The Peoples Voice. (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 20, Ed. 1 Friday, December 13, 1895 Page: 1 of 10
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Hiroki the law «hi written down with
purchiueut or with |*u:
Before the law made citimiii. the mural
law made rami.
Law Htaudafor human rights, but when
it fuiltrhott* right* to give.
Theu let law die my brother, but let hu-
man being* live.
mt♦
■'Our Republic can only exist
so Long as its citizens rus|>ei't
andobey llieir self imposed laws."
Labor Ts The Parent Of Capital, Encourage Labor, and You Build Up Capital
VOL 4.
NORMAN, CLEVELAND COUNTY OKLAHOMA. FRIDAY. DECEMBER, 13, 1895.
NO 20.
The Editor of "The Arena"
cusses Mr. Call's Book in
Striking Paper Dealing
with Fundamen-
tal Evils of the
Hour.
Dis-
a
Plutocracy the Product of *| eclal Privilege—
The Fallacy of the Survival of the Fittest
Theory when Applied to Social Conditions—
The well-spring* of Colossal Fortunes found
In Privilege* Obtained through (1) Inheri-
herttanee; (2) Monojjoly In Land; (3) Monop-
oly in Money; (4) Monopoly In Transporta-
tion; (5) Monopoly in Com modi ties, or Cor-
porate Control of Industry—The Plea of Priv-
ilege—The Fruit of Privilege—The I.aw of
Freedom—A Critical Examination of the
Main Factors in the Production of Plutocrat
and Proletariat—The New Republic.
(Continued Frrom l<ast Week.)
It there is anything which an ar-
rogant plutocracy fears it is a com
plete unmasking of the real causes
which are forcing millions to lives
of hopeless drudgery in a land of
marvelous wealth, when under just
conditions every man and woman
who chose to work might soon be-
come the owner of a home, and
gain a position where age would not
have terrors from possible want,and
where the children who came into
the home would be properly edu
cated, and would also be able to
enter active life with a more pleas-
ing prospect before them than hope-
less servitude and perhaps a home-
less old age. When the truth that
the misery which tens of thousands
of industrious people suffer and the
ever present dread which haunts
millions of lives are due to mon-
strous crimes which are entrenched
behind partial and cruel pateinalis
tic laws, and the the refusal on the
part of society to accept the great
basic truth that the earth belongs to
the people, and not to a few people
when the slow thinking masses who
for so many weary ages have al-
lowed themselves to be hoodwinked
by the tools of the privileged classes,
awaken to the truth that by uniting
at the ballot they can change the
current of affairs, and in so changing
may bring about, not nihilism
ruin, but a bloodless and glorious
revolution which shall help humani
ty upward as well as onward, and
radiate the sunshine of happiness
over a heart-heavy world—then will
dawn the hour of humanity's most
splendid triumph; the hour which
shall entitle man to be called a ra-
ional being.
To-day while the toilers of the
world are engaged in a desperate
struggle for "a precarious subsis-
tence, they see around them the lav-
ish wealth and idle splendor of the
rich;" a spectacle which alone, if
•they would but stop and think,would
effectively set at naught all our fine-
spun fallacies and explanations of
the minions of plutocracy. They
would also perceive that while "their
own desperate exertions furnish
them only a scanty living," the fa-
vored classes are "vying with each
other in a mad race to spend their
hoards for vulgar display and for
every luxury and indulgence known
to man," while, furthermore, their
fortunes, despite the reckless waste
of unearned wealth," are growing
from year to year. No comparison
can be made between the condition
of the poor and that of the million-
airejimagination can scarcely bridge
over the distance between them. Yet
in this new world the millionaire is
of recent origin."
"When it is considered that less
than thirty thousand men already
own half the entire wealth of this
country of some sixty million inhab-
itants, and that the number and
wealth of the enormously rich is fast
increasing, the poverty uf the masses
may be accounted for. The poor
pressure of population upon subsis-
tence; the world is large enough bui
it is appropriated and witheld from
use." Yet even under such manifest-
ly unjust conditions, when so little
of the appropriated earth is actively
employed, wealth is created in abun-
dance, 'jut the distribution of this
wealth makes the millionaire and
the proletariat. He next empha-
sises the fact that "The rich are ex-
lile arithmetic, one half the nation's
wealth or labor's gains being given
to thirty thousand men, there re-
mains but one half to divide among
the sixty million others. It is also
the law of organic life; if the vitali-
ty be absorbed to plethora by one
part of the body, all other parts
must be enfeebled thereby."
