Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 12, 1899 Page: 9 of 16
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January IS, 18M.
' „ ..1
tie. However, the time has arrived
when the party should occupy ad vane-
ed economic ground and take an ad-
vanced position on questions pressing
for solution. In addition to the abolit-
ion of the money trust, we should de-
mand the abolishment of all other
trusts and monopolies, or else their
nationalization by the general govern-
ments is better that the people should
own the trusts than that the trusts
should own the people. This Is the
real issue between the people and plu-
tocracy.
THB SOUTHERN MERCURY.
KOCIAIiISM TIIE ONLY DEMOCRACY:
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Democracy means a condition In
which the people rule. The majority
of the voters claim that their respec-
tive parties stand for this condition,
but such statements are prompted by
ignorance and lack of reflection. That
is not a democracy in which a portion
of the people rule, and others are es -
sentially deprived of any voice or in-
fluence in public aflairs. A pure dem-
ocracy ^would be that in which every
man might participate equally, an im-
possibility, since men's abilities are
so unequal. The utmost we can hope
for is a condition in which each man
shall have an equal voice and exert an
influence according as his intellectual
faculties are used for the public good.
Still the difference will not be so great
as might appear at first glance, as men
who are incapable of originating an
idea can readily comprehend and en-
dorse that idea when presented to
them.
AH that is required to establish such
a democracy is education and the ap-
plication .f )rdma *y eviry da* com-
mon sense. That which is known in
these days as political genius need not
apply. If democracy is to be desired; if
self government in its most perfect
form is the true theory of national
and communal life, then every bar
that restricts the exercise, by the cit-
izen, of these so-claimed natural
rights must be removed.
I am discussing these questions
from the standpoint of one who believ-
es in democracy, and who Relieves
that the human race has made tremen-
dous strides in that direction, they
are still a long way from the goal.
What, then, are the barriers that re-
strict the citizen in the exercise of his
natural rights? My readers will have
-no difficulty in replying 'the unequal
and unjust distribution of wealth.' The
miner, the factory hand and the rail-
road employee are periodically remind-
ed that their opportunity to earn a liv-
ing depends upon their voting for their
employers' interests. Socialism aays
that every man has a natural right, not
only to life, but an opportunity, by the
application of his labor, to obtain
those things thrft support life, and that
the classes above referred to are po-
litical slaves, deprived of an independ-
ent voice and Influence—an inalienable
right—in their own government. So-
cialism says: this country is capable
of producing all the comforts and nec-
essaries of life for every individual in
it; justice demands that every individu-
al be allowed an equal opportunity in
Nature's storehouse to obtain them.
Achieve this condition, destroy indus-
trial Independence and we are on the
it road to political independence,
words, industrial lndepena-
dependence and equality—the neces-
sary conditions to democracy. To a-
chieve this end we demand the public
ownership of the means of production
and distribution as the only means of
obliterating the enormous inequality
between individual possessions. Just
so long as the possessions of one ex-
ceedes those of his less fortunate fel-
low by millions, just so long will the
weakness and frailty of human nature
be exposed to temptation, for the sale
and transfer of industrial and political
rights. The Master himself recognized
this frailty when he oxhorted his fol-
lowers to pray to be "delivered from
temptation," and the earnest Christian
would do well to consider an economic •
proposition that offers to remove at
least 90 per cent of the possibilities of
temptation and the causes of vice and
crime.
Other barriers to democracy may he
found in ignorance and prejudice, but
these are necessary accompaniments of
the concentration of wealth, and act-
ion can only be exerted in connection
with industrial and political independ-
ence. The laborer, who to-day would
publicly espouse the cause of human
rights and raise his voice in their be-
half, quickly finds himself exposed to
hardships and privations; confronted
with the blacklist and loss of position.
Socialism would give to every Indus-
trious citizen an equal share In the
comforts and necessaries of life. The
very utmost that any representative of
our present system can offer is better
wages ,a term in itself implying sevi-
tude; and what has resulted from their
performances is simply precarious em-
ployment at continually diminishing
wages. The fact is that the politicians,
however sincere they might be on be-
half of labor, are helpless, since the
-employer expects a profit from the
wages he pays; and failing in this la-
bor is unemployed and the production
cf wealth ceases. Under socialism,
the production of wealth would'go sys-
tematically and steadily forward until
the pubic needs, not the capitalists de-
mand for cent per cent, were satisfied.
Then the leisure time could be devoted
to the enjoyment by of all the treas-
ures of art, science, which are now
reserved for a fortunate few, resulting
in the corresponding elevation of the
whole people and the perfect obliter-
ation of classes, compelling each Indi-
vidual to stand upon his own merits,
and distributing the highest honors
and rewards on those who had per-
formed the greatest service to the puD-
lic good. This is socialism and democ-
racy. —W. Roper.
THE GREAT TEXAS CZAR.
"THAT TERROR of MOTHERS."
How it- was overcome by a
Nova Scotian mother
Who is well known as an author.
Of all the evils that attack children
scarcely any other is more dreaded than
•roup. It to often comes in the night.
The danger is ao grest. The climax \s so
sudden. It is no wonder that Mrs.
Dickson (better known under her p
name of " Stsnford Bveleth,") calls it" the
terror of mothers." Nor is it any wonder
that she writes in terms of praise and
gratitude for the relief whlcn she has
found both from her own anxieties, and
lor her children's ailments, in Dr. J. C.
Ayer's Cherry Pectoral.
44 Memory does not recall the time when
Or. Ayer's Cherry Pectoral was not used la
our family, for throat and lung troubles.
