Scott County kicker., 1916-01-22


history, an dit is also why histo-
ry is carefully kept from the
masses. Like conditions produce
like results in any age, and If the
people understood the past. they
would know what Is wrong with
the present and apply the remedy
With us the year 1916 began
rather sadly. The press dispatrh-
es Of January z announced the
rioting at Youngstown. Ohio.
where branch plant Of the steel
trust is located that employs
some $4,000 men.
There must have been some
thing wrong with those press dis
patches that told us the steel
trust would increase wages, be-
ginning with the new year. Any
how. a strike was declared at
the Youngstown plant.
Youngstown has populat ation
of $4,000 and only 400 OF these
are voters. These workers are
OF the dregs OF Europe, ignorant
unorganized Bat labor conditions
sometimes become SO oppressive
that even the ignorant and unor-
Eanized revolt. and that was the
situation in Youngstown.
However, the strike seems to
have been orderly until fired int"
by the hired gun men that the
employers always have handy.
Then a battle followed in which
several were killed and about a
hundred wounded, and the city
was set on fire and over a mil
lion dollars in property DESTROYED.
Strau 90 as it may seem. yetMaH-
or Cunningham of Youngstown.
in an interview. credits the cause
OF the trouble to the hired thugs.
He SAYS: Just what caused IL
all | have been unable to deter
mine. but from what I have been
told | fear it was caused by the
armed guards on the bridge
Had these guards been kept with
in the limits of the mill properly
/ doubt If there would have been
any trouble. Witnesses have told
me that it was the guards on the
bridge that fired the first shots
That aroused the fury OF the mob
and there was no holding it in
check. once it started"
The foregoing happened in the
ro-called land of the free in 1916
Let us compare it with the hap
peningS of little more than a
century ago--in France.
The French revolution was the
biggest happening of modern
times, ana took place about the
same time as the American re-
rolutiOn. The Americans fought
TO free themselves from a foreign
despot. while the French fought
to overthrow the despO,S Withia
the church and the state. Con
corning the beginning of The
French revolution. the folloWluG
is taken from Watsons Magazine
1t was an almost universal
feeling. that the Old system was
doomed Things could not go on
as they were. \ change wa
needed Travellers. rassin-
through France. had descrihed
the wretched condition OF The
pcasantry. Books had been pub
lished attacking the Divine Right
Of hereditary kings. Plays had
been staged and acted. amid
thunder of applause, in which the
Dutra geous special privileges ol
the MOBILES were satyrized ana
held up to public hatred. Philos-
ophers had toiled nightly, 10
Nnfetter the minds OF Frenchmen
SO long benumbed and sterilized
by the clerical travesty of edu-
cation. Statesmen had been loud
in their prophetic warnings, and
even the exhausted libertine Oh
the throne had said:
The system will last out my
time, but after us. the Deluge.'
Think of it! The peasantry did
all the work, produced all the
wealth, paid practically all the
taxes, vet the peasant was not
only refused permission to fence
in his crops from the devastation
Of herds Of deer, droves OF hogs
and the inroads of cavalcades OF
mounted hunters, but he was no;
allowed to take for his own Use
on his own place, a hare, a quail
nr a dove, and he was not at lib
.erty to hoe or manure his crops
at certain seasons, lest the cut
ting of the weeds might disturb
the young covies of quail, and the
manure might injure their flavor
The peasant was conscripted, &c
build the public roads; and he
was called upon, a certain mum
her of days each year, to do un'
maid labor for his landlord; ano
his landlord required OF him tc
fetch his wheat to the lords mill
his grapes to the lords wine
press and out of everything pro-
duced on the peasants farm, the
lord and the priest took toll.
When the kingdom was al
peace, the peasants fed it; wher
at war, the peasants bled for 1t
In time OF peace-work he ever
so hard-he could neither vote
nor hold office. In time OF war
fight he ever so hard--he coult
never rise out of the ranks.
20
There were no schools for hi
children, no hospitals for his sick
no golden door OF opportunity
inviting him to come up higher
Civilizat ton passed him by, dif
not illuminate his mind, mis- heart
{ his home. But il he failed tt
kneel, and take off his hat, wheI