes, ac-
tually suffering through want-but
wages are high There's the rub! OF
what value Is It that our wages are
doubled. II the expense OF living IS
trebled! And, that Is exactly what
mas happened In the last three or four
years Does the laboring man draw
higher wages, only that he may nut
so much more money in the pockets
OF the captains Of industry.
In the city, n distress and anguish
is appalling great many men are
without work-nothing coming In.
The debit column is rapidly lengthen.
in,. but there is no like increase in
the income. Debts are multiplying.
obligations are accumulating The
spirit ~ the poor is being ground
down. The presen' unrest and certain
ty is making socialists It Is to be
expected.
who is to blame? crop failure?
No' Lack OF money? Wall Street has
1t to loan. Overproduction? The
mills are rot keeping pace with the
demand for their products. Manuiac-
turers are increasing the output.
which is rapidly consumed by
their customers Tarin 70 blame?
Republicans party says NO" and the
wisdom of Providence can be sooner
questioned than that of this great
party Did the leaders not tell us
hat they had given us the 'lbest
evcr?" Dare we slaves question the
word of our Masters? When the voice
of the Master is heard. should we
not -doglike-listen?
But We can not get away from the
proposition with which we began this
article Something is wrong. People
are restless. dissatisfied, suspicious.
questioning. They have no faith IN
| promises, for they remember that with
the average politician, promises are
, like pie-crust, easily broken" Our
/ lie yislators have been "dickering' with
the tariff. and "tampering" with the
laws Cthey tell us, with great sue
ccss) but meanwhile men have been
idle, workmen have had nothing to
do and wages have scared aloft like
I the eagle. Like Malluch of old. (sec
Ben-iIurD who followed a losing mas.
ter, We have tried to keep our cheer"
but in vain. The well-worn "Hurrah
for the republican party" has stuck
in our mouths, as we have faced this
imperinus question. What's the mat.
ter with ne tines" FOR SOME.
THING Is DECIDEDLY WRONG. Blu.
Nho is 10 blame?
Our tarifr has been fixed" II any
one doubts this assertion ask thosr
who are benefited" by the fixing"
Hear what the Rev. DR.. Newell Dwight
Hills successor TO the famous Henry
Ward Beecher has 20 say about this
tcndorly nurtured infan, of republican
promises. The best tariff ever? Yes.
For the few who are protected. but in
view of the fact that Immediately
eight or ten Of the necessities of the
common people. when thus projected,
rose twenty TO twenty-five per cent,
the best tarin" meant that the peo-
toctcd iron interests Immediately I'd.
ded four or nye hundred millions 70
'heW values, that one firm of the
Beef trust within three months dis
irihuted twenty millions OF surplus 20
themselves; another protected indus
try has, Friday cut a melon of twenty
millions more, and on these neces.
stiles of life for the enrichment and
protection OF these eight or ten
groups, already pethoric and gorged
the working people have had TO give
up az least a NTH of their income"
The republican party is irreyocably
the party OF the classes. 1t is bound
hand and foot in covenant and
league from which II can not. dare
nor break away. The people have
nothing 20 expect from Il and so long
as the party is in power. the liberties
OF the people are endangered, their
rights are menaced. Par;ies are Ike
men; II long perpetuated in ofrice,
hey become insolent and dictatorial
in bearing. They forget that the SOW
reign will OF the people placed them