The Labor enquirer., 1884-11-01


Chicago to New York for from one to
TWO dollars. What Is to be said, then, Of
roads that charge six to eight cents per
lmile9 Freight rates are almost equally
lexorbitant. Gigantic swindling Of the
people which congress connives at and
makes no efforts to suppress. 4.
The custom of making public debts by
Issuing bonds and funding them is not q
very old invention. It is one of the
best expedients the world ever saw for
lrobbing and skinning the people and
making them slaves without the system
sEof chattel slavery. Many nations are
loaded down with enormous debts
which never will be paid sAnd which are
bringing sure and certain ruin on them.
This system Is making millions of pau
pers and few millienaires, Our own
4 funded debt has already taxed the hon
est industry OF the country a sum greater
than the mind of man can grasp. 1t
will continue to require the daily sweat
and toll of millions of laborers and pro-
ducers to keep the interes. paid up.
These and many other similar acts too
numerous to mention, have been enacted
by the republican party, and constitute a
load heavy enough tosink it into ever
lasting oblivion, and coming generations
/ will pass the judgment that these acts
deserve Not that many democrats have
not also been instrumental in passing
these laws and are thus far equally i'm
plicated and equally guilty; nor do / say
that every republican has supported these
measures But the whole of this treach-
erous legislation is. charged to the repub-
lican party, because they claim that they
have administered the government in
the last twenty-four years, by which
they assume the whole RESPONSE bility,
and ignore any participation by the dem
ocrats. And, furthermore, they havethe
effrontery to, appeal to the country
for commendation of these wise
and benefcent laws, and on the strength
of them demand a continuance of power.
So far from this claim being true, there
is not citil governmenton the fare of
the earth that has during the same pc
riod of time passed more unjust and un-
righteous laws, or, more acts calculated
to defraud and impoverish the people, or
more acts which have made them the
Victims of money-sharks who have rob-
bed them of millions and even billions
of dollars, or more acts which have
bound fetters upon the limbs of honest
industry and crushed thousands of labor
ers into the ditch of poverty. Nearly
every law they. have passed has been IN
the interests of money-rings, money
kings and gold gamblers. Even the
homestead law. as shown above. was
passed for the benefit of the railroad
companies.
Theirpresent candidate for president
has pfostit1ted the high of6ces entrusted
to him by the people, to enrich himself
and benefit corporations. at/
Now, let no one think that the demo-
cratic party is better ormpre worthy of
support. when did the democrats ever
1 come before the people on truly demo-
cratic platform, denouncing the measures
passed by their opponents and adyocat-
ing sound measures for the benefit Of the
people Of the country9 True, they have
appealed to the country to be placed in
power, but without any distinct and de-
fined issues. The democratic party
| claims always to have been the friend of
the laboring classes. Let their pro-
slavery proclivities answer; let their
treatment of General Butler in the Chi
cago convention answer; let their con-
tinual snubbings of the best and ablest
man in the democratic party to-day Allan
G. Thurman, of Ohio; let these things
answer Let their choice of-candidate
for president answer. They claim to be
the party of thepeople. Why have they
not kept up with the progressive ideas of
the people? Why are the honest men
of both the old parties coming out of
them and forming new partyP Let no
man be deceived. The record of there
publican party and its candidate is a
guarantee of what the people may ex-
,pect from that party if continued in
power. The want of a record by the
democratic party, and the damnable
record of its candidate while governor
of New York, is no guarantee of any
prospective change for the better at their
hands.
Men of America The seed of decay is
in our civilization it has already sprung
up aDdis growing, and will soon bear
fruit in the destruction of your rights
and your yaunted Liberties!
History tells us plainly that no coun-
| try can long exist where are found only
two classes, the exceedingly rich and the
very poor. 1t is that way We ale drift
| ing now!
Ruin and destruction stare MS in the
4 face!
/ Upl and be doing Draw out of the
old party lines! Yoteas your conscience
bids you Show that you are men,
worthy of the fathers who founded this
government Exercise your God-giyen
rights, and join the ranks of those who