The anti-monopolist., 1877-01-18

many Of us, from mill, meeting or school
house, humble though it be. We are almost
as INDIGENOUS and adhesive TO the soil, as the
treeSBf the forest or the native grasses and
fosFers OF the plains. The shortness of the
s6ltiyating season in our Northern latitude,
urges rs to late and early toll while the cold
ness of winter, with its tedious length, ,compels
us for safety and comfort to nestle within our
homes and court the genial warmth of the fire
side, making us more secluded still. This lso-
lation affects our manners, as class, and |
though educated and cultivated in youth, yet |
severed from our early associations, as many |
OF us have been, and wearied by incessant |
toll. we become by impreceptible sdegrees un- |
used to and torgetful OF the amenities and pol
ished graces of cultivated society Some OF the
difficulties under which we labor are inherent
in the nature of things and can only be par
tally mltgated-others are artlhclal. ana Dy
proper exertions can be effectuailv overcome.
The greater the obstacles the greater should be
the efforts to remove them. Our scattered Sit
nations. away from the river, the railroad, the
store, the postotfice, the telegraph, the puollc
school, the public hall, and from frequent IN
tercourse with our fellow men, make Us
prey to all sorts of greedy and unscrupuous
speculators-the Insurance Agens, the Sewing
Machine Agent, or the man of Patent Rights.
We produce all, and nearly surrender all;
partly through necessity, often augmented by
deception and overreaching. Our opponents
are in the e-center, with the bank the exchange,
the railway station, the poStofnce, the puDlc
press. the telegraph and all the modern
sources of intelligence and conveniences OF
modern commerce at hand-a perfect ana EN-
| cient ring within, while we, the farming class,
| form a great inefficient and almost unorganlzea
| ring without, and like Sampson Of old, strong
| but blind, the prey and sport OF our enemies.
| Disadvantages seem to be accumulating against
us.
TlAtis VT "
| of the people's rights, has largely failed us
| hundred years ago it called Us the "bone and
| sinew' of the commonwealth, and woe TO
newspaper or public orator that dared speak
aught against MS. But now, how changed
The Palladium that guarded Troy has peen
stolen by Ulysses and Diomedes, and our lllium
| is in danger. YES, with few noble exceptions,
/ the public press is as mercenary as the lawyer
who is q lnercenary by profession, and VINO
| for a fee will whisper words OF counsel and
consolation into the ears or the muraeler
whose hands at the Instant are dripping with
| the gore of murdered innocence. The news
| paper goes to the side OF the most money, and
uses the word "granger" as synonym OF
"poor."
| Our farming class are losng-nay have lost
the prestige OF former years. a century ago Inc
population OF our country consisted OF sniail
| farmers scattered over vast space, reaching
from the pineries of Maine 10 the savannas OF
Georgia, poor; pure, ,piainfhonest. frugal and in
dustrious, with no millionaire IN the land; ne
city larger than our neighboring city Of St.
Paul CT Minneapolis; with the seats OF both
State and National Legislatures filled mostly
from our own class, with a distinguished
farmer for their president. We, Sister and
Brother Patrons, are the remains and true rep
resentatives Of that class whose fathers cut the
, forests from the banks Of the Connecticut, the
Hudson, the Genesee, the Susquehanna the
Potomac, the James, the Roanoke, and the
, Savannah-and who literally hewed their way
to the great prairies of the west. Our hands
have guided the plow that has made the long
furrows, which have subdued the native wild
ness of the plains, making them TO blossom as
; the rose. Our toll has created these boundless
seas of summers waving grain. Yes
Gfangers, they OF our class have been the pio-
. | neers, and have made commerce, and CONNER.
cial citiss possible; for they and the lessel
villages have arisen and followed in our wake
while on our track have followed the
, ereedvispeculator, like the shark the ship, OF
prowilng wolf on the trail OF the noble herds o.
huffaloes, that so peacefully roam and ruminatt
. over the western plains. They are like tht
Hebrew Jew. at home alike under the despot
ism Of Russia or Turkey, the Republics o
, , France or America. ANYWHERE so THEY CAn
| MAKE MONEY.
| Commerce absorbs the products OF the plow
and the holder of the latter dwells in hisihous,
! Of sods or logs. while the abodes of the forne,
are in marble fronts in New York and Chicago
Ready money is net always iii the farmers
{ hands The banks accommodate speculation be
) fore they do production The teegra ph tells th,
market news TO the former first Speculation
: | is in league against production, end has tn
inside track, Class legislation supervenes t,
! add to our difficulties and burdens, The ten
d dancy of modern legislation is against us. TIL
I poor bondholders and needy speculatars.a are th
only deserving classes OF the community
When old King John had been chased from
castle to castle, IN the thirteenth century, an,
was at last cornerad at Runnymede, the grea
concessions he made were mostly for tn. bar
n ons, while the humble tlller OF the soil ha,
. only his carts, plows, and other implement
: Of husbaudrv exempt from seizurs for indebs
0 ednsss. Bnt concessions Were based up0l
: selishness alone, for where was the landlord
T revenue, but for the farmers piowY Amongs
a the subjects Of class legislation may be men
!. toned the following: chartering Inonopolies
!. granting subsidies IN lands and money. bank
I ing privileges unequal tariffs, insufficient law
i concerning weighing and measuring farr
Il products. Why have we class Legislation!
If Let us auaayze the forty-third Congress, tn
one that preceded the present. One mechanic
l3 farmers, SO lawyers, aud 1S9 stockholdeT
in National banl1s-and this is out OF mem
II hership ct less than four hundred. Thus IN
3 American farmer, the creator Of most Of th
wealth Of the land, the pioneer, who make
q conmun ties and states, aud renders wealt
) aud luxury possible, the largest factor in th
. population, excluded entirely from the senate
e and almost exercised from the house of reprt
d sentatives of the republic his fathers founded
Were the six millions Of farmers, mechanic
n and laboring men, the wealth producers Of OF
:, country, to petition Congress Tor any measur
- affecting their interests, and they should uni
against capital, six brokers Or bankers of Wa
street, Zone TO each million, mgL: renonstrat
and the latter would prevail over the former
At least, would take my chances with ii
bankers. And whya-Let the constituent eae
= nent of any Congress answer.
Yet there istanother evil within our own ord
that sits ike mig ghtInare upon Us; and that
ISDEFFEgEScg. Ii hangs Ikea clog upon Il
> steps Of progress. AnJ still another Alp arise
le beyond the nrst; and that is WANT for UaAyIsr
10 TT. Lo, here and 10 there, with its ignis fstg
J. us light that would lead as into the gua1 mir
a of discord and fatsl disaster, 70 the grief /
+ friends and the Joy of ene mics.
r But stop the enumeration Of evils and tur
Z and inquire. lis there no balm in Gilead,
d there no physician theres''
Z Thereare mitigating remedies if not spscids
n for all diseases Let US lay hold Of what meal
% leSitimately 10 within our reach, and app
20 them speedily, aSsiduously and hopeful
J. Nurture Hope the daughter Of faith