"It is not, then, because the world
is too small or too niggard, it is not
because nature refuses to yield to
man's labor enough wealth for all
his needs, that the many poor are
living in misery and dying of want."
Mr. Call clearly establishes the
important fact that the "oppressed
condition of labor is not due to any
and the rich live in the same world;
and, however enormous may be the
possessions of the one, or meagre
Why Kettre the Oreenbacks.
The retirement of the greenbacks
and treasury notes, aggregating in
round numbers, $500,000,000, will be
a radical change in our financial
system. There is only one reason
for destroying the legal tender paper
in circulation and that is founded on
a naked falsehood. The reason as-
signed is the false assertion that
greenbacks and treasury notes are
gold obligations, and that the hol-
ders of such paper can deman4fold
in redemption. Thi* it absolutely
false. Both the greenbacks and the
treasury notes are by express pro
vision of law redeemable in either
gold or silver coin, and the govern-
ment has an abundance of silver, by
executing the law and coining the
silver on hand, to meet all the treas-
ury notes and greenbacks that will
be presented for redemption without
the use of gold for that purpose.
The advocates of the retirement of
the legal tender paper in circulation
have not fully taken the public into
their confidence and told them what
der treasury notes which were re
ceivable for all public dues, and
they have always been un a par
with coin. United States hjnk notes
remained on a par with coin so long
as they would pay government dues;
but whenever the slightest discrimi-
nation is made against banknotes or
government paper in the payment
of government dues, such notes or
paper invariably depreciates and
must necessarily be of less value
than money that will pay all govern
ment dues. The scheme to retire
the greenbacks and treasury notes
is a part of the Rothschilds program
to force down prices and multiply
bankruptcies, and brand the people
of this country as the vassals of an
alien gold trust. Who ever proposes
such a scheme is either knowingly
or ignorantly the tool of speculators
and gold gamblers, and any official
who knowingly lends himself to such
a nefarious scheme deserves and
will receive the condemnation of all
honest men.—Silver Knight.
the scant earnings of the other,these ; if anything, they would substitute
are alike drawn from the same fund; f0r the ...oney which they propose !
labor exerted upon the soil or upon 1 to retire. If they should substitute
the products of the soil is the source t)lt. National bank notes redeemable
of all wealth. If, then, the few have in coin, the banks would be <
If our present financial standard
is maintained China anil Japan will
supply this country with all kinds of
manufactuted articles. Those conn
tiies are on a lu-metallic basis and
Action of tii«> Comity Kqiiulixu
tion Huitrd.
the individuals in Lexington town-
ship who are anxious to know, why
I'he Board of County Commis- j their assessments have been raised
sioners of Cleveland county met on , by the county equalization board
June 3rd, pursuant to provisions of and there is not a man in the town-
statutes present and presiding L. P. j ship that can justly complain at the
Darker Chairman and \V H. Black- action of the county board. If any
individuals' taxes in Lexington
members of the
Wynne; County
such disproportionate share, there
must be little left for the many. Just
in proportion as the rich grow rela-
tively richer must the poor grow rel
atively poorer. When we see the
millionaire heaping up his hundreds
of millions in the course of a life-
time, we may and must expect to see
labor getting less than its share, and
poverty increasing; and this is borne
out by the actual facts; in large cen-
tres where millionaires most abound,
the squalor and poverty of the poor
is most general and most extreme.
This is, indeed, but the law of sim-
empt from any struggle for existence
like that of a poor man." and that it
is by exemption from that struggle
and through enjoyment of privileges
that the colossal fortunes are ac-
quired.
PLUTOCRACY THE PRODUCT OF PR
LEGE.
He observes that a great number
of the great fortunes descends to
their owners by inheritance.
