The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-10-23
AN APPEAL AND ADDRESS

To the Merchants, Farmers, Arti-.
cans, Mechanics and LabOring
Men Of the Fourth Congress
siOnal District Of Iowa.
We ask your cooperation In the
present political contest, which lie nm
effort to obtain such remedial legis-
lation rs will secure Just relations
between labor and capital, place pro-
ductive and commercial industry on
sound and enduring basis and
make our governmental theory OF
legal equality an established reality.
THE SITUATION.
Every joint In our industrial body
In dislocated. Millions are upon the
verge OF starvation, yet the food
producers OF the West are ruined by
the very abundance OF crops unsal-
able Mt the cost OF production. Mil
lions are almost naked, yet the store
houses OF the East are bursting with
goods.
, With a country possessed OF every
essential condition OF production -
with natural resources Of which we
have scarcely scratched the surface ;
with manufacturing machinery and
capital 30 abundant that the en-
ployment on short time OF but por-
ton OF 1t creates a glut OF products
with transporting facilities In excess
OF every demand hundreds OF thous-
ands OF laborers are unemployed,
under fed and half clothed.
Railroads are defaulting their In
Observation-Disclosures vast stores
OF freight are at their termini await
Ing transportation and profitable
exchange. Mines, mills aud factories
are continually shutting down, sus-
pending and locking out, while stall
wart labor stands helplessly by
demanding labor. food, clothing and
shelter.
And rs II to augment the evil,
cheap servile labor, under contract
at wages inadequate to supply even
the meanest necessities OF human
existence Ia imported from the old
world by the protected capitalists and
manufacturers, and placed In conflict
with the free labor OF the country.
Banks are full Of money but legiti-
mate industry cannot obtain loans
except at rates destructive to every
business enterprise.
Strikes by laborers, lockouts by
employers, failures OF merchants and
manufacturers, bankruptcy OF rail
roads, defalcations OF bankers and
trustees, suicides OF despairing men
and women are the current topics OF
the daily press and the incidents OF
disjointed industry.
Thus with men, money, machinery,
mines, ailroads-every natural and
every artificial condition requisite to
great and uninterrupted prosperity
We have industrial paralysis and
commercial lethargy, tho direct re-
suit Of unjust aud unwise legislation
and without hope OF future better
ntent.
THE REMEDY.
Believing that the disordered in
dustry and business here described,
and the unjust and unequal distri-
button OF the products OF labor, are
due to the existence of corporate
monopolies created and maintained
by Legislation enacted by the party
having had administrative control
OF the government during the past
two decades we therefore demand
and ask change In behalf Of the
labor and producing interests OF the
nation. Without pretending to
know all that Is needed to bring re-
lief to labor, and to eradicate our
national evils. We believe that grea,
good will be apparent when the pub.
lie lands are wrested from specula-
tors; from alien syndicates and rail.
road iobhers and given to actual set
tiers In moderate quantities; when
railroads arc under control OF law,
compelling honest construction and
management; impartiality between
persons and places: moderate dlvi.
dends; protection to employees and
uniform, permanent and reasonable
rates of transportation for person
and property; when tho currency oil
the country, instead of being under
the control OF, and regulated in vol.
ame by men chosen by the banking
corporal ems, Is taken from them
and restored to the people through
their representatives in congress, as
contemplated by the constitution
and In conformity with the decision.
VI our supreme court, thus making
1t uniform in volume, value and debt.
paying power: when taxes are equit.
ably assessed and honestly collected
when public moneys collected from
the people are only applied to pub.
lie purposes; when the enormous
sums In the public treasury are cas-,
into productive channels, and wher
the administration Of justice gives
the poor an equal chance with the
rich In our courts.