Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-07-30

control OF legal ciiactUents. Ihey
have procured law OF Congress by
which they have dispossesed hundreds
of farmers Of the homes that by years
! oftoil they have built up;have induced
others to mortgage their farms for
roads never intended 10 be l,nilt, aud
after squandering the money thus
obtained, have left their victims to
the mercy Of the courts over which
they held absolute sway. They have
Obstructed The administration of JUS
tice by injunctions procured from
venal judges, by legal bubbles and ap-
| peals from court TO court, with intent
To wear out or ruin the prosecutor,
openly avowing their determination
to make il so terrible for the public
10 prosecute them that they will not
dare undertake it. They have vir-
tuaily made judges dependent on
their will nlonc. and have procured
their appointment for the purpose
ot reversing decision OF the highest
court of the nation, by which mil
lions were gained to them. to the in-
jury of the holders OF their bonds
aud the breaking down of this last
safeguard of American freemen. They
lnyc affected to render themselves
independent of and superior to tho
civil power by ordering large bodies
tf hirclinSS to enforce their unlaw-
fnl eXaclions, aud have protected
them from punishment for any injury
they might intlict upon peaceful cit
'zcns, while cjccting them from their
conveyanccs tor refusing to pay more
than the rate of fare prescribed by
laws. They lave arrested and sum-
mrncd from their homes for trial, at
| distant points, ether citizens for the
same oilense of refusing to pay more
than the legal fare, putting them to
as great Inconvenience and expense
rs possible, and still further cvincing
their determination to make it too
terrible for the people to dare to ell
gage in any legal conflict with them.
They have combined together to
destroy competition aud to practice
an unjust discrimination, contrary
/ to the expressed provisions of our
constitution and the spirit of our
laws. They have virtually cut of
our trade with distant parts of the
world by their unjust DETERMINATIONS
and by their eXhorbitant rates Of
freight, forcing upon us the alter
|
hands II worthless surplus or of giving
,hree-fourths of the price our custo-
mers pay tor our products, for their
| transportation. Under the -f"fsc and
spe. ,us prctence of developing the
country, they have obtained enor-
mols grants of public lands from
| Congress. and now rctard rather than
develop ITS settlement, by ihc high
1 Il I, 1nn nHs TIa,,
have converted the bonds fraudu-
into IL great corruption fund, aud
| with which they are enabled to bribe
and control legislatures, and subvcrt
every branch of government to their
own base and sorlid purposes.
In every stage of these expressions
| we have petitioned our legislatures
for redress in the most humble terms.
Our repeated petitions have been
answered only by silence, or by at
| tcmpts 10 frame laws that shall seem
TO meet our wants, hut that are, jim
fact, only legal snare for courts to
disagree upon and for corporations
to disob.y.
Nor have we been wanting in at
tempts to obtain redress through
Congress. We have warned them
from time to time Of these various
and repeat ed dcncrOachmcnts upon our
rights; we have reminded them of
the circumstances of our emigration
and settlement here; we lave ap-
pcalcd to them as administrators of
Il free and impartial government, TO
protect us from these cncroachmemts,
which, if continued, would inevita-
I Al . la H.
liberties for which our fathers gave
their lives, and the reinstatement of
| privileged classes and an arisiocracv
Of wealth, worse than that from
| which the war of the revolution freed
us. They, too. have been deaf to the
| voice of justice and OF duty. We
must, therefore, acquiesce in the
necessity which comp.ls us to de-
noumce their criminal Indifference to
our wrongs, and hold them us we
hold Our Legislatures enemies to
the produccr-to the moHopolists,
friends.
We, therefore, the producers of
this State, in our several counties
| assembled, OH this, the anniversary of
| that day That gave birth to Il nation
Of trecmem and to Il government of
which, despite the corruption of its
officers, we are so justly proud, ap-
peaiing to tie Supreme Judge of the
world for the rcctitmde OF our in
tcutions, do so!cmnlv declare that we
will use all lawful and peaceful
| means 10 free ourselves from the
tyranny of monopoly, and that we
vii! never cease our efforts for re-
form until every department of our
government gives token that their
reign of licentious eXtravagance is
over, and somet!lin" of the purity,
honesty and irugality with which
our fathers inauguratcd it has taken
its place.
| That to this end we hereby declare
ourselves absolutely free and indie
pendent of all past political connec-
lions, aud that we will give our sut-
| frame only To such men for office, from
tue lowest officer in the State 10 the
| President OF the United States, rs we
have good reason to believe viii use
their best endeavOrs for the promo
tion of these ends; and for the sup
port of this declaration, with II firm
reliance OH Divine Providence, we
mutually pledge TO each other our
lives. our fortunes, aud our sacred
honor.