The people's voice., 1940-02-14
PACK ASSES
BY BEN BUCKLEY

The big interests, the self possessed
cowboys who think of themselves as
the breakers of man, have succeeded
in the past at their chosen work,
which can't be denied. They haven't
only got man broke, but have also
got him trained so he will lay down
so Capital won't have any trouble
getting on top of him. But the spawn
of Capital is getting so heavy that 1t
is getting to the place where the
beast of burden has to struggle and
founder around madly in order to
raise himself out of the mire with the
load he has to carry. | have heard
rumors that some of these damn pack
asses are getting mean and even at
times refuse to get up, no matter how
much they are whipped or spurred
by Capital propaganda. They have
even been offered food in the form of
beans and prunes. Yes, in one place
they put apples and flour in front
of them, but they would just reach
out their long scrawny neck and grab
bite before it was snatched away,
and continue to lay there and groan.
They must be of the mustang breed.
The more you starve them and the
heavier you load them the meaner
they get, and when you start to beat
on them they are just as apt as not
to reach around and take a bite out
of your leg.
Now you take this blue blooded
stock and get them down.. They just
sort of lay there and whine like a sick
puppy and roll their eyes up at you
kind of pitiful like, begging to be
unloaded so they can get up and run
and play and frolic around 1t just
does your heart good to see one of
them get up after he has been burd-
ened down for a while. He is so
full of gladness and joy that he just
romps from coast to coast and from
one watering place to another, taking
a sup here and sup there. Some
times you think sure that he will
founder himself. And rum You've
never seen anything like it. He just
goes so fast he throws mud all over
those little mustangs that are trudg-
ing along hoping to reach a browsing
place before dark.
Probably the best grade of pack |
asses the big interests have is the |
little business man. l don't know why |
it is unless it was the way he was |
broke But all you have to do is to |
promise him things and he will do the |
masters bidding no matter what. |
After being packed all day with |
heavy load he will make short trips !
here and there with parcels of prop
aganda and attempt to bite and kick
the rest of the pack asses into line.
I don't know why he does it except |
that | heard one time that he expects |
to turn into one of those blue blOoded
animals that doesn't have to carry
load of any kind, with nothing to do :
but romp in the sunshine and fill their
bellies on the choicest folders. But
l think if l was one of those small
merchants l would be little sceptical (
of miracle happenings.
Of course big business tells us that
all we need to settle these economic
waters is faith Faith in our masters
and the fish will be cast right up
on the shore and all you have to do
is get basket or box and pick them
up Of course they may be right, be-
cause l was taught a long time ago
when / was small boy that faith
would move mountain, but l tried 1t
one time when l had to walk four
or five miles after the milch cows and
nothing happened. And l have noticed
since that it takes earthquakes, vol :
canoes or some great force to do the (
trick. But L did hear a story one ,
time of miracle. l don't know how {
true it is. This is the way it was {
told to me. An Irishwoman was walk {
ing down the street with jug under I
her arm when she was stopped by a t
dry enforcement officer. She was G
asked what was in the jug. Holy
water" said the good woman. The
officer took the jug, pulled the cork c