Omaha daily bee., 1885-10-12
AN APPEAL TO PRODUCERS.
Organize and Protect Your own In
terests by the Ballot.

terestS by the Ballot
NORFOLK, Neb Oct. lotto the Ed
itor. Permit me to say few words to
my fellow laborcrs through the columns
of the producers pride, the fearless,
busy BEE, " and if possible arouse them
to action Let us stop moment for in'
vestigation and see if the greater part OF
the producers oppression is not due to
the unnatural and unjust system of lano
ownership, Now, suppose we pass a law
limiting the ownership of land to 100
acres, would not such law knock lots
of wind out of monopoly sails?" If all
who wanted it had land enough to raise
their bread and meat, capital could not
then force them to work for starvation
wages for they would then have homq
of their own and could work for them.
selves. AS il is now one man can own
10000 or 100, 900 acres of land and all that
live on it, and with the modern improve.
mCnts in machinery can dispense
in IA great measure with hired help,
thus forcing them to the cities to vie with
each othcrin their struggle for existence,
and undcrbid on labor in order to get thu
renowned "half loaf that is better than
no bread. Why not, also, pass II law
that will ctlectually prohibit usury, and
thus guard against Il repetition of the
Financial round up" of 1878 and 1879 in
Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and
Kansas, that made so many men who
had half paid for their farms take up
their chattcls and thurn their eyes west.
ward, while the agents of the money
lOancrs sent the sheriff to sell them out?
In Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas
the same state of affairs exists to-day.
know of scores of farmers who are pay
ing two per cent II month on loans Sc
cured by mortgage on their farms, and il
the eastern money lords turn the screws
a little more the farmers" will have to
move ON again.
Believing that our only avenue OF
escape from our present serfdom lies in
perfect organization, ! appeal in all sin
ccrlty to every man who works with his
hands to lay aside all party ailliation
and in II measure initiate "capital' by
forming cooperative protection labor or
glnizations with platform constructed
Ike that of the Knights of Labor, upon
which the best interests of farmer and
laborer stand perfectly identical, and
then lnauguratG system for binding Rr.
Legislator TO strict and faithful per.
formance of his duties and obligations to
his constituents, with II mortgage on his
carcass that wili be foreclosed rs surely
as he sell, out to the monopolists. Use
every effort to nominate and elect only
men possessed of native honesty and
courage enough to act from a sense OF
Justice regardless of party.
Fellowlaborcrs, there is no power on
earth that can keep us from adjusting
our wrongs since the producers cast more
than two thirds of the ballots on
every election day in the United
States. 1t is for us to say whether that
Grand old warrior who has so faithfully
stood by the p6opiic throughout his whole
career in the United States senate will
be his own successor, or whether it will
be some big railroad lawyer. II must
certainly be plain to every thinking man
that if the old United States senator who
was the prime cause of all the railroad
land revcrting back to the people during
the last two years would sell out for
money, that the railroad corporations
would have added the name of Chas. H.
Van Wyck to their long list of cappers
long ago. What greater assurance do
we want OF his sterling worth than his
past record in the United States senate,
and the deep and bitter opposition he
meets with at the hands of the railroad
and other monopolies. Although II life
long democrat the writer will never let
bigoted party utilization prevent his
voting in 1885 for the state senator who
satisfies him that he Will vote first, last,
and always for G, H. Van Wyck
A DEMOCRAT.