When this wretched custom was first inaugurated a bitter wail ascended from the ranks of the laboring classes, for they well knew whose graves would be opened.  Never was there such a stir among the working classes of people.  They held mass meetings and grew loudly indignant until the Trust became alarmed at the uprising.

Then did some of these rich sharpsters, who were best gifted in speech, go out to meet their servants, addressing them thus: 

“Let your hearts be at peace, my fellow creatures.  This new law that we have just passed is a boon to every toiler, for we seek to lighten your burdens by utilizing the idle dust from the tombs.  Hereafter we propose to give, free of charge, a sepulcher to every toiler in which he may take his rest for one hundred years.  These graves shall be for you and your children forever.  Is it not a precious thought that one hundred years after you are dead, your bodies shall again mingle with the soil and, without voluntary effort or pain, help to support your kindred yet unborn?

“If our present silly customs should prevail, the time will come when half our soil will have been carried to the sepulchers, and therefore your tasks would be more severe.”

After this manner spake the glib-tongued fellows and, behold, their speeches were as oil on the troubled waters.  Under their sophistries the laborers were content and peacefully went to their tasks again after three months of unrest.

Then did the members of the corporations consult again and spake among themselves in this fashion: 

“For our protection let us gather, from the laborers, the youthful and the strong, have them taught in tactics of war, and make it unlawful for any to carry deadly weapons, except these trained men, whom we will call our Soil Defenders, and if any of the laborers should ask:  ’Wherefore are we called to do this work?’ we will say to them, ’For the defense of the soil and the defense of our families are ye called, therefore quit yourselves nobly.’

“And it shall come to pass that when the laborers commence a foolish struggle for their own selfish gain, we can use these trained soldiers to keep them in peace, and thus we need not spend so much of our breath by way of persuasion.”

Behold this thing seemed reasonable and seasonable in the eyes of the Trust.  They did according to these suggestions and gathered unto themselves, in the name of the civil law, the strongest of the youth and trained them in all the ways of war.  Thus did these workmen lose all their liberties by slow degrees, until they were no more troublesome, but labored like slaves to get the wherewithal to live.

As I witnessed this sad picture resulting from the inhumanity of man to man, I was at once reminded of what I had seen on Mars, and of the struggle now pending in my own world.  Once more I breathed a silent prayer to the Ruler of all worlds in behalf of the crushed hands and bleeding hearts that are bruised in order that certain men may make their thousands in a day.