The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-12
Just Folks <
By DH; HRANx CRANE

Il k To read the public prints, to hears tbe trades of socialistss anarchists, and indeed all generally who speak of social cordifions. | to study most text books on political econ omy and to peruse most of the learned ar- ticles on politics and affairs in the heavy. re. views, one would imagine that there are but two classes in this muddled civilization of ours-the laborer, who is joining unions and striking. and the plutocrat, who. Is fleecing the laborer by all possible means, direct and Indirect.
 Yet here I wish tos emit one modest but firm whoop for that great third class, which never gets into a politico-economicaf treatise except as q football to be kicked by the scorn of both parties, but which, neyerthes less, comes nearer being the real people than either of them, and which at pinch could manage to get along if both of them would get off the earth.
 mean just plain folks & mean the class who are ordinary, honest people, making living where they can, and where they can't, going somewhere else.
 They are the despised, bourgeois. They are the objurgated middle class, one of swhom, in the language of the gentleman from out west, I am which q.4
 They don't want to smash the government apd they don't want to own it. They don't march around of evenings and threaten, they don't interfere with the work of other people they don't fill up on home brew and see everything red.
 They mind their own business, stick to one wife, take care of their children, and when they have leisure they go to church or stay lat home and play pinochle, as they may be disposed. sss,s
 The Sunday newspapers and the Paris Her ald are unconscious of their existence
 They are not partisan Tailoring men" and don't call themselves "the workers" yet they work hard every day.
 They are not "capitaiists' and ssexploit- CTS" yet they have some money in the saw ings bank, and are steadily paying off the mortgage on their house.
 They are occupied in minding their own business. They cannot be stampeded, for they have common sense. They cannot be bribed bullied nor scared.
 When the professional agitators and med ding politicians get the country into trouble and the rioters at home or the foreigners be- gin to shoot, they hea7e sigh, lock up the shop, take musket, and go out and lick the disturbers, and then disband and come back home.
 They are not weak, mindless. unpatriotic. unprogressive invertebrates. They are just folks.
 They want to lead their lives as decentiy as they can, get along with their neighbors, keep out of jail, clean the snow off their own front walk, do their duty where they're put, and let the Almighty run the universe to suit Himself.
 When the trust is fined it takes it out of these people. When the labor unions are sii1- happy they strike, and make these people suf- fer and pay the bills. Every special class robs them, gouges them, and sneers at them Meanwhile, they go ahead doing nine-tenths of the business, supporting the schools and keeping alive what little religion we have left.
 Some day they, too, possibly may organlze ! and declare to all the various classes lead CTS. thinkers, reformers and superior folk: "You got to quit kickin' my dog aroun' !"