The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-04-24
A ID ID X l. : :
GENERAL r. 7. WINGATE,
DELIVERED BEFORE THE
Cleveland Convention. March II, 1874.

N, President aud GsatIsmsr Of ths Con-
/, ttiOn:
the high privilege of addressing an
aui nee like this feel profoundly thank
,Gi. I'D assure you it Is rendered doubly
8 mos interesting. If not critical period Of
onr untrvs history. At time when
the burdens borne by the toiling :.lIons
u the nation, cry aloud for such leglsia-
tive reform as will secure TO them an
equality Of rights and privileges, before
the law, with those who toll not. but who,
through partial legislation, live in luxury
on the earnings Of those who do toll
And feel encouraged i'll the hope of
being surrounded and sustained BY those
VINO have At heart the welfare u 0aT com
mon country who maintain that each
to the extent .: his power, in peace, as in
wac, is Ia honor, IN justice and in duty
bound. to contribute, to the maintenance
and defence Of a common country.
The theory upon which our government,
Is founded Is, that, 1t Is a government ''oF
THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, F1R THE
PEOPLE and when these ends are Inn
peried, either by class. or usurplng legIsla-
ZION, the people, IN the exercise Of their
sovereign preruRatIve. should Interpose.
and see that the genius anu spirit VI our
institutions are upheld, and carried into
effect by their representatives.
There Is no Disgusting the fact, Mr.
President, thai by the legislation If our
times, one Of the most essential OF the
Inallenable rights uf man -EoUALIIY-has
been infrInged, and our institutions as a
whole endangered and tht result Is the
nation is Ill at ease Our political horizon
is not without clouds, which seen In the
light o; history. bOde not veil the ship
Of state, racked and shattered, by four
years voyage IN sea Of fraternal blood,
has not been safely anchored home She
has not yet pa sed the financial straits,
where she must breast the rebounding
waves of the conflict, fraught with dan
gers no less threatening to the perpetuity
Of the Republic, than the conflict itself.
Ii is not difficult, Mr.. President, IL
arouse the human heart to a patriotic de-
fence of ones country, but most difficult, t.
appease the avaricious promptings Of on
rature
The nation, the states, our counties
municipalities and producing classes, are
overwhelmed with debt, and their energy
palsled, by financial system, of monarch
Ial origin, wholly incompatible with free
institutions
The productive industry of the country
the source of all wealth and bulwark oi
public, as well as of private virtue, the
bulws TX Of political and religious liberty
is lsnguishing under the crushing weight
of exorbitant, unjust and unequal taxa
ton and devouring rate OF interest.
Our manufacturing establishments, BY
the thousand are closed, and many Others
are being operated by force not equal tc
one half of their capacity
| Enterprises Of public nature, railroads,
canals and river improvements, necessary
to our trade, and required to facilitate
and render cheap the transportation of the
| products Of labor, are neither projected
nor prosecuted to completion.
! Ship building has been abandoned anC
our merchantmen, once crowding the com
mercial lnarts Of the world, have gone t.
ruin, anchored in our own ports whilst
the carrying trade-of the nations has beer
usurped, and is mOnopOlized by foreign
vessels.
Our exports are not proportionate to the
numbsr of our inhabitants and natural "a
vantages are not improved, and the balance
of trade is not an il should be.
The precious metals, produced by the
h undred thousand from our mines, are
poured in q never-ceasing stream, into the
lap Of Europe, and 90 to I'LL the Golfers oi
foreign capitalists.
America, with all her proves, combined
wealth and Justly boasted memories, has be
come mere tribute paying power whilt
she is flooded with products from abroad
and her artisans and laborers, are driver
into idleness and destituticn for the wan
of employment
A stringent money market hangs like I
pail over the nation, forestalling trade
enterprise, progress, and the development
Of our national resources.
Landed estates, the shield OF liberty
and sheet anchor Of the Republic. undel
the injections of oppressive taxation, arr
iast becoming burdens instead Of blessings
having no market value, nor to be cult
waited with profit. a
Anveatment in public stocks, and govern
ment bonds, are made without risks, anc
are rewarded with an exorbitant gold In
ssrest, and banking capital freed from