"These inherited fortunes grow
without effort or exertion of the own
ners, by interest, by rent and by pro-
fits upon capital. The many who
are disinherited must have the use
of his wealth and they have
recourse but to go to these owners
for that privilege; their necessity
compels them to pay the price asked
whether this be interest for the use
of money, rent for the use of lands,
or selling their labor at such prices
as to yield capital the great profits
of industry. Can it be wondered at
then, that the owners of this world's
wealth, to whom it is parcelled out
by laws of inheritance, continue to
grow richer, standing as they do on
the very threshold of life and dictat-
ing to the world of labor the terms
upon which it shall live? Thus it is
that these inherited fortunes grow
from age to age, and will continue to
do so, until, by the inexorable log-
ic of the present system, the world
becomes altogether, as it even now
almost is, the world of the rich. In-
heritance is thus a privilege, in that
those who take under it do so with-
out engaging in any struggle for ex-
istence, or even for their hoards,
which are vastly in excess of the
amount required for their subsis-
tence. It is, furthermore, a privi-
lege, in that the fortunes so acquired
grow of their own accord, without
struggle or exertion on the part of
the owners, by the mastery which
the monopoly of the world gives.
Many more of these fortunes are
acquired by the monopoly of land.
The poor who invests in the mere
equities of land during seasons of
speculation, or who endeavor to own
their homes under mortgage, may
conclude when they lose these by
foreclosure, that land ownership is
not desirable; and the conclusion of
both may be true when thev are
compelled to pay interest at present
rates upon the mortgages.
(Continued Next Week)
pellcd to furnish the coin which
js the money they receive in this coun
now furnished by the government;
try for their war
and me chamlisc
and, if the gold standard is main-1is convertible into twice as much
tained the bank will be compelled to j mone> it is taken back
furnish gold. It must be borne in those coun<r'es. In other words an
mind that the demand for gold to i artlcle of ^h "<=se or Japanese man-
pay interest upon debts owed in 1 ufaclure that sells for #1.00 in gold
Europe, would not be diminished by ,n thls C(,u"tr>' ma>' be wurth *'-5°
the retirement of the greenbacks. | ^those coun,ries and yet t)e s ld
On the contrary if the 3 per cent
bonds should be floated, the interest
on $500,000,000 would be #15,000,-
000 annually. By what means would
the gold be obtained to meet our
gold obligations to Europe which,on
the lowest estimate is over #350,000,-
000 annually and constantly increas-
ing. Each year the government and
the people of the United States bor- our moneJ'- 1 he monetary
row from #350,000,000, to #400,000,- of Japan is the secret of
this country at a handsome profit
for #1.00 for the reason that our
gold dollar is worth about #2.00
when it reaches those countries.
I'he Japanese are now selling the fi
nest parlor matches in San Francis-
co at five boxes for one cent of our
money. When that cent goes back
to Japan it is worth about two cents
The monetary sys
that
000 to pay interest
money, together with the money ex-
pended for dividends, carrying trade
and excursionists. Tne only means
that the people of the United States
have of obtaining gold in addition
to what is produced in this country
is by the sale of our commodities
abroad; but the United States is un-
able to sell enough at gold prices to
pay current expenses. The deficit
is from #250,000,000 to #400,000,-
000 a year as stated above, and that
deficit will exist whether the green-
backs are retired or not. If they are
retired there will be #500.000,000
more added to our debt, which will
probably be mostly held abroad.
How will the banks obtain gold with
which to redeem their circulation?
And in case of failure of redemption
how will the United States which un-
der the National banking system
guarantees the redemption, obtain
gold for that purpose? We have
already shown that it cannot be done
by the sale of products under the
gold standard. It seems clear that
there is but one other mode open,
and that is a continuous issuance of
interest bearing bonds; in othei
words, an interminable increase of
the national debt. Besides, if S500,-
000.000 of circulation be retired it
would produce ruinous contraction
and a tremendous fall of prices. It is
not at all probable that the banks,
if they had the privilege of doing
so, would take up as much as S500,-
000,000, or any considerable part of
it, for the requirement, which would
be made of them to redeem their
currency in gold, would deter sol-
vent institutions from undertaking
to issue currency. It has been sug-
gested that the government should
require the payment of custom dues
in gold. If this were done gold
would necessarily go to a premium
over all other kinds of money in the
United States, because it would be
preferred to all other kinds of mon-
ey. No kind of money has ever re-
mained at par with coin which
would not pay all government dues.
