The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-10-04
TIE GOSPEL OF REFORM.
REVIEW OF THE POLITICAL STU
ALTON.
Tar ORIuTERITION o. PARTIES.

ADDRESS ~ rHE nos. GEORGE ". JULIAN
.o> rHE TRIAL OF AMERICAN pENoCHA,N'
MASrERIY AND EXHAUSTIVE DISCUS
>IuN rHE TENDENCIES uf rHE TIMES ANp
rHE POSSIBILITIES uF rHE FUTURE.
Hitherto the hope y country has been
IN our rural districts ~ peace and IN var
We have leaned upon our ycOmanry, and
they have never failed us Brave, patriot
Iy, and incompatible, they have been our
strength ana sur pride, Will they Ice
able to save a. ia the trial W democracy
uvuled in the unhealthy growth ~ our
cities, and the increasing dIstaste for rural
pursuits Can the country stand the pres
emit dram upon the farming population, and
TIE growing ascendcucy ~ the bad ele-
plants which rule uur large towns Rome
persisted ia the destruction uf her peasant
IN and the concentration vi her population
IN the capital Great estates destroyed the
family life Of the people, and while the
culuyaturs " the soil became slaves, lux
ury aud vice proved upon the empire. The
saIur tate awaits as If We follow In the same
path believe our delNerance Is largely
Iu the hands uf the cultivators ut the soil
| rejoice to hud them So experimenting the
dangers which threaten them That they are
earnestly settling about the work of self
defense. While capitalists are combining
iur their own aggrandizeu emit, and me
,hAmgs and wurhIugmen are organizing m
>ar.uus forms 10 resist their usurp alton,
uur farmers are finding that their policy of
isolation Is a mistake They see that ur-
g1ulItion Is both z duty and anecesslty.
As "a matter nf sell protection they are
adopting well considered methods Of indus
traI cooperation I'm order % break mp
thy munutouy NJ rurt ME. and beautIfy IT'S
pursuits, they are iyitiug their wives and
daughters Ia ION them ia the platform ~
perfect equality, ana thus rebuklng the
sruseleSs tr>tocucy of sex. and opening
the way fDr the eutraMchlsemeut Of woman.
Tie social element and spirit of fraternity
vuAluiled hy such methods must naturally
lead tn concerted political action against
Nhate,e VI grievances may invite lt.and thus,
10 rs ta be hoped the exodus from the
country tu the city will Ice checked. the
thuntd ranks ut agriculture IN some de-
gree recruited. ana the cities themselves
redeemed in the act 80 saving the country
The prophecy Of this Is pretty clearly seen
u tAr various farmers movements which
have recently sprung mp throughout the
I mtri states The a4uculturists ~ our
country comprise majority " lts IuPu-
lauou. and i perfectly united could. there
tore. uutvutr all other classes combined. I
Their business fe-dS the human race, and
is thr natural employment II man. II
Mas euIutued upon inm hy his Maker. and
from u huth manufacturers and commerce
draw -her lIte Every interest W society
must necessarily suffer when the great I'M
deriving industry nj the farmer laIguShes !
tine nf the most significant and cheering
signs at the times. therefore, and he har
uin.er ~ believe. ut the political as well /
thr Industrial regeneration If our land !
the spirit pf union which has 50 sudden |
(, aud :" mar ,elouSIy inspired the tiliers Of
the soil and which. | trust. viii finally |
drAA INTO a common brotherhood the work /
va. men If all other occupations I'm 1
doubleday 1t viii adopt some unwise meth /
uds n may uuw and then strike out Wild I
i ana bhndly in seeking Just ends. 1t
Will MT he exempt from the mischiefs 81
sell seeking. demagogism and bad leader
ship LeapIug INTO life all al once among
men Whn have known go little of organiza-
tipu. u viii sometimes hinder the cause it
NthAA liA'lilftt ttt Aluit-f ~ ftAAtAAtt- anu
au hunst endeavor. will at last enable
powerful body Of united and sober men to
accomplish their deliberate purpose
THE r.WER OF GREAT CORPORATIONS.
A more Immediately threatening danger
to our institutions Is the growing power Of
great corr. rations Democracy needs the
constant support II equal laws. II de-
m..nds common opportunities tor the peo-
pie 1t can tolerate mo- privileged classes,
and no legislative fayuritism Of any sort
If corporations are created. they should
be a clear public necessity or convenience.
and never cease u he the servants ~ the
people Without these conditions they
have no right tu exist. The question Of
railroad transportation affords the best IL
lustration of what ! wish 10 say on this
subject. Political economy teaches that
good roads are equivalent to good tools |
They are part Of the economy Of labor !
They are regarded AS duminution Of the !
cost ut all things sent to market by them. |
But our railways, though the mere lnstru /
ments Of commerce and agents Of the peo- |
pie, a. q often richly endowed by the Gov |
ernmen, have begun To- play the role Of |
master. Instead Of helping the people |
they have become a hindrance and i'll some |
instances positive public grievance. The |
great railway corporations have grown so
powerful that they can manipulate both |
State Legislatures and Congress. The |
power Of associated capital embodied III /
them. and exercised IN the way of exhorb- /
itant freight charges, Is rendering agricul- /
tire an Improbable business. In some /
* mons Of the West il does not pay to plant \
a crop. While millions Of bushels Of corn
aud wheat are rotting in the fields, thous-
ands of people at the East are suffering /
for bread. Thousands Of bushels of grain |
are being burned for fuel, while charities 1
are organized to feed the starving poor of |
New York and other cities. OF the inn
mense crops Of corn in Iowa, we are told |
by the best authority that 1t takes i've /
bushels to get one to the seaboard. Owing /
"a the growing spirit Of railway rapacity. |
and the increasing demand for large pro-
fits caused BY the policy Of watering stocks,
matters are rapidly growing worse. In
portions Of Illinois the farmers have actu-
ally gone back t. the primeval habit Of
hanlng their grain to market on wagons,
fOI the simple reason that they can save
money by the operation. The railroad |
rates are not only exhOrbitant, but as I'M !
Just and unfair As a perverse ingenuity can
contrive them, in their determinations as
to-dlstance ard Inc asticles shipped. The |
exact remedy for these frightful evils has
not vet been discovered Undoubtedly |
Congress has the right to control the
charges ON interest lines Of railroads, |
under the constitutional power to regulate |
commerce between the States but Con-
gress itgelf has become the servant of the |
great railway power We see this shame
fully illustrated in the Credit Mobilier de-
Velopments and in the ugly fact that their
pretended Investigation was simply white
washing pastime. II is true that the States
lave the same power as to the roads within
their borders, but thus far their legielation
has been confessed failure, for the reason
thai their law makers too have been the