The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-05-26
FARMER BLEDsOE's EXAMPLE.
igrom the St. Louis Republican,

The speech delivered by Farmer
Bledsoe at Mt Vernon, ILL.,, OH Monday,
is an excellent campaign document.
There is not much rhapsody nor rhet-
oric in it, tor Mr.. Bledsoe Ia simple,
direct man, but he tells a few truths in
very earnest and convincing way.
Mr.. Bledsoe Is a farmer who was re-
publican for twenty-five years. He
and hoped year by year that his party
would execute the ante-election pledges
of its leaders and give some relief to
the trust -tyranized and tax-ridden
masses of the people, But at last he
became convinced that reform through
the republican party was hopeless, and
that the only chance of winning relief
from the immoral tribute exacted by
rings and momopolists was by support
ing and sustaining the democracy,
which, through its president and major
iori:y OF its representatives in congress.
had thrown down the gauge to the
cormorants and raised the standard of
the people.
Mr.. Bledsoe abandoned the politics
associates of quarter of century
and allied himself with his ancient
enemy, His action was inspired by
selfishness, but who of US is not selfish
when our interests are appealed to?
The tax collector and the tax assessor
are the lords of Illinois. They bleed
the people from every pore. A horde
OF useless officials fatten on the peoples
substance, and year by year the bur-
dens are increased. The sleek and in-
sidiOus ringmasters who feel that they
have a vested right in the labor and in
dustry of the people, not only control
the levy of taxes, but the nomination
of officers chooses to administer them.
They heed not the demands and feel
not the wants of people. They are
always at the service of every scheme
to prepetuate monopoly and divert
attention from living issues Farmer
BledsOe tired of this. His patience |
became exhausted and he resolved to |
seek relief through another channel. |
He notified the democrats of his neigh |
borhood that hencefOrth he was one of |
them, and the democrats, to show their |
appreciation of his action, prOmpt!y |
elected him member of their county |
executive committee. In taking his
place formally in the democratic party
on Monday, MIR. Bledsoe said:
"You may be surprised TO see Bill
Bledsoe here i'll your convention. IL
it was a republican pow-wOw | would
need no introduction For twenty five J
years | have voted tho republican
national ticket, will do so no longer.
| am hot here, gentlemen, because
love the democratic party, but because +
| love myself, and | bclieye, and AIN
convinced, that the democratic party
of to-day is the friend of the laboring
man. My conversion has not come for
Office, but because | have been con-
WINGED in spite of my preiudices. Ii
was III the union army, and fought all |
through the war, came home n re-
publican, and have remained such until
this year. The old bloody shirt has
played out with me. 1t will not nav
my taxes, nor will it raise the price of
my farm products one cent, nor reduce
the cost of necessaries of life. I'll am
not badly mistaken $4,000 to 10000
more farmers viii do as | have done
before the election in November.
Enough al least, TO change the state of
Illinois from q republican high tariff
aud high state tax camp to reform,
or farmers protection state"
How many Farmer Bledsoes are
there i'll the state OF Illinois? How