The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-10-09


their home, for trial, al distant points, other
citizens for the same ohcnse of refusing 10
pay more than the legal fare putting them 10
AS great inconvenience and expense as pos
siblc, and still evinciug their determination
TO make it too terrible for the people to dare
engage in any legal conflict with them,
They have combined together To destroy
competition AID TO practice an unjust dis
elimination, contrary to the express pTovls-
ions of our constitution and the spirit OF our
laws. =,
They have virtually cut oil our trade with
distant parts OF the world by their UNJUST dis.
examinations ana by their cxOrbitant rates OF
freight, forcing upon US the alternative OF ac-
cumulating upon our hands worthless sur
plus, or of giving threefourhs of the price
our customers pay for our products for their
transportation.
Under the false and spurious pretcnse OF
developing the country, they have obtained
enormous grants of public lands from Con
gress, and now retard rather than develop its
settlement, by the high prices charged for
such LAND. tr
They have CONCERTED the bonds fraud.
ulently obtained from the government into
great corruption fund, with which they are
enabled to bride and control legislatures, and
subvcrt every branch OF government TO their
own base and sordid purpose,
They nave increased the already intoerable
burden of taxation, which the people have 10
endure, compared with the tea and stamp tax
which preciptated the war OF the Revolution
seems utterly insignificant, by the appropri-
alton OF money from the public treasury,
while they have escaped taxation themselves
BY evadng and violating the express proyis
ions of their charters.
In every stage Of the 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
Itcmpts 10 frame laws that shall seem to meet
our wants but are, in fact, Only legal
snare tor courts TO disagree upon and for cor
porations to disobey.
Nor have we been wanting in attempts to OBJ.
tain redress through Congress. We have warn
ed them from time TO time OF these various
and repeated encroachments upon our rights;
we have reminded them of the circumstances
of our emigration and settlement here; we
have appealed to them, as the administrators
of free and impartial government, to pro,
lect us from these encroachments, which, II
continued, would inevitably end it utter des-
tructlon of those liberties for which our faith.
ers gave their lives, and the reinstatement of
privileged classes and an ar!stocracy OF
wealth, worse than that from which the war
of the Revolution feed us. They, too, have
been deaf 10 the voice Of justice and or duty.
we must therefore acquiescc in the necessity
which cOmpels US to dtnounCe their criminal
indifference 10 our wrongs and hold them as
we hold our legslature-eneInies to the pro
ducer-to the monopolists friends.
We, therefore, the producers OF this state
in our several counties assembled, on this the
anniversary of that day that gave birth to a
nation of ireemen and 10 government of
which, despite the corruption OF its officers,
we are still so Justly proud, appealing to the
Supreme Judge of the world for the reCtitude
of our intentions, do solemnly declare that
we will use all lawful and pelceable means
to free ourselves from the tyranny OF Eonop
DIV, and that we will never cease our efforts
for reform until every department OF our gov
ernment gives token that the reign OF licen-
tlous extravaganza is over, and something OF
the purity, honesty and frugalty with which
our fathers inaugurated It has aiken its place
That to this end we hereby declare our
selves absolutely free and Independent of all
past political connections, and that we will
give our suffrage only to such men for ofhcc,
from the lowest officer in the safe to the pres
ident of the United States, we have good
reason TO believe will use Their best endeav
ors TO the promotion of these ends; and for
the support of this declaration, with a firm
reliance on Divine Providence, we mutually
pledge to each other our lives, and fortunes
and our sacred honor.