The government has issued from
time to time continuously legal ten-
borrowed : countr) 's rapid strides in civilization
which it has made within the past
quarter of a century. I'he monetary
system of this country is causing it
to drift back towards barbarism. If
we adhere to our present monetary
system much longer some civlliza
tion like Japan, China or India will
discover this country, inhabited by
barbarians, living in much the same
condition as the North American
Indians at the time of the discovery
of this country by Columbus. This
may seem a rediculous assertion by
some; but neverless it is the logical
sequence of our present monetary
system; Money is the great factor
in civilization; destroy it and civili-
zation will languish and die. His-
tory ever points to the fact that an
abundance of money has produced
an advancing civilization in the
country enjoying it, also, that a gold
standard has wrecked every nation
that adhered to it for any great
length of time.
The indications are that the pres-
ent congress will take no affirmative
steps. They fear that if they should
take a stand anywhere that it would
injure the chances of the Republi-
can party in 1896. This is a cow
ardly course for a party to pursue;
but in the past the people have ap-
proved of it. In the future we doubt
very much if this course will meet
with favor. The experience of the
past has taught the people many
new lessons and one of them is
that a party that relies for success
on the failure of some other party,
rather than on any well defined pol-
icy of its own, is not to be trusted.
Senator Hill's lecturing tour in the
west made him sick. Four lectures
was all he delivered. He found the
people in the west so sick of Hill
that they even refused to turn out
and listen to him. Since Hill's visit
west it is said that the New York
senator has concluded that he will
not be a candidate for the Presiden-
well, J. W. Stow,
board, and I). B
Clerk.
In the matter of the
of assessors returns f
■ 895:
It is this day ordered that all
deeded lands in Lexington township
be raised 47 percent to place it upon
an equal valuation with Liberty
township and that deeded lands in
Noble township be raised 32 per
cent to place it upon an equal valua-
tion with Norman township, not
within one mile of the corporate
limits of the city of Norman.
It is this day ordered that all
horses in Lexington city be raised
50 per cent making it on an equal
valuation with Norman city: that
horses in Lexington township be
raised 40 per cent; Case township 15
per cent; Norman township 5 | er
cent, making tlichi on an average
with Moore township. 1 hat horses
in Canadian township be raised 30
per cent making it equal with Little
River township. It is also ordered
that mules in Lexington township be
raised 40 per cent making it equal
with Case township.
It is further ordered that all cattle
in Lexington township be raised 50
per cent; Canadian township 20 per
cent; Moore township be raised 15
per cent, bringing them on an aver-
age with Case township.
Above we give the proceedings of
the county equalization _,oard in
the matter of equalizing the assess-
ments between the different town-
ships of this county. It will be seen
from the above actions of the coun
ty equalization board that the as-
sessment in Lexington township, al-
though the best township in the
county, was lower than nearly every
other township in the county. Land
and stock of all kinds were assessed
lower and in order that Lexington
township should bear its proper pro-
rata share of the taxes of this coun-
ty the commissioners were forced to
raise the assessment of Lexington
township. From the fact that the
individuals in Lexington township
were not assessed alike and that the
Lexington township equalization
board did not equalize
between the different assessments in
the township, made the equalization
of the county board fall heavy on
those individuals in Lexington town
ship who had their property assessed
high, (according to their neighbor's
assessment.) The county board
could not equalize between individ-
uals, in the various townships. They
could only equalize between the va-
rious townships. As equalized by
the county board Lexington town-
ship is paying on land the same as
Liberty township. The same on cat-
tle as Case township, the same on
horses as Moore township. The
same on mules as Case township and
horses in the city of Lexington
the same as horses in the city of
Norman. The individual rate of tax-
ation in these various townships may
be vastly different on the above
enumerated property; but this arises
from the fact that the township as-
sessor did not have his assessment
rolls show that liKe property belong-
ing to different individuals was as-
sessed in like manner, some having
their property assessed much higher
than their neighbor. It was the duty
of the township board to have equal-
ized the township assessment before
the same was turned into the county
and having failed to do so, or to
have done it unjustly, is an error
that the county board is powerless
to rectify. Had the county board
failed to have equalized justly be-
tween the various townships they
would have failed to have discharg-
township are unjust when compared
with his neighbors' the fault lies with
]ualization : "le township equalization board and
the year l'ie individuals who are diligently
trying to lay the blame on the coun-
ty board are doing it either through
ignorance or political motives. I'he
majority of the people in Lexington
township are intelligent men and will
be a le to discover where the blame
attaches and the political shyster
that seeks to deceive them will soon-
i er or later be discovered and re
warded.
