People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1896 — CREATOR OR CREATED. [ARTICLE]

CREATOR OR CREATED.

WHO 13 RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HUNGER AND IDLENESS. Is tkt Cnm« of Bmnn «r Dlittl Origin —Pr*«»t«r* Doth from Hugo*, (Told •r Kx»Mir« la a Country F-iiwilaf Cnllmltod Waaltk b Mardor. From the St. Louis Evening Journal. Presidents, senators, high muck-a-mucks in the social and political world from home and abroad, including Scrofulous heiress huntres from run-down estates in Europe, and upstart politicians recently promoted from the gutter to the Judiciary for devoted sycophantcy to the vested interests —these and others of their ilk are now interviewed and held up to public view by the daily papers, and their every remark reported and every action noted so assiduously that the millions —that is the every day fellows like you and me have almost forgotten that we exist. We see the members of the official and social ring quoted so often that we have come to think that they are the country, the people, and when they say “we” or “us” or “our," we common people get confused and think we are in it. They do the talking, for they own the sources of information. We the millions, have no organa and are dumb. So when when they are having a good time the country is prosperous, when they gorge themselves God is good, when they get into a senseless quarrel with she same breed across the water our country must prepare for war and when one of their youngsters has the stomach ache bad weather is prophesied. But we, the people who have been left out ip the cold have a mouth-piece now in the Daily Journal, and we are going to speak through it and be interviewed ourselves. Those of us who have sorrows . are going to tell how we think they came upon us and give any advice we wish, to others in danger of ills that may be prevented. A Journal man met an old soldier coming out of the postoffice yesterday and as he did not claim the title of colonel interviewed him.

“Have I got anything to say to the public?” he ejaculated In answer to the first inquiry. "I should think I have. I have enough to say that if the pee* pie would listen to me and had hearts instead of grisley blood pumps they would rise against their present rulers before tomorrow. “I went to the war as a healthy smart young man, from a pleasant home and even left my sweetheart, to give my life to save my country. I generously laid my all on the altar of patriotism and when I returned home wounded and only a wreck of a man I found that the country L thought I was saving had been captured in the rear by a band of scheming traitors headed by John Sherman. I worked hard to make a living but because I would not become a partner to the rascals who looted the public treasury to enrich national banks, I was refused a pension. “Last year my only daughter who all her life has been devoted to me and nursed me like an angel through every illness and who used to sit up nights to make me delicacies —she was forced to work in a factory on Washington avenue. The boss’ son took a liking to her and I don’t blame him for she was the loveliest creature you ever laid eyes on. He told her how pretty she was and she was fooled into thinking he was going to marry her. He came to our house many times, and I knew he meant to marry her. I knew he was a good-intentioned fellow and generous, but his grisly old dad said he would disinherit him if he did. My daughter used to tell me with her arms around my neck all the things she was going to do for me when she married Fred. But one day she came home as pale as death. She said she was sick. I knew she was sick in her mind and got her to tell me that her sheewheart was not going to marry her. I thought this was all, poor child, but one week later she did not return one night, and told me in a note that she was not worthy to live with me any more, and that I would never see her again. The poor youngster, I have been looking for her ever since, but she is gone, I am afraid, forever. I would not condemn her —I would forgive her—l would forgive even the young man. Both are angels beside the prostitute editors and preachers who uphold a system of society that makes Christian marriage impossible, and sells the love of both man and woman for gold. The young man had been sent away by h<s father for fear I would kill him. Nc, 1 wouldn’t hurt him; he was only weak; I know he really loved my girl. But I would toot object to killing a few of the fellows who have made It Impossible for me to get work and support my daughter, and w’ho make social laws against men marrying those they love when poor. I would not object to shouldering my rifle the second time to abolish slavery, this time of sixty instead of four million slaves, whose sons are made drudges or criminals, and whose daughters are regarded as the natural game for the sport of the idle classes. Oh. I just wish they would try to count out the people’s choice for president this year, if the poor people elect him. I would just like to get' one whack at them. Curse their bouls, if they keep on breaking the laws and spitting on the people they will find enough just such brokenhearted, simple-minded fellows of my stripe to make short work of them. No, I ain’t got no more to say and if you publish half I’ve told you you’ve got more spunk than William Lloyd Garrison.” * Muttering a few curses the old Vounded soldier walked away. He gave his blood to save his country—to-day his country denies him the opportunity to earn a living and drives his daughter to “what is Worse than death

Walking Into the postoflw the Jew sal man saw an old woman writing on * postal card, bat after she would write each word she had to stop and wipe the tears from her eyas. She first relented being asked the cause of her sorrow, but after being assured Mis was talking to a friend explained that she had raised a family of three bright boys, but all were now dead, and that although they once owned their own home and store, doing a prosperous business, the millionaire's department store bad caused their failure, and now she and her aged invalid husband were about to be separated and sent to two different charitable housee for the aged. My youngest boy killed himself by overwork trying to make the business go and when he saw we were all going under in spite of his efforts, he lay right down on his bed and died in delirious fever. And to think after losing all our children and working hard all our lives we must now be separated In our old age and be sent to different institutions among strangers—! Oh! My God it is too much! I wish I were dead too!”

When asked if she thought God was to blame for her misfortune dhe answered: “Oh, no; He made the world big enough and ridh enough for all.” “Then why is this world filled with so much pain and wretchedness?” continued her interrogator. “I don't know,” she sobbed. “Is it not all the fault of those who monopolize the world and deny the poor the right to earn their living?” The poor woman looked up In blank amazement She had been their in a Church led by Pharisees, who had never suggested that God’s Kingdom was possible on this earth, or that the present hell Is the result of social and political crimes, and so she only shook her old aching head—she could not understand. The idea that the benefit of progress and Invention belonged to all alike, and that every man, woman and child in the world might enjoy an abundance of all the good things of life had never occurred to her. The poor thing had erifed, “Oh, my God!” In her misery, never realizing that God had given her a world of unlimited beauty and delight, which had forcibly been taken from her by the ruling classes; that theee people waste enough in one brutal feast to save the lives of a hundred hungry women and children; that single families squander in useless ostentation weekly what would give comfort, peace and plenty to a neighborhood and that these things are crimes for which the pereptrators must not only answer to heaven but for which they shall very soon have to answer to an enraged and determined people. -t,„ The victims of social Injustice will be interviewed from time to time by the Journal man and their suggestions published how existing social cannibalism,,can be gbplished, how each individual can be -most useful in quenching thi? flames of our earthly hell and overcoming the two-legged devils who now poison the, stream of human life.