The Crime of Caste in Our CountryDavenport, Benjamin Rush
History
The Crime of Caste in Our Country
Davenport, Benjamin Rush
Social problems; United States -- Social conditions -- 1865-1918
Here is a spectacle presented before us by two of the Democratic
newspapers of New York City--the stronghold of Democracy in the Union
is New York City--one arrayed on the side of Protection and against a
graded income tax, the other, of equal prominence and position, arrayed
on the side of Free Trade and a graded income tax. Now, let the members
of the Democratic party view this picture presented to the “Common
People” of America, and ask themselves: For what did the people vote
November 8, 1892? Did they vote with the New York _Sun_ when they voted
for Grover Cleveland, or did they vote with the New York _World_ when
they cast their ballots for the President-elect? Common-sense, common
reason, would indicate to the most superficial that they voted neither
with the New York _Sun_ nor the New York _World_, nor the Democratic
party.
This is not a victory of the Democratic party! And it cannot be said
too forcefully that this victory _does not belong_ to the Democratic
party! It is a VICTORY OF THE PEOPLE, who demanded a suppression and
an extinguishing of the wrongs that had been inflicted upon them. They
voted out West with the Populist party on the same basis as they voted
with the Democratic party in the East and South. It was anything--call
it by what name you please--so that that thing, when elected, should be
a party of the people.
Don’t insist upon a revivification of the doctrines of the Democratic
party. The people have spoken for themselves, and their voices must
be heard through the representatives selected by them in the halls of
Congress. During the next four years, Grover Cleveland must execute
the WILL OF THE PEOPLE. He has been elected by no party. The Populists
will be his “natural allies,” because they represent the People, as
he does. He need not remain “at sea without a chart” one day or hour,
only follow the will of the people! They have placed their heels of
disapprobation upon “caste” and sham aristocracy and the attempt to
engraft it upon American society. They have placed the nail erect and
have given Grover Cleveland the hammer. Now let him drive it home!
And we will stud the coffin of dead “caste” so full of nails that the
shaking skeleton, borrowed from Europe, will never have a resurrection
in our country. There is only one effectual way to accomplish the end
desired--the eternal entombment of this multi-lived creature--and
that is by the infliction of such an income tax as will prevent the
possibility of the existence of a thing like “Chappie” on Broadway,
and make America an undesirable field for the coroneted sportsmen of
Europe to hunt in for matrimonial game, and prevent the accumulation of
fortunes that would arouse a feeling of cupidity in the weazen chests
of the puppified lords and degenerate descendants of Europe’s nobility,
whose greatest pride is in the “Bar Sinister” in their armorial
bearings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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