The semi-weekly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1879-1882, 1882-01-16
PURITY OF THE BALLOT.
Essay read at last meeting ofNew Jersey
State Grange.

the wealth and political influence of mon
opolies, has subverted popular govern.
ment. and threatens the existence of our
Republic; we therefore earnestly solicit
the assistance of all good citizens and
farmers Of our country to re-establish a
government for the people, by the people,
!, in lieu of government by corporations.
| To Justify our belief, we cite that the
capital of the railroads is given at 81, 500,-
100000, telegraph capital at $SO.0O0,0OO,
standard oil 100000, 600, anthracite coal
| 100000, 900, and bank capital "a pure
monopoly if the greenbacks" be With
drawn, as is advocated) S650.0O0. DOC. <
An aggregate of S3,430,0O0, 900. The
capital Of the old United States Bank was
$35, 100000 Since 1880 the population
of this country has quadrupled, while the
capital of the combined monopolies is
niuety-eight times the capital of the in
y tuition which Jackson and his party
believed menaced the life of the Republic,
and believing SO, destroyed. We cite that
these corporations have debauched our
| politics; that in msny elections, their
money controls the result. The intelli-
gent, thinking, uncorrupt mass of citizens
| are practically DISTINGUISHED. OF what
worth is the shadow, if we have lost the
substance Of the ballot? In some states
the railroads control the elections of
United States Senators. ThesPenn. RI,
has one ofits officers in the U. s. Senate. So
has the Baltimore and Ohio. 1t is said
and believed that the railroads control the
the Senate and the Supreme Court of the
Nation. Yet more alarming the New
York Tribune, after saying ''the time is
near when the banks will feel compelled
to act strongly" states that meanwhile a
very good thing has been done, the ma
chinery is now furnished by which, in
emergency, the financial corporations of
the East can act together, al single DAVIS
notice, with such power that no act of
Congress can overcome or resist their de-
cison." A late Congress was composed
Of 120 bankers, 80 lawyers, and Of the
remainder IA were merchants, Is man.
ufscturers, doctors, 4 mechanics. No
farmer among them, yet we out-rank in
wealth and numbers all other classes
combined. What.has been the effect of
the Legislation of these men on agriculture?
You know its effects in the East. bnt
what of the West? An Iowa farmer. an
ex-Congressman, has made this matter a
subject of inquiry. He declares, whereas
few years ago Iowa was SO free of en-
cumbrance, that it was said man could
walk across the State without stepping on
mortgaged property, that he personally
knows of one company, OF recent origin,
which has placed under mortgage to
Eastern capitalists, ten thousand Iowa
farms; then he finds the same state of
affairs to exist all over the country. If
this continues, the land must eventually
go out of the possession of the class now
holding it. Fiye-sixths of the land of
England has thus been taken from the
English farmers within the present CEN
fury. We submit that we are following
in the footsteps of Rome. So sure as a
like effect follows similar cause, so sure.
if no remedy be fonud, will the civiliza-
ton Of this epoch succumb to the infiuen-
ces, which have overthrown the almost
equal civilization of earlier eras. What
is the remedy? The foundation, the bed
rock, rpon which alone an opposition to
the unjust exactions of corporate ayarice
can successfully be founded, by which
alone our liberties can be preserved, is
the purity of the ballot, So long as po-
litical corruption exists, SO long will free
suffrage be but mockery, and justice to
production be denied. Politicians may
promise. political conventions may pass
resolutions, but upon US farmers, who are
the one great class, which can stand erect
in Its manhood and dares 10 think, and
speak, and act, influenced only by what
Is wrong. most devolve the initiation and
accomplishment of successful reform. 1t
il but a question of time when this Re-
public will die, if we do not resolve that
bribery in elections must cease We
appeal to you, as you love your homes, as
you value yonr Liberties, to crush this
monster. We have an organization, glo-
rious in its pos Utilities. If we but grasp
its power with firm hand, resolute will,
and pure purpose, we can preserve our
Republic from the usurpations of corpo.
rate ayarice and the boundless ambition or
vindictive revenge of the demagogue.
Our second duty is to attend the pri.
maries and secure the selection of dele
gates, Of proved capacity, Of tested fidelity
to our interests, who will nominate men
OF similar qualities to represent US in the
State and Nation. Accomplish these
reforms and we secure the control of the
government. Of each are we the master,
then whose fault, whose crime is it that
we are so poorly represented, and our
politics the Nations reproach?
We affirm that to purify the ballot and
attend the primaries, are duties we owe
as members of the Grange, duties we owe
our chIldrin, that we may transmit to
them the Liberties born of the blood OF
our fathers, baptised with the blood ofour
sons and brothers, consecrated by the
bitter grief of widowed wives and orphan
chiidr en-, solemn duties we owe to human.
lty. which for unknown generations has
suffered stripes, has suffered imprisonment
and torture, and martyrdom,-<lat this
Republic, which secures to US freedom OF
speech, of action, of conscience, nigh,
kave life.
The Grange wastes, because it exhibits
avital interest in no great question, be-
cause it urges no great refsrm with an
active zeal. Without partisanship but in
search of truth. we should discuss the
problems OF political economy. Nc
questions concern Us more, none are les,
understood. When we have made iust
decision, let US stand by our conviction.
With unfinching frmness, and by The
ballot, voice them, until they resound il
the halls OF Congress, and echo through
the departments of the government.
Fe.,ow farmers. look not On the ordel
with disheartened hopes; but inspired by
the grand thought that in our hands il
the destiny of the best gcvel nment mar
ever founded, so ACT That Ear into III,
depths of the dim future, men shall recog
nize the Grange as the saw or of tn,
Republic. The conservater Of human
liberty.
J. WALTER PANCOAST,
CHAIRMAN OF CoM.uITrEE.
| 1880 600 00C- circulation in rounf