That terror of mothers—the startling,
eroupy cough—never alarmed me, so long
as I had a bottle of Ayer's Cherry Peetoral
In the house to supplement the hot-water
hath. When suffering with whooping
cough, In its worst form, and articulation
was Impossible on account of the choking,
ay children would point and gesticulate
toward the bottle; for experience had
taught them that relief was in its con.
tents."—Mrs. W. J. Dickson ("Stsnford
Bveleth"). author of " Romance of the
Provinces." Truro, N. S.
C. J. Wooldrldge, Wortham, Tex* •/rites i
"One of my children had croup. One
night I was startled by the child's hard
breathing, and on going to it found it
strangling. It had nearly ceased to breathe.
Having a part of a bottle of Dr. Ayer's
Cherry Pectoral in the house. I gsve the
child three doses, at short intervals, end
anxiously waited results. Prom the mo-
ment the Pectorsl wss given the child's
breathing grew easier, and in a short time
It was sleeping quietly and breathing nat-
urally. The calld is alive and well to-day,
and I do not hesltste to ssy that Ayers
Cherry Pectoral saved Its life."—C. J.
Wooldkidox, Wortham. Ten.
These statements make argument la
favor of this remedy unnecessary. It Is
a family medicine that no home should be
without. It is Just as efficacious In brcm*
chitls, asthma, whooping cough, and all
other varieties of coughs, ss itls in
To put it within eve)
To put it within everyone's reach, Dr.
Ayer's Cherry Pectoral is now put up ia
half slse bottles, at half price—$e cents.
Send for Ayer's Curebook (free) and read
of other cures effected by Dr. Ayer's
Cherry Pectoral. Address the J. C. Ayer
Co., I«owell, Mass.
Weyler was a fiend in the disguise
of a ruler, who used his power for his
own selfish ends, regardless of the suf-
ferings of his victims. He had author-
ity accorded him, and used it to per-
secute, starve, kill crush and destroy,
and did it all to fill his pockets with
gold, and was nice enough to do It for
the "honor and glory of Spain." And
the result of his rule was as demoral-
ising and destructive as It was immor-
al and corrupt. AH the war and rapine
and bloodshed tn Cuba and in the war
between the United States and Spain
are directly traceable to And very
properly to be charssd up to Weyler
and Weylerism* Bat, had as Weyler
conditions existing in Cuba with con-
ditions existing in Texas, the Texas
State Journal (Rep.) says:
"This picture is applied to Texas and
her resources, her people and their in-
terests, as manipulated, cajoled, traded
in, speculated upon, huxtered about
and ravished by Jim Hogg would be
true to life. Passing along the high-
way which he has traversed can he
seen the wrecks of platforms and the
decay of politics. No other party will
ever be great enough to shoulder and
be responsible for his policies nor fool-
ish enough to trust their weight on
his rotten platforms. Like a pirate's
craft they were built to destroy legit-
imate commerce, and to fasten dis-
honest lust upon the life-blood of the
people's interests. They were made and
put into execution, not to serve and
honest purposes towards the citizen-
ship, but, instead, to build up a polit-
ical monarchy in this state, the czar
of which was to be and is Jim Hogg."
Much of the above is very true. The
measures fathered by the people and
advocated by ex-Gov. Hogg in the De-
ginning of his political career were
really measures of reform and as such
were accepted by the people of Tex-
as. But subsequent events and the
back tracks taken by ex-Gov. Hogg
on these issues only emphasized his
insincerity and proved that in espous-
ing tlieir enactment into law, he wan
but promoting his own political for-
tunes, subserving his own personal
ends, and attaining a personal popu-
larity which he has since not hesitat-
ed to turn to private account, to make
merchandise of, to be sold to the hign-
est corporate bidder.
The motives which prompt the Mer-
cury's opposition to Col. Hogg are
quite dissimilar to those of the Texas
State Journal. It opposed Col. Hogg
because it knows him to be insincere,
and because it believed thoroughly in
many of the principles enunciated hy
the San Antonio convention, which
nominated Col. Hogg for governor.
That convention declared for a rail-
road commission, with power to reg-
ulate the railroads. It declared against
national banks. It declared against
land monopoly, whether alien or native
to flM;
pie's interests. The friends of reform
in those days believed that the demo-
cratic party was honest in its platform
declarations, and that Col. Hogg was
u veritable apotheosis of reform. That
the Colonel should afterwards com-
pletely disallusion these men and
prove the very antithesis of all that
was said or predicted of him at the
time, was not their fault. They were
the victims of the wiles of an artful
demagogue; and while Col. Hogg has
seen fit to turn his back upon his for-
mer record and professions, the Mer-
cury has broadened its views and now
occupies an advanced economic posit-
ion on the great questions of the day,
understanding that railroad commis-
sions to regulate rates and tariffs are,
at best, but tentative measures and
in character but a cowardly compro-
mise with a great evil, and powerless
to relieve the people in the absence of
some such means as a state Relief
railroad, placed in their hands to give
practical force to their rulings. And
this brings us to the question of state
or government ownership of the rail-
roads as the only feasable solution of
the railroad problem.
The Mercury will not charge Gov.
Hogg with being the political monster
that the Texas State Journal strives to
make him appear; but that his Influ-
ence has retarded the work of reform
in Texas goes without saying. That,
ae a politician, he is perfectly unscru-
pulous is all but too true. That his
only purpose In politics is the enrich-
ment of himself and his close political
cronies, at the people's expense, Is al-
so true. That his methods to subserve
his own personal ends are not above
Just reproach is very true, and that
they merit just censure all unbiased
men will agree. That he Is an incu-
bus that is retarding the material
prosperity and progress of tbe state,
the people of Texas feel to their great
sorrow. That his personality must
continue to be sn Issue until It has
been removed from politics, all men
realize.
St
Many a woman calls another
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Park, Milton. Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 12, 1899, newspaper, January 12, 1899; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth185785/m1/9/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .