The examiner., 1886-06-26

tpOWefS OI Europe to IOrn a league, Wllcl
 finally culminated in the Holy Alliance That league of absolutism against the
 rights and the freedom of the nations
 The league that lent aid to each of the na-
 tions to destroy the revolutions, and inter-
 nal dissensions brought about by the cry
 for reform. But notwithstanding this
 combination of power the reforms still
 went on, and when the league undertook
 to apply their principles of absolutism to
 this hemisphere they met with a rebuke l from James Monroe the president of this
 country that has caused them to keep their | hands off ever since.
 Again we have an example of great
 reform brought about by agitation in the l English nation. The passage of the reform 1 bill of 1882 was the work of great and la bored agitation of the people. It was the stepping stone to other great and needed | reforms. From this agitation came the re- peal of the corn laws in 1946 and finally
 the free trade policy of England that has made her the greatest commercial and maritime nation on tue face of the world. It took nearly fifty years to accomplish this complete reform in England, but had the people had the same poWer-the power of the ballot-as have the people of this coun- try, it could have been brought about in much shorter time.
 The reform of the abuses of the tOiling masses of this country was started as l have already said quite number of years ago. It was undertaken and has been car- ried on up to the present time by the pro cess of agitation. If we had time at this hour to review the work we should discover that many points have been gained and not one lost. He who says that the work of organized labor thus far has been fail ure is either an enemy or fool. It has spread the alarm of the development and agressiveness of great capitalists and cor porations. It hat taught the masses that unless this development and aggression is checked it will lead to the approximation and degradation of labor. It has taught labor that the time has come to check this unjust accumulation, and the power for evil of aggregated wealth, and the most inn portant of all, it has taught the masses that their object cannot be accomplished except by their own united efforts; and to- day, for the first time in the history of this nation, the bone and sinew of the land, that has made our country what she is, are united and ready for action.
 From this hour of their work how shall they act. What can they do to accomplish the reform? How proceed in the work that has gone along so many years with such good results Not by war, for that would rebound on their heads and destroy the work already done. Not by agitation, for that is complete. When good general is about to meet the opposing army in bat tie, he first makes study of the fortifica- tons against him, the arms and implements of the enemy and his method of warfare. If we look into the camp of the enemy of labor at this time, on the eve of the battle, what do we find. We find them in control of the wealth of the land ;-the public lands the railroads; the telegraphs; the banks; the official positions; the army; the nation al police system; the judges on the bench; l all the great corporations; all the law mak 1 ing power; the power of taxing the people; | and lastly and more important than all the | control the ballot of the country. R8 g5 ths lIs thsH r 2Hn the tollsFs body and soul boycott, while your enemy controls the Dal- lot he has pin stuck in your operations, that holds you as fast as though you were l bound hand and foot. There is no use of | war. There is no use in longer agitation. The view of the enemy's camp shows us at once that there is but one way to cope With | him and that is to adopt his method l and his arms The ballot is the only thing 1 that will retrieve the lost rights of labor. | With each member of the toiling masses standing firm to the principles they have l the last named policy will not l be experimental. The computation by fig l ures assures success. Take the figures of l our own State for basis.
 The total number of votes cast for the l candidates in 1884 was l37, l
 
 Henry E. Harrison and 67, ,924 for Thomas M. Waller. At least 60,0O0 of these votes l were cast by the laborers. Suppose these 6O.OOO had been cast for candidate of their own. There would still have been left IT, ,7O6 to be divided between the other candidates. The prohibition candidate would have taken 2.000 and dividing the of the other candidates 47.S53. Thus the candidate of the workingmen would have had plurality of p, 147. This result is calculated from very conservative figures, and it is my opinion that if the vote of the laboring people was polled to-day it would result in clean majority over all. At any rate the plurality would be large enough to control the legislature and thus elect can- didate fot governor who had plurality of votes.
 The ideas I have presented 10 you are gathered from process of reasoning from facts, from disinterested position. If my views of the situation are correct, Ii you be- lieve as I do, and are prepaired to act, nothing remains to be done but to muster the members, fall in line, work earnestly and honestly in the ranks, and the result will be crowned by victory, far more glo- rious and more stunning than any ever be- fore attained from like cause. Then you will have proved to the world that the right of personal property is thing Lot only of name but of reality, and the bless ings on your good work will decend upon the heads of your children. Then you can herald forth to the oppressed and down trodden of other nations, that our great Republic, founded in liberty and erected by patriotism still offers that liberty and pro- lection to her sons which has ever been her vaunt.
 The ballot then by all means, "for this honestly handled, with the determination that even-handed justice shall prevail, will win all that should be won, and make America what it ought to be, happy coun- try"
 Look at it she Other Way.