Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-12-13
The Memorial Allotted.

Following is the memorial to congress
adopted by the alliance:
To tho Honorable Members Of TIN Senate and
House Of Representatives of the United States
gentlemen: We, tillers of the soil VI the state
OF South Dakotn. having taken III our abode
upon her widespread prairies, having accepted
the generous gift of the general govsr1ment.
have built homes here for our wives ahd3little
ones, upon land given us as free citizens of q
great nation. Being extremely DESTROYS of
transmitting these homes MS heritages 10 our
chlidren, 90 respectfully represent to you, hon
That, in spite of all our hearty efforts to pre-
serve our homes; i'll spite Of the unremitling
and unstinted help afforded us by our heroic
would fn1n shelter and make happy in homes
owned ny ournelvcs; i'll spite of the fertility of
our virgin soil, the Indebtedness upon these
nomesteads is constantly growing heavier, the
hope and possibility of paying it waxing flinter
year by year, and we feel tho titles to them
Slipping from our hands.
The causes for this deplorable condition nre
10 DC found in these facts: Giant monepolies
are controlling the commodities and tbs very
necessities OF life. The transportation limos
that take our products to tho seaboard aad re-
turn to US needed merchandise, are cOmteng
us to pay rates OF freight far in excess .. what
VIII yleld them reasonable interest on I'LL
money actually invested in such enterTises
A mere handful Of mon control tho live stock
market OF the nation, running q heretofore VAL
uablo branch OF husbandry. BY depressing tho
prices OF live stock on one hand, and enh mcing
the price to the consumers of the east to point
where consumption is actually hindered whore
the laborers take from the earth the fue! with
which to keep us warm, and those who make
our clothing and build our machinery ire un-
able TO purchase and properly feed those de-
pending on them.
The cost of all our farm 1uachinervis en-
HANGED by reason of high duties on iron and
steel, While the price of the products of our
wheat helds is fixed in market where it must
compete with tho products of the cheapest Ia
Dor in India and Europe.
But, above all these, the condition that is
bearing hardest upon us is the fact that the
government OF which we, and you, are parts,
has reduced the amount of currency in circula-
tlon TO a lower fgure per capita than it has ever
before been, and to point where it is totally
anadequa for legitimate business purposes
ana rulnous to the laboring classes, makig pos
slble and profitable the nefarious business of
the Insurer, and sapping the very life principles
common people the ability to own and possess
IN their own names the homes in which they
live and second by making these people SO de-
pendent on the possession of money! that the
spirit OF liberty is crushed in them to give place
to sullen indifference and despair.
We pray you, in the name Of our fellow farm
ers ana the great mass Of common people, as
provide radical relief from these great wrongs.
and especially in the financial matter we de-
mand-
First, as IN immediate an1elioratfon. the
amendment OF tho law which now requires our
government TO loan money to bankers on bonds
at l per cent, SO TINT loans can be mnde by
government agencies direct to owners of small
and
second, by increasing ut once the volume OF
circulating currency to IN amount sufficient for
Gil the purposes OF trade and commerce.