Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-07-17

VINO manufacture our raw materi-
ais and prepare them for use;
third, distributors of these pro-
duets. Each should be protected
in the legitimate fruits and
profits of their labor, but should
not be permitted to extort from
and enslave the others.
The great problem of our organ
ization is now to bring the produ-
Ger and consumer together. This
can only be done by providing an
adequate cirulating medium, aud
by rigid regulating of inter-
State commerce and transporta-
ton. This was wisely foreseen
by the trainers ofthe Constitution,
and accordingly by the eighth Sec
ton of article first, Congress is
clothed with power "to regulate
commerce with foreign nations
and among the States" This pow
er imposes corresponding duty
upon Congress to see that it is en-
forced. The two great agents of
commerce are money and trans
portation. 1t is undeniable that
both of these agents are under the
absolute control of monopolies.
BY controlling the volume of mon
ey the banks fix the price OF all
labor and property, and the rail-
roads by combination render COM
petition impossible and control alb
solutely the price of transporta-
ton. This places the public be-
tween the upper and lower mill
stones, and grinds them to power
ty and ruin. 1t results in the
wholesale robbery of both produ-.
Ger and consumer. Who is able
to controvert this stupendous fact?
Farmers planters and laboring men
of the United States, I beseech
you to open your eyes at once to
this alarming condition of things
am especially thankful that the
platform of the party which plac-
ed me in nomination is open, bold
and unmistakable on these great
questions. wA
The Republican and Democrat
lie platforms are either silent with
regard to these vital issues or they
have pronounced in favor of the
monopolies and againts the:people.
With fifty millions of people look
ing them in the face and pleading
for relief, they utter not one word
of promise or hope Their leaders
and platform makers are in the
tolls of the syndicate, gigantic
bank corporations and railroad
monopolies and have neither des-
position nor courage to strike one
generous blow for industrial eman-
cipation. An area of our public
domain, larger than the territory
occupied by the German Empire
has been wantonly donated to
wealthy corporations, while the
bill introduced by Hon. Hendrick
B. Wright of Pennsylvania to ena-
bic our poor people to reach and
occupy the few acres remaining,
has been secuted, ridiculed and
defeated in Congress. In coEse-
quence of this stupendous system
of land grabbing, millions of the
young Len of America, and mill
lions more of industrious people
from abroad seeking homes in the
New World, are left homeless and
and destitute. The public domain
must be sacredly reserved to actu-
al settlers, and where corporations
have not complied strictly with
the terms of their grants the lands
should be at once reclaimed. I'm
migration Of persons from foreign
countries seeking homes and de-
string to become citizens of the
United States should be encourag-
ed /; but the importation Of Chin
csc servile laborers should be pro-
hibited by stringent laws.
While the 'bondholder has been
paid gold in return for his depre-
ciated currency, our affairs, our
Union, our homes and our money,
and whose blood consecrated ev-
cry battle field, from Belmoner
and Donelson, and Gettysburg,
and Appomatox, are denied the
pittance justly due them under
the contract with the Government
AS though soldiers and sailors
could live on gratitude alone! By
the answer of Secretary Sherman
of June 10, 1880. to the Senate res
olutioD of inquiry, itappears that
the Government paid the soldiers
in greenbacks during the war of
the rebellion 81, 49,5l9,l35. The
total interest raid in gold on the
public debt from July /, 1861, to
June 80, 1879, was $l,S0s. 3O1 ,4s5.
The soldier has been taxed to pay
this interest, while the bondhold-
er has gone free. During the present
Congress it has been impossible to
induce the Committees to report a
single bill 70 remedy the existing
evils The i'm Committees