Omaha daily bee., 1885-09-16
"A FARMERS FRIEND.
Who DGVOteS HS Fim1 and Energy 10
The BGttGring Of Labor.
Tha Speech Of Senator Van Wyok
at Lincoln.
Excoriating Monopoly Nabobs and
Railroad Kings
A II Monster Audience and an Exec lent
addrees-A Well-Timed Hit III
EobrAs l<a Legislators,
Senator Van wyck's Address

Senator Van Wyck's Address.
Special Telegram to The BEE.
LINCOLN, Neb., Sept. 15.-The Academy OF
Music was well fll.d last evening, notwith-
standing the large number of other attractions
In Lincoln to listen to Senator Charles II,
Van Wyck. The Hon. j. Burroughs, presi-
dent OF the Farmers Alliance of Nebraska,
presided, and in few well chosen words in
trcducsd the speaker.
Senator Van Wyck, after few preliminary
remarks concerning the large attendance ct
the state fair and the attention It drew from
farmers, launched out into one Of the most
brilliant and pointed speeches ever made in
Nebraska. He said that the purpose and
object of mankind was to improve their con-
dition, and that the human race was always
looking up to something higher and
better. No portion OF the human family la
bors for the pleasure of the laboring. An in
dication of this fact were the devices constantly
produced to save the strength and energies of
man. Cities are now buried underneath an
cent volcanoes and deserts, which were as
grand as any built by human agency to-day.
We have read, and many remember the time
when grain was cut by syckle and winnowed
by hand. The principal element and strength
of the country are the tillers of the soil. They
labor for their own advancement and mental
improvement. But the laboting classes of
to-day are but little advanced over those of
most an ,ient times, and all because of the
moneyed power of the world. Underneath
the shadows of Gould's and Vanderbilt's man
sons in New York, women are to-day making
| shirts at three csnts apiece and wearing away
their lives. In the beginning of things all
persons were on an equal fuoting. Then a
few began to gather in money. Wealth has
always been the dominant power all over the
4 nnnE NF Ahn
United States has made this country more
lib,ral one than any European power. At
whas epoch money asserted It's power over the
masses history does not show. Coming down
TO period eighteen hundred years ago the
labor problem was ono which attracted atten-
tion the same as it does now. The owner of
vineyard wanted men to work in his fields.
He went out and hired men for penny
day. At the third or fourth hour he
found he could not finish his work and went
out in the highway, and, beholding men not
working, said to them: why stand ys here
idle ali the day? ?" They explained they
could get no work, and he said: Come
Rs1 go@ my isbor yn'ya1Sd and pas pas you will we svs
Aud thoy went with h m at the eleventh hour.
The vineyard owner, still having his vines un
plucked, went egain into the highway and got
more men. When the labors of the day were
finished, and the men paid, they all received
tne samo sum-one penpy. ihose "ho
worked all day protested that they had borne
the heat of the hot sun, and were entitled to
more pay, when the owner said: SIS it not
la wful for me to do with miue own as l like?"
The same apswer is made t, the laborer of
to-day when be asks for justice.
Coming down eighteen hundred years
let me ask you how far have we got from the
vineyard stage. Boss Tweed said: What
are you going to do about it? and Vanderbilt
told the pnblic later on to ''be damned"
Wealth to-day holds the world by the throat.
Whils English serfs are uploosipg their hold OF
aristocrats, the free serfs Of America are firm
ly held in shackles of steel. They submit
bilt, according to the census of 1885, could
have bought the entire states of Kansas and
Nebraska with all their cities, towns and vii
lagos, and still have moderate fortune left
The agressivehess of monopoly could be
stopped but only by the ballots OF free peo-
pie. Ths speaker said that daily labor was
supposed to represent the fortune of the hu-
man race He wanted to know how much
toll and how many days Of labor the $500, Geo..
600 of money owned by Gould and Vanderbilt
represented. Lab ring men were told that
they were prosperous and happy, and when
they objected rich men laughed and asked
what they would accomplish. The agitation
of slavery was an analogous case. Men were
called demagogues and cranks who advocated
il, just the same as the men now are called
cranks who ask for Justice for the farmers.
A few years ago the Nebraska Legislature
was confronted with bill to reduce pas
sepger rates to three cents mile. There was
tie vote In the senate, which was decided by
the president of the senate voting against the
measure Men sent to the legislature have
betrayed their constituents. Railroad organs
aud their cappers patted these foolish lepis-
lators on the back, gave them drink, and
called them great legislators, and the poor,
deudsd men were body and soul In the power
of the companies. This state of things would
not al ways exist, and the time would come
when the people would rise and declare their
power.
The senator at this point spoke of the great
discrimination of Nebratka railroads against
the people, and compared them with Iowa
roads, which gave one hundred per cent less |
rates and were satisfied When he referred |
to the Reagan interstate commerce bill, and |
the Nebraska legislators endorsement of his |
own advocacy Of 1t, the large audience chsered |
enthusiastically.
He then spoke of the railroad commission |
force and the catering 1t did to railroads. If
Gere had been In the hall he must have
blushed. II he had such an article about him,
which is very much doubted by all who
know HIM. The senator closed with
an eloquent peroratiop, after which he shook
hands and received the congratulations of a
ma jority of those present. He leaves to-day
Tor his home In Nebraska City.