The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-06-16


inequalities which exist in the conditions OF
men, IL has taken pains TO aggravste them.
You know that instead of favoring the diff
fusion of wealth, il has constantly favored
its concentration. You know that instead
of taking care of the weak, IL has all the
time given its help to the strong. And you
know that, in some form, and by some
methods, the current of legislation must be
reversed, III the principle OF slavery is to be
expelled by the principle of democracy, To
this herculean task we are summoned by
the lesson OF negro emancipation; and in
this grand struggle for the liberation oflabor
the abolitionists are the natural leaders.
on Mr. Lincoln's policy of zone war at q
times" but in the beginning they were tire
svowed enemies ofevery form ofinequality
and oppression. They were the first to es-
pouse the homestead policy. They saw that
freedom must have its roots in the soil, and
that government which allows the land to
become the patrimony Of the few cannot be
democratic. They saw that the system
of chattei slavery res. ed on great estates.
and that If the New Eng and system
of land holding had prevailed in
the south, slavery would have been
impossible. They regarded land monopoly
as the very citadel of slavery, and they de-
nounced the whole policy of speculation in
the public lands as the legalized pluuder of
the poor. Let them again unfurl the old
banner of land reform, for although the
homestead bill finally became a law, We,
simultaneously with its enactment, and as if
to nullify it's provisions, the policy of land
grants to railroads was received in such ex-
travagant and unguarded forms that over
two hundred millions of acres of the public
domain have fallen into the grasp of great
corporations, while the rights of settlers
have been still further abridged by Indian
treaties. by military land bounties, by
swsmp-lsnd swindles, and by the still unfoi-
hidden curse of land speculation. In full
partnership with these evils is -.
THE GREAT RAILWAY POWER
Of the country. the successor of the old
slave power welding a combined capital of
four thousand millions of dollars, threaten
ing the Independence of. congress-, state leg
islatures and courts, inviting a popular re-
sistsnce commensurate with its despotic
demands. The intelligent organization OF
the working classes for the overthrow of
this fearful system of commercial and in
dustrial serfdom should be the wish and the
endeavor of every man who would save the
republic. The tariff question should also
be met and settled on the ground of princi-
pie. All compromises will fail in the future.
as they have done in the past.
They are as unmsnly as they are
improbable. The early aboliiionists were
generally the advocates of free-trade. They
considered 1t a part Of the gospel of human
brotherhood. While slavery lasted 1t was a
wide issue, but there is no longer any excuse
for evading il. The question is vital one
to every interest of the country. Our tariff
system for the past ten or twelve years has
been a system OF organized spoliation. 1t is
a form Of slavery, masquersding under the
disguise of pretended benefit to the masses
whom IL robs. 1t heaps grievous burdens
upon the poor, in order that pampered
monopolies may flourish. IL taxes the articles
of prime necessity to the laboring classes, and
places the luxuries ofthe rich on the free list.
II constitutes a most formidable faction
in the legsliZeG slavery of capital which
now demands abolition. while our system of
internal taxes is almost equally vicious. 1t
should be thoroughly reformed in the inter-
est of equality, Including the taxation OF
church property, the exemption of which is
clear violation of the spirit Of our institu-
tiOns and at war with the plainest PRINCIPLES
of Justice. The financial policy embodies
kindred elements Ofiniquity and oppression
Our national bank monopoly, with Its 9. 900
fiscal corporations and nearly five hundred
millions of capital. cannot be defended. 1t
not only constitutes ruinous political dam
ger, but a great and inexcusable burden
upon the people in the interest of a favored
few. The policy of the government is cling
ing to
AN INcoNvERTIBLE PAPER CURRENCY
is not only defiance of the experience of
mankind and the teachings OF political
economy, but a practical robbing of the
working-classes by Withholding from them
a fair days wages for a fair days work,
which ''is as just demand as governed men
ever made of governing" The overthrow of
this policy, by just and prudent methods,
must be sought by every man who would
wage war against the new forms of slavery
which are everywhere insidiously intrench-
ing themselves behind the power of COM
bined capital; and barring the door against
the principle of equal rights, legislation for
man primarily, and for property secondarily,
should be our motto and watchword
till capital shall be content to take
it's place as the servant and not the
master of the people. This is at once
the impelling demand of labor and the real
Such legislation will also vitality affect other
great causes. IL will be the strong ally of
the temperance reform. 1t will strike at
jntemperance by lifting humanity above the
thrald0m of untoward conditions. 1t is un-
doubt dly true, as we are often told, that a
large per cent. of the crimes of society can be
traced to intemperance; but it is Just as tru,
that large per cent. of the intemperance of
society can be traced to property. We can
only destroy vice by getting down to its
roots. Whoever does most for the
breaking up of monopolies, tor the cur
tsilment OF the power of great cor
porate wealth, for repairing our
land policy and facilitating the &C
QUESTION of towns and for the comfort and
general elevation of the poor and friendless.
does most for the cause of temperance. And
Ibelieve the best prohititory legislation now
attainable is that which shall most effectu-
ally strive for these ends. Society itself is
largely responsible for the crimes and drunk
enness of it's members, and both will dimin-
ish in the degree in which our laws and pol
icy respect the sacredness of humanity by
earnestly seeking the rights and true welfare
of all. Another lesson of the anti-slavery
struggle is the duty of still further extend
ing the right of suffrage. When we broke
the chains OF the slave and transformed him
into citizen, we armed him with
If1 lo1a0 THE BALLOT.
The situation in which he was placed Obliged
us to do this for his own immediate protec-