Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-06-11
"PrOtectIOn: for the Weak, Restraint
Upon the Strong Justly dis.
tributed Burdens and
POwers.'
A Desire TO Harmonic Producers and
COnsumers-Inerease Of Trans.
pOrtatlOn Facilities, Etc.

IS fOun0ed on the sovereignty ana con-
sent of the governed, and its purpose
to protect property and enforce natural
rights, we acknowledge the broad prin-
ciple that difference of opinion is no
crime, and hold that progress toward
truth is made by difference of opinion,
while the fault lies in bitterness of con-
troversy. We desire proper equality,
equity, and fairness-protection for the
weak, restraint upon the strong;
in short, justly distributed burdens
and Justly distributed powers. These
ara American ideas, the very essence of
American independence; to advocate
the contrary Is unworthy Of the sons aRd
daughters of the American republic.
For our business interests, we desire to
bring producers aud consumers, farmers
and manufacturers into the most direct
and friendly relations possible. We
wage no aggressive warfare against any
other interests whatever; on the con
trary, all our acts, and all our efforts, so
far as business is concerned, are not on-
ly for the benefit of the producer and
consumer, but also for all other legiti-
mate interests that tend to bring these
two parties into speedy and eco-
nOmical contact. Hence, we hold
that transportation companies of ev-
cry kind are necessary to our sue
cess; that their interests are intimately
connected with our interests, and haTmO-
Dious action is mutually advantageous.
We shall therefore advocate for every
State an increase in every practicable
way of ali facilities for transporting
cheaply to the seaboard, between home
producers and consumers, all the pro-
8
our fixed purpose to open out the chan
nels in NATURES great arteries, that the
life-blOOd of commerce may flow freely.
We are not enemies of railroads, navi-
gable and irrigating canals, nor of
any corporation that will advance our
industrial interest, but are friendly to
all labOTing classes; and we hold that all
class legislation, whereby these original
and common elements and the proceeds
of the same, enhanced by intelligent
labor are prevented from their original
design and made to inure to the be1e-
fits of non-producers and to the injury of
the producers, is wrong and subversive
of the purposes of good government.
That all able-bodied and intelligent per-
sons should contribute to the common
stock by useful industry sum or quantity
ton should tend as far as possible to the
equitable distribution of the surplus pro-
duets. If these propositions are not true
perverted from its true designs,
and the sacred names Democracy
and Republicanism are the symbols of
despotism, and the parties represented
thereby, as now organized. are engines
of oppression, crushing out the lives of
the people, we need only point to the
fact, that in this beneficent country of
unlimited resources, with the land an
nually groaning beneath the products of
human effort, the mass of the people
have no supply beyond their daily
wants, compelled, and from unjust con-
ditions, in sickness and misfortune, to
become paupers. Pauperism and crime
are the perplexing questions of all mod
ern statesmanship, and it is with these
we have to deal. How far these
evils are connected with the abuses,
and are inflicted on the labor
a superficial ststesmahship seems not to
perceive. Chattle slavery has been
abolished, but the rights and relations
of labor stand just where they did before
the emancipation, in respect to the di-
visions of its products. The difference
lies only in the methods of abstractlDg
the results and concentrating them in
the hands of few capitalists. Capital
is now the master and dictates the
terms, and thus all labOrers are practi-
cally placed in the same condition of
the slave before his emancipation. In
thus placing them the interests of all
labOrers become common, and they
must fight the battle in unity if they
would succeed. What, then, are the
instrumentalities by which these wrongs
are inflicted?
First-Banking and monied monopo-
lies, by which, through ruinous rates OF
interest, the products of human labor
are concentrated in the hands of nom
producers. This is the great central
source of these wrongs, In and through
which all other monOpolies exist and
operate.
Second-Consolidate railroads and
other transit mOnopOlies, whereby all
industries are taxed to the last mill they
will bear for the benefit of the stock
holders and stock -iohbers.
Third - Manufacturing monopolies,
whereby all small operators are crushed
out, and the prices of labor and products
are determined with mathematical GER
ta nty In the interests of the capitalist.
Fourth-Land monopolies, by which
the public domain is absorbed by few
corporations and speculators.
Fifth-COmmercial and grain monop-
olies specializing and enriching the
bloated corporations on human necessi-
ties. We propose to restore the govern
ment to its original purpose, and, as far
as possible, TO remedy these evils and
remove their results.
Sixtb--By advancing the gold basis
iallaey, and establishing monetary,sys-
tenn based on the faith and resources OF
the government, the nation being in
harmony with the genius of the govern
ment, and adapted to the exigencies ol
legitimate commerce. To this end, the
circulating notes of the national and
State banks, as well as all local cur
rency, be Withdrawn from circuIa-
ton and a paper currency issued
by the government, which shall be a
legal-tender, ,inIthe payment of all debts,
public and private, duties oI imports
included, and declared equal with gold,
the lawful money Of the United States
this currency, or mosey, TO be inter
changable, at the pleasure of the hold
ers, for government bonds bearing q
lawful rate of interest, say 1865 per cent,
the government creditors to have the
privilege of taking the money or the
bonds, at their election, reserving to
congress the right to regulate the rate oi
interest on the bonds, and the volume oi
the currency, so az TO effect the equita-
BILE distribution of the products Of labor
between money or nOn-produciDg capi-
! tai and productive industry.
Seventh-By paying the national deb
| in strict accordance with the laws undel
/ which il was originally contracted
gold where specifically promised, but al
| other forms of Indebtedness, In
! cluding the principle of the five-twenty
bonds should be discharged at the EARL
est option of the government in tn,
legal-tender currency of the UniteG
States, without funding II in long bond
or in any way increasing the gold-pay
ing and untsxed obligations Of the gov