The Labor enquirer., 1883-06-30
under the shadow of one Of these grasp

ing corporations has any rights which
he can safely call his own, free from the
influence Of the corporation, which
views with Jealous eyes any attempt on
the part of any individual to interfere
with what it is pleased to term its vested
rights. / have in writing my speech to
be delivered in Fort Collins on the
Fourth of July, given my idea of a
statesman. In doing this it became nee
essary to touch upon the two great and
growing evils of our Immediate future,
and | have not hesitated to speak as
plainly on this subject as know how.
The country and its liberties were never
in 80, much danger as now. We are
drifting along the silent but deep and
powerful tide to a. condition of slavery
more abject than that from which our
fathers rescued us hundred years ago.
Yorktown had better been the scene of
the success Of the British arms if we are
to drift back to a condition beside which
the condition of the negroes in Congo is
a perfect elysium, and this is where we
are going unless the law is invoked to
cut off the arms of this Briareus No
man has right to any more land than
is necessary. for the support of himself
and his family, and where more than
this has passed into the hands of man
or a corporation, it should be taken away
and given to the men who will work the
land for the benefit of the human race,
instead Of keeping it fenced in from
settlers. What right has any man to
fence in 100000 acres of the public do
main? WHY should a corporation own
as much land, which it, cannot use, as is
contained in one of our greatest states
1t is all wrong, and don't propose to sit
still in my place in congrese and see this
great evil going on without raising my
voice in behalf of the oppressed in in
dignant protest against this great wrong.
"Another thing that demands correc-
ton is the present systems by which the
railroads unite to prevent that competi-
ton which would protect the people. |
tell you that the rates charged for the
transportation of~our freights are out
'rageous. But even that is not so bad if
they were regular, but l say emphati-
cally that no man has right to have
his freight transported cheaper than
mine simply because he is able to buy,
with the money which he has earned
with the sweat of another mans brow,
100000 pounds of wheat, while | can.
only buy sack Of -four at O time. I
would give to every man the right to
run his own engine and cars over any
railroad, subject only to such tolls as are
necessary to pay fair interest on the
cost of the road-bed | would allow no
man to have his freight carried lower
than his .neighbor. l would compel the
roads to publish their rates, and l would
make it penal offense for any road to
change those rates until after reasonable
notice. Who ever heard of a company
owning it's toll road ard the horses and
wagons that are run upon it? Who
ever heard of canal company owning
all the boats that are borne by it's
waters And yet we have railroad,
trolling not only all of the rolling stock
used, but the land through which it
passes, and by means Of bribery, cor
ruption and intimidation, the very COM
munity from which it attains it support.
Why, it would be no more absurd to or
ganize a company to control the sea and
all the mighty fleets which sail upon its
| bosom. | tell you that railroad as well
as canal or turnpike, is public high
way and every man should have right
to use it in the same manner. Railroads
have no right to foot of land, but only
| to the use of so much as is necessary to
their purposes, and that only as long as
they use it for the benefit Of the public.
| The moment they become oppressive, as
they are now, they should be abated like
any other nuisance"
isn't your talk very much like COM
munism ?"
II don't care if it is tell you that
such Injustice as this which We suffer to-
day is what makes communists. Why
these land leagues and murders and
dynamite plots 1t is because of the
enormous tracts Of lands owned by faml-
lies. What Great Britain is trying to
rid herself of, we are trying to fasten
upon ourselves by granting our magniti-
cent public domain to half dozen cor
poratIons.
II don't care what you newspaper tel-
lows say about me- you can call me a
communist If you like. You are all tied
up to some interest which you dare not
offend. The hand of the corporation is
powerful and far-reaching. But | shall
not keep still. | do not care whether l
go to congress or not, and I do not, pro-
pose to see this bl1ghting shadow of land
oligarchy sweeping over the country
without raising my voice in protestatlon
and warning"
| Why Not!
To the Editor of The Labor Enquirer
DENVER, June 27.-Knights of Labor,
| thronrh Won TO every labor man | ap-