Ex-Congressman Tillman sees
evidence of a coming revolution and
believes that a bloody conflict is 'he
only possible outcome. He regards
such a contest inevitable and believes
it will not belong delayed. He says:
"Our people are desperate; we are
approaching a war between the rich
anil the poor, and I look for lots of
throat culling between now and lyoo
i he mil ionaires have opposed the
masses until the latter are like
squeezed lemons. I hey are unable
to educate their children, to travel
and improve their minds or to read
books; papers and magazines. They
merely make a living, and a scant
one at that. '1 he millionaires buy
up half the masses and put arms in
their hands with which to intimi-
date the other half, and thus keep
them all in subjugation. The time
is coming when these people will
rise in a bloody conflict. I look for
it during the next presidential elec-
tion or one after that. All the writ-
ers on our government unite in de-
claring that if this government ever
goes to pieces, it will be during a
presidential election, in a conflict
over the spoils of office. Calhoun
told the truth when he said that the
tendency of republics was toward
despotism, never toward aristocra-
cies. So firmly do I believe that
this revolution is coming that I am
already prepared for it. I have
three sons and to that end I am giv-
ing them all a military education, so
that when the throat cutting comes
they will not be high privates in the
rear ranks."
Miss It nice assisted by her pupils and friends
will give a Musical at the parlors of Miss Cor-
rette (next door to Mr. Mttyileld's Drug store)
on Saturday, Dec,, 14th, at 7:30 p. m.
The program Is as follows:
Trio—"Forest Dale Waltz" ((tollman.)
Misses Annie MaCartey, Lillie Miller and Jes-
sie Witte.
Solo—"Waves of Ocean." Miss Maud Wingate.
buct—iCheat nut St. Polka." Miss Blanche Mor-
gan and Mies /truce.
Highland March, (Kosewtg). . Miss Blanche
Martin.
Vocal Duet—"Larboard Watch" (T. Williams)
Mrs. McDantel and Miss Bruce.
Instrumental .Solo Mrs. l^atim Cole,
Recitation , Mr. Harts.
Reception Grand March, (Crlppen) Miss Annie
MaCartey.
Cornet Solo W. L. Ropp.
Trio—Parlor (Jems, No. 1, (streebbog)
Misses Pearl Wingate, Oinie Noble and Ollio •
Briggs.
Vocal Solo Rev. S. K.Henry.
"Fontatsie Impromptu" (Chopin) Miss Bruce
Duet—"Blackberry Mayurbra" (Cannon)
Misses Maud Wingate and Ella Davidson.
"Twilight Whispers" (Giebel).. ..Agnes Moore.
Song Opal Hoot;,
Selection from ruins of Athens [Bethoven]
Mrs. McDaniels and Miss Bruce.
Violin Solo .John Ethel,
Male Quartet—J. II. Ware, C. W. Brewer N,
Poole and Mr. Harts.
All are inviled. Aduil&sion free.
In ti
cy next year; but is inclined to: ed their'duty properly and could
think Cleveland should be the Dem- 'justly have been censured for the
ocratic nominee. same. The above will explain to
ordance with a challenge sent to the
University by the State Normal at Edmond foe
an oratorical contest to be held at Guthrie.
Dec., 27, the Oratorical Association of the Uni-
versity, assisted by the musical department
will hold a preliminary contest in the Univei-
slty Chapel, Friday evening, Dec., 20; and the
winner in the local contest will represent the
University in the Stale contest at Guthrie, iti
which the three territorial institutions are to
participate.
Great enthusiasm is being manifested on
part of the students, and the local contest prom-
ises to be a most interesting one. Arrange-
ments are being made whereby a special cav
will be provided for "our orator" and delega-
tion to Guthrie the 27th. Kvcry one should
help to swell the throng at the contest Friday
evening the 20th, learn the University yell,
don the University colors ami make arrange-
ments to accompany the delegation to Guth.
l ie to support the University Champion.
He rlck-et-y whoop-te-doo.
Ter-ah-ga-hoo
Hollow -ba-loo
Uni I'ni lui U,
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Allan, John S. The Peoples Voice. (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 20, Ed. 1 Friday, December 13, 1895, newspaper, December 13, 1895; Norman, Oklahoma Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc116789/m1/1/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.