The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-08-27

munication under the control Of the Gov
eminent This must be done or railroad
corporations and kindred monopOlies will
make this Government sabservient to theil
will.
The question may be asked: How car
~ accomplish all this We answer: By
the Government opening free channels d
transportation, and BY conneoting and i'm
proving it, navigable waters. and by grant
ing free use Of the same to the people at q
mere nominal rate of :sil. = -corsg rapairz
and Incidental expeps Of
said public works. Ir wvu.-- Sm-
ployment for thousands, and create . mar
ket for the productions of the country sur
rounding the said improvements. There ia
not less than 1900 miles Of 1avigable
waters in the Mississippi and its immediate
tributaries. The lakes and other interior
waters give about 30, 600 more miles Of
navigation. A few miles of canal will con-
nect this vast chain Of waters, and open
them up to the Atlantic seaboard. A ca
nal mot moss than ens mile IN length will
connect Lake Traverse and Big Stons, Min
nssota, with the River St. Peters and the
Red River Of the North. This would bring
the Saskatchewan and the Winnepeg Lake
into communication with the Northern Mis-
sissippi, and add fourteen thousand miles to
the navigable waters Of the Northwest.
Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River
must bs united through the Fox and Wis
consin Chicago must have an outlet to the
Mississippi; the Ohio and James Rivers
must be united in the same way, aad l be-
lieve that by the influence Of wise legisla-
ton on our part Canada will annex herself
to the United States, and then another great
ocean canal will connect our great inland
seas and rivers with the st. Law
renee, and thus open direct ocean COM
merce between Chicago and the seaboard
cities Of the Old World. Thus it will be
seen that the Government will have enough
Legitimate business for centuries TO come to
keep sufficient amount Of its own bonds
to control the currency Of the nation, and
make them convertible and recoverable, at
the option Of the holder and now we can
see how necessary it was that the public
lands should have been kept and granted in
limited quantities TO the actual settler il
would always draw the surplus population
from our large cities, increase the demand
and make market for manufactures. But
now, we ask, what has Government done in
regard to preserving the public domain 7
Out Of the 445, ,029, ,705 acres that have
besn disposed Of, and in addition 10 this
large amount, there have been taken under
the Homestead Law, 12,2O1, $50 acres
under the prs-emption laws, l56, ,433, 800.
So you see that there have already been
disposed Of the public domain Gas, ,758, ,699
acres and less than one-third Of this vast
amount has passed into the hands of the sc-
tual settler. And, gentlemen, il is for you
to consider whether those that sent you
here as their representative will permit
this kind Of public plunder to 90 on without
limit, or say ut once it must be stopped, ,and
that forever.
"And now / wish to call your attention
to another great and alarming evil that ID
being forced by capitalists upon IN, ana
that ID the importstion Of Chinese into our
midst to cheaper tie labor Of working men
and women Of our country; aud here we do
not wish to be Misunderstood or misrepre-
sented, for we are ever ready to welcome
the oppressed people Of al nations, provided
they come as emigrants, to become q part
and parcel Of ~ rs a people, and adapt
themselves to Cur laws and institutions, and
become citizens, after proper probation, in
accordance with our naturalization laws and
the welfare Of society; but we sse unaltera-
bly, opposed to the importation by tyrannisal
and avaricious spectators, to the surplus
population of bigoted and supsrstitious ma
ton for the selfish and unholy purpose Of re-
ducing the labor of . free people to the SER
vile and degraded condition Of the imported
Asiatic. We say boldly that the continue
ton Of this worse than modern slavery is
calculated to reduce everything to selfshnsss
break every social and moral tie, overturn
the most sacred principles Of truth, liberty
and humanity, degrading to the cause Of Ia
Dor, insulting the social state while it weak
ems the springs Of genius and blasts indust-
ry with the breath ofpestilence. The fruits
Of this baneful and heartless traffic are mar
rowness of soul. insensibility Of heart, COR
ruption, or, rather, annihilation Of morals,
perversion of national genius, and if not
checked, will end in universal depravity.
I would therefore recommend that mass
meetings be held in every state or represen.
tative destrict in the country, and the CIR
sulation Of monstR petitions to memorialize
Coagrs@ 10 psD stringent measures sup
pressing the impsrtation Of the Chinese race
In conclusion, let me urge you to put
forth all your efforts in behalf of our great
and glorious cause. Do not forget that this
country is the last and only vantage ground
where the rights Of the toiling millions
must find just solution. 1t is here that the Ia
borer must be raised to the highest dignity
of manhood. 1t is here that liberty, justice
and education must be carried forward. 1t il
on this, cur loved country, the hope Of all
lovers Of freedom depend. The eyes cf an
anxious world are upon us, and their hopes
Of liberty and emaBeipation from tyranny
and oppression depend on the action Of the
American people. Then let us remember
that we all have great work to perform
O work that can not be intrustsd to another
"On the one hand there 10 liberty, happi
ness and plenty ON the other, oppression
taxation and poverty. 1t ID for you to choose
which shall be yours and your chiIdren's
The year that has just passed has been one
Of sunshine and shadow -shsdowed by th,
dark cloud Of cruel and unrighteots legisla
ton, but bright with the sunshine Of hope
for the voice Of the people is demanding
that justice shall be done.
"ADd now, gentlemen, let me ask you +
be kind and courteous toward each other
let harmony prevail in our councils le
truth be our guiding star and justice ou
wstshword; let nothing deter us from oul
/ L. L. -