The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-10-16

pledge him, which, for all practical purposes.
l regret to say, amounts to just about n pied ke
at all. Pardon me if | seem oficous but this ia
not the way the interest which you antagoaize
conducts its affAirs Abuses are not so easily
corrected. Take this matter OF free passes.
which may be reg arded as slight thing by
some, yet, insidious as it is, you shall set me
down for false prophet if you do not b we
to give your political children more
them one dose of sulphur at the b alot box be-
fore you expel even this slight humor from
their blood. Again you will pardon ma ii
speak too plainly; but had the power to utter
potential word, which should be heard by
the people in all America, I wouli say to
them: Take back again to yourselves the
right and power of petition which you have
carelessly, if not basely, gu rendered. Is it
not lamentable? Is it not absolutely shocking
to hear leading men saying at both our State
and National capitols: "We pay attention
to petitions; petitions never represent the
wishes of those who sign them?"
Is this true, and is this the fountain which
Is to send out sweet and pure water? You de-
mand of men in public life, and justly too,
that however fierce the contest or whatever
the personal sacrifice, they shall do their duty
at any cost. | say this is what you have a
right to demand and expect. But is L. never
theless true that when you yourselves meet duty
face to face, when you ara called upon to take
sides between neighbors, upon questions of
public interest involving the pubic welfare,
that you have not the courage, not the nerve to
place your signature upon paper. and say,
"that is my sign manual. that represents me
and my wishesn? Do this, and your
public men have something to guide them.
Do it, and let your public servants un ierstand
that such is not only your wish, but that it
must be needed, that there is power behind
as we'll as in front of them, and from that
hour the days Of incompetents and political
dead-beats are numbered. Men Of worth and
character will fill your local off ces, and your
civil service be purified as it has never been
before But if you shirk dlty. at the very
fountain head and source of power, what can
you expect, what have you right to expec. Of
others?
| had intended to say som ething in defense
of the farm ers against the un ust aspersion cast
upon them as the caus of the present 6nan-
cial crisis. Time forbids. and fortunately
they need no defense. When inf ated schemes
in which men had emba rked their all suddenly
collapsed when panic seized upon the faan-
cial world, when bank doors went together
with a crash, when old inaaeers stood aghast
and inquired of each other "wh at next" when
there was no EYE to pity and no arm to save"
then, it was that the sheet-anchor of hope,
dropping through every depth, took hold of the
granaries Of the farmers, and the country rode
out the storm in triumph. The interest which
can do that, which C IN hold all steady amid
storm and disaster, needs no defense, FOR it is
its own best defense.
Turning now to its opposing element and
speaking of no particular company or anage-
ment, but taking the whole railway system
as system. and finding it SCARED all over
with swindlIng schemes, honeycOmbed with
construction, contracts ard Credit MObilier
enterprises, saturated With watered stocks,
and every possible device resorted to to de-
ceived and mislead; no man degraded in its
ranks for any Of these practices. but rather up
held and admired as successful operator,
and then, when all these matters are dragged
suddenly into the light of day, and capitalists
stand back Mortified and aghast, for its promo
tiers and defenders to then turn upon the
farmers, it's innocent victims, and exclaim:
"see how railways have benefited the country,
and how you are inj uring US their builders"
is just about as candid and legitimate as for q
gang of counterfeiters detected in the midst Of
their tools and bogus coin to exclaim ''see
what money has done for the world, and hsw
you are prosecuting US, its makers" l wish
not to be committed against all railway men or
measures as SUCH You will find in every de-
partm ent of it's service men of the highest
honor and broadcast capacity, gentlemen in all
the relations OF life, and peculiarly fitted by
nature to forward the great material enter
not dispense with their services.
So with the railway interests, comp osed as
it is, of such vast aggregations of capital and
power, it cannot be otherwise than
aggressive. 1t will never partake
very much of the nature of charitable and be-
neVolent institutions, yet its every right should
be jealousy guarded and generously provided
for. Legislation pertaining to it should be Of
the broadcast and most enlightened character,
xusk kbo iukow
resents. As the largest m srcantile and m 4nu.
featuring sstablishm ents ever succeed by the
genuin eness of their wares and the probity of
their dealings, so would / see railways succeed
by just regard for the rights of all. Thus
grounded in the sympathies of the people,
they would become an object of their pride
and boast. thing Of such universal necessi-
ty should not be thing of such general OPP
preston
Farmers of Waukesha County, and wives,
and sons, aud daughters Of farm ers, gladly
do l turn from these, to me, unwelco ne
themes, to congratulate you, in conclusion,
upon the joyous scenes which greet us here
to-day As we walk among these products Of
the farm as we traverse these mechanic halls
and these temples of floral life and beauty: as
we behold on all sides of US evidences of mans
pro luction and woman's tender to1ch and
skill, how redolent do these things become
with the simplicity and sweetness OF home
life which rural surroundings alone can give.
Has not m my an eye kindled, and many
heart been stirred by some fact or incident
here to-day, which ran back in memory to old
familiar scenes in far-off Elstern homes
Who shall tell the joys Of these. The family
circle broken, it's fragment sc altered IN many
q hillside cemetery, revivifed and reformed
who shall tell stbe jest, the joy, the
goodly cheer that Ath cred round the hearth
stones of olden times Who shall paint the
glories of the boyhooi world The pet dog,
or calf, or pig, the sleek and roicking cot,
the first frost, the falling snow, the springing
grass and i,wers, the waving harvest, with it's
golden sheen The over arching sky, so
beautiful and so grand The wild and bois
ferrous rambles in field or wood. Who shall