The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-04-19

and ignorant, and ascertain how far this condi-
ton is caused by the Observation-Disclosures OF
those affairs that are managed by governments,
and the feasibility of SO modifying the Govern
ment as to reverse those conditions and enable
the majority of the people to be well provided
with those things that are essential to Their
welfare, physical, intellectual, and moral? My
theme tonight is, asa
s'THE HAND-wORKERS
of the Mississippi valley-their power and
their responsibility." I claim that they have
the power to understand this great social
problem, and that they have the power to in
augurate movements which will ultimately
solve it in practical way, not only for our
selves, but for all peoples; and may add that
that movement has been commenced, and has
made some progress already.
Let us keep @r
THE PROBLEM
in view. Admitting that poverty and igno-
rance is the common fate of great majority
of the people in all countries, and that by
reason of their poverty and ignorance they are
incapable of self-government, the problem is
how to reverse these conditions so that the
great majority of the people shall no longer be
poor and ignorant, and may become capable of
! Self-gOYernment.
| But why appeal to the hand-workers of the
Mississippi valley as having the power and
responsibility to secure the solution of this
great problem? My answer is, that for these
purposes those who invent, make and manage
mechanical machinery are more capable than
any other class of society in understanding the
relations of part to the whole, and the neces-
sity of perfect adjustment and reciprocal ac-
ton of the parts with each other, to secure re-
suits by the combined and cooperative action
of all the parts that the invention, making
and use of mechanical machinery affords a
necessary preparation for the invention, MAX
ing and management of another class of ma
chinery-11ac7eine1y by which wealth is most
readily Or economically produced, and inter-
changed between producers, and by which the
rights and duties of individual members of So
ciety are marked by laws, and protected by
governments.
YOU OCCUPY A VAST PLAIN,
extending from the Appalachian range and the
Alleghanies on the East to the Rocky noun
tains of the West; from the genial climate of
the Gulf of Mexico, the land of cotton. rice
and sugar, spanning the great wheat belt, and
extending to the SHOWS of Dakota with its
mighty streams, nayigable for many hundreds
of miles, the Mississippi, Missouri Red, Ar
Kansas Tennessee. Ohio, Cumberland and the
Illinois rivers. With it's thousands of miles
of railroads, and washed by the waters of the
great lakes, and connecting with the great
water system of the st. Lawrence, with it's
many roads to the sea. You occupy also the
great highway between Europe and Asia. The
hand-workers have been the great power that
gave persistent and efficient force to our Revo-
luton, and have been the balance-wheel that
has preserved democratic-republican institr-
tons in this country and prevented the alb
sorption of power by the General Government,
and it's withdrawal from local governments and
the people, aFE-..5H hJ. uui
I claim for the hand-workers of the Missis-
sippi valley that they are less incapacitated for
this work by poverty and ignorance than any
other people IN the world, and have the power
also, by their numerical majority, to dictate
who shall make and administer the laws of
eighteen out of the thirty-eight States of the
Union, and have power, moral and political, to
influence the making and administration of the
laws of the nation. . . s.
Mr.. Young, of the Bureau of Statistics at
Washington, divides the population of the coun-
try engaged in the different pursuits into about
100000 of agriculturists, 100000 of wage
workers, upward of 100000 engaged in the
professions, and less than 1900, 900 engaged In
trade and transportation, i. e., the commercial
class 1t is easy to see where the numerical
majority resides.
The metropolitan press has, almost without
exception, been controlled in the interest of
GENERALIZATION,
which is always popular with the money power.
and the mercantile classes. Notwithstanding
Guttb Uu0 ultSS0S nave uau lew great uoWSpd-
pers, no periodicals, and few greatly lauded
leaders to advocate their cause, they have, nev-
ertheless, by their votes for the most part. con-
trolled the Government of the United States
throughout it's history.
Great political commissions, like the slavery
agitation, disintegrate parties and make new
divisions of their atoms but the individuals
must eventually subside into the two great par
ties-one contending for the welfare of the
tho other for 10 If
the few.
Your power can only be exercised when the
possession of it is realized, and the necessary
organization and concert of action is secured.
Of your power hand-workers of Illinois, I'M
der these circumstances Of organization and
concert of action, we have this day, and in this
capital, beheld a browning manifestation.
Two years ago you decided to organize and to
bring your voting power to bear upon the po-
htical affairs of your State. Through the
efforts of this and kindred associative organ
izations, a concert of action was secured be-
tween the farmers, miners and mechanics of
the State. You nominated, voted for and
elected, four members of the national House of
Representatives, more than five members of the
Illinois State Senate, and more than twenty
members of the Illinois House of Representa-
tives also the Superintendent of Public In
struction in your State, and Judge of the SUI
preme Court of Illinois, as well as numerous
county and municipal officers. And to-day your
representatives in the General Assembly have,
on joint ballot, "broken the states of both
the Democratic" and Republican" polti-
clans and elected the man of your selection
Senator of the United States.* All this, be it
remembered however, is the result of
ORGANIZATION
and effort of two years ago. Since which you
have almost wholly abandoned your political
organization, and have for the most part been
driven into the ranks of one Or other of the
political parties by their "whippers-in." You,
therefore, have an experimental knowledge of
your power when organized. united and active
and of your weakness when unorganized, di-
vided and inactive. You have power, and if the
spirit of this annual meeting of the Farmers
Association meets with sympathy and support,
the farmers of Illinois will not permit the
power which they evidently possess to remain
latent and unused.
The mere use of power to secure office for
ourselves or friends, for the mere sake Of Off
cial emoluments, is not worth an effort. But
persistent labor for the advancement Of true
civilization and the full development of the
manhood of our people, by the removal OF
those obstacles that have been placed in the
way by government and can therefore be re-
L 1DG.@z Il L I