ON THE STREET CORNER.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 14, 9 June 1911, Page 14

ON THE STREET CORNER.

TRTJE BILL, ANYHOW.

In Upton Sinclair's book, " The Metropolis," there is a tragic pen-picture of a "soap-box" Socialist, who fiercely cries : " They force you to build palaces, and then they put you in tenements ! They force you to spin fine raiment and then they dress yon in rags ! They force yoii to build jails, and then they lock you up in them ! They force you to make guns, and then they shoot you with them ! They own the political parties, and they name the candidates, and trick you into voting for them —and they call it law 1 They herd you in armies and send you to shoot your brothers —and they call it order ! They take a piece of coloured rag and call it the flag and teach you to let your-

self bo, shot—and they call it patriotism t • Pirst, last, and all the time, you do the work and they get the benefit—they, the masters and owners, and you—fools— fools — fools !"

The man's voice had mounted to a scream, and ho flung his hands into the air and broke into jeering laughter.