Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1881-06-09
GEN. WEAVER.


1t is patent to the most casual oh.
server that the two old parties are
thoroughly burned out, and, like two
huge piles of burned limestone, are
rapidly shaking. The present eXhibi-
tiOn made in the senate of the United
States, by what is supposed to be the
wsest delberative body on earth, has
greatly disgusted the American people.
The machinery supposed to be necessa-
ry TO the protection of 50,000,00O of
people is absolutely at Il standstill.
And what is it all about? Is it a great
struggle, such as took place when Gen.
Banks was elected speaker of the
house? Certainly not. That was II
struggle for supremacy between free
dom and slavery. 1t was the new civ
ili2ation against the old. 1t was the
irrcpresSibIe conflict. But now it was
purely a contest for spOils, and is with
in itsclfa vcrilicatiOn of what we have
said concerning the two old parties
during the late campaign. Nothing
can save this country from such hui
initiation but the speedy dissolution of
those parties. They must give way
for the new sovereign, the National
party. | call your memories back to-
night to the time when a new party
displaced the Democratic party from
power in 1860. The ancient foe of the
Democratic party, the Wing party, had
been unsuccessful through Il series of
contests in its attempts to dsplace the
slave Oligarchy from control of the
government. When the Wing party
had the good sense TO die, the new par
ty took on the full strength of the free
soil element of the country and sent
Abraham Lincoln, "thG nOblest Roman
Of them ALL" TO the White House.
And so, after quarter of century Of
defeat on the part of the Democratic
party, history is about TO repeat itself
again, and TO give place and power to
a new organization that will take mp
the battle where the present parties
have left ii, and overthrow the triple
tyranny under which the people are
grOaning.
This brings me to the theme Of the
CvCning-Our transition from il rCpub-
lie TO an 0lgarchy. The first step
toward the cnslayCmcnt of u people is
the impOvCliShmcnt Of the labOring
classes by turning the profits of their
labor into the hands Of others. THIS
wealth is used TO strengthen the power
Of the usurpcrs, and then in turn to
CnSlayc those from whom it was
wrcnchcd. The occasion is afforded
by the happening Of some unfortunate
calamity, such as war, or great scarcity
Of the ncCCsSariCS of life. The great
nIlfS of mankind suffer during these
periods; the few profit by their suffer
ing, and wrcst from the people adyal-
tagcs which are rarely ever peacefully
rcgaimcd. The biography of nations is
but melancholy witness to this pain
tul truth. Examples are numerous in
every age Of the world. We read in
the forly-scventI chapter of Genesis
that the King of Egypt at one time,
anticipating period of scarcity, had
secured u monopoly Of the products of
the empire. Through Joseph, his
prime minister he sold these products
to the people, until he had absorbed all
their money. The famine continued,
and the people came begging for bread.
They were then Informed that the king
would further exchange his surplus for
their cattle and horses. The people
complied and thus the king obtained
control over their rude means of trans
pOrtation. The third year the king
exchanged his surplus corn for the
lands and homes of the people, and re-
duccd the whole population to slavery,
eXacting 20 per cent. per annum there
after Of all their products. For II new
beginner, | think Pharoah averages
pretty well with our modern kings of
the rail. say the whole population
were thus reduced, but there was one
class exempt from the burdens which
fell upon the common pcople-thc
priesthood answering to the bonded
ariSlocracy of to-day. When the con.
stitution of Our fathers received the
popular sanction and became the
supreme law of the young republic, it
was believed that sufficient guarantees
had been thrown around the liberties
Of the people, and it was also
believed that there would be wisdom
and virtue enough among the mas.
Scs to protect themselves from mfore.
seen dangers likely TO arise. Through
brief century of alternate war and
peace, storm and'sunshine, tempest and
calm, we have thus far demonstrated
our ability to govern ourselves and de-
Gend the citadel of popular govern
ment against foreign and domestic foes
But the seyerest test is yet to come
and already the advance guards of the
opposing forces are about their work
Picket firing can be heard all along the
line, and, from the dense clouds of dust
visible along the great highways OF
public thought, it must he apparent tC
all that the great opposing forces are
marching out to take their positions in
the line of battle. The struggle is be.
tween the republic on the one hand and
the seductive influence and hcartlcs'
tyrannyOf uncontrolled corporate power
on the other. Are we able TO drink OF
this cup also and be baptized with bap
tsm? This is the great question re
quiring settlement at our hands. Thus
far, through all history from the cradle
of our race to the present hour, it is ;
melancholy fact that no nation has eve
preserved its liberties against the scduc
tive influence of vast accumulation O
wealth and money in tho hands of the
few. The reason is obvious. Thes,
vast fortunes are pillaged from TIL,
many by unjust laws, and the result il
want, and in the end slavery to th,
great mass of the people. The rea
freeman is he who, through honest ex
crtion, is well fed and comfortably clad
and who through industry and econom,
is able TO acquire home of his own
and any government or regulation o
society which denies these blessings l.
any class of its citizens is an unmiti
galcd tyranny and is destructive of th
very end for which government is in
Stituled. Is there Il lady or gentleman
III This audience SO thOuphtlpss rs 4