The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1888-03-02
ADDRESS NY JOSEPH COOK.

While the Blair Educational Bill was
pending at the close of the Forty .ainth
Congress, Mr.. Joseph Cook, in his Boston
Monday Lecturshlp, now in Its twelfth
season,spoke a. follows, Feb. as, 1857 -
rHE oRIr or RUIN on THE THROAT or M
ruBLIcs.
OF the ten million actual voters IN the
United States, two million cannst write
their names, Thls Ii one In five 20 that
Il ] use my hand as an object.iesson 10
represent the suffrage of the proudssl
Christian republic Of Nil time, must shut
one finger 70 cover the field of iillteracy.
But semi'illiteracy also Is great mischief.
There arc at least two million voters who
are not classed as illlterates, and yet do not
read enough to be able to east thorough.
iy intelligent ballot. think you will jus.
tify me in shutting the little fiager and its
neighbor illustrating by the hand to rep.
resent the general effect of lack OF educa.
ton upon our suffrage. what II left :
Here arc the two longer fingers represent.
lag two parties, let us say. of respectable
people but they are political rivals. They
bid against each other for the vote Of the
llliterate classes. And here Is the Satanic
thumb OF the criminal classes. The wills.
key rings own more property than the
slave.holdcrs ever did. They have larger
financial interests At stake every year now
In their trade than the leaders ofthe alaye.
holders rebellion had In their property In
human beings in any one year previous 10
the rebellion. II that thumb should be
closed over these two IllIterate fingers
that Is, II the dramshep oligarchy should
make iliteraey lie political ally, as Il has
done netoriously In all our past history
II the ignorant vote should be 50 tutorei
by the criminal classes as to be cast for
the support Of lawlessness, what would
haPpea under universal suffrage,
This is fair questlon. am not an
alarmlss. Seine politicians are not saints
some parties care for majorities. In the
last census, nearly million Of white vot.
ers arc classed a IllIteratcs. The percent.
age Of Iliiseraey In all but five states OF the
Union In 1850 was large enough to have
reversed the results ol the last preceding
Presidential election In each OF those
states. (See OyIesf. Boston Monday Lee.
tares Tor 1883. Prelude on Federal Aid to
Education, pp. I.Is) Iiona ofihose long
fingers were to shut Itself down upon tina.
thumb. as the latter lies eIasped oyer those
two illIterate fingers, and were TO do this
for the purpose Of retaining a majority,
you would have what ] call the grip of
rula on the throat Of this nation. Unioose
II Deliver America from bondage TO the
uneducated That shesld be the supreme
watchword OF the hour.
But to unloose It, you must destroy the
numbness, the paralysis, the ilIiteracy, In
these two smaller 6ngers and you must
bring this thumb TO better mind and each
long finger also. The death grip on thc
throat OF any nation under universal suf.
frage Is combination of Ellitsraey with
the greedy criminal classes. and with the
whiting classes. the ancient and not hon
orablc family Of the wax noses,the wealth.
er-vane populations who will 60 with ma
jorities wherever they can be had. Zap
piause.l