The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-10-01
Rvbuke to the Bood|pr!
Lee Mantle OF Butte Lays Bare the
Hungry Wolf
OF the Free Trade Democracy. Whose
Mouth is Open
To Frighten Voters From Their AL
legiance to Protection.
To DeyOur our Industries and De-
strOy our Homes!

SlIU\ our I1UlutS.
Lee Mantle in speech delivered at |
Helena on Thursday, struck the scoun |
drelly boodlers sumner below the belt
from which they will not recover. Men
who will use their power as employers
to intimidate or compel their workmcn
to vote contrary to their choice and judg-
ment are unworthy of the privileges of
citizenship. They belongin the
ranks of despots and tyrants and should
be ostracised both socially and politi-
cally.
Mr.. Mantle's speech will meet all af
frmative response from every true Amer
lean:
have nothing but sympathy to eX-
press for the man who finds himself con
fronted with the proposition that he shall
either violate his conscience politically
or lose his job. Men frequently find
themselves in such circumstances that
they are compelled to yield. A family
may be dependent upon them for their
subsistence, wives and children depend
ing upon them for the bread that they
eat, and in such case Us this q man
must be excused if for the time being he
submits to this violation Of his sacred
rights as all American citizen. -.-
But while sympathize with the mon
who find themselves in this position
cannot find language sufficiently strong
to express my contempt and loathing, and
what believe to be the sentiment whicl;
fills the heart of every loyal citizen,
against the men or set Of ncn who vii.
prostitute the power which chance has
placed in their hands for the purpose Of
trampling under foot the American bal
lot, American citizenship and American
manhood. Loud aprlause.]
1t is carrying us back to that condition
of human liberty and personal depend
ence which existed years ago; Il condition
of servitude and thraldom from which
the republican party at the sacrifice ol
millions of dollars and millions Of hu
man lives rescued this country.
l say, therefore, that this Australian
system is the law directly in the interes
Of the laboring man, 1t is to protect hin
from oppression; to secure and confirm
him i'll his rights; guarantee to him tn
constitution of the United States;
makes the laboring man in fact as wei
as in name Il free American citizen. Tn
der its wise and just provisions the hum
blest individual in the territory Of Mon
tana employed in the very meanest ca
pacity in the greatest corporation in tn
land may, upon election day, walk up t
the polls consulting his honest convic
tions, communing with his conscienc
and cast his ballot in secret in accordance
with his desires and depart therefro,
with the proud knowledge that it is thr'
a republican legislature he is at last, S
far us election franchise is concerned
the peer and equal Of the greatest mi
a lionairc in the land
n Not all the combined influence al
: wealth Of the Big Four itself, aided an
b assisted by all their strikers and boodler
: by the fawning sycophants who surroun
q them and the seryitude of the henchme
in their employ can control, his politics
conscience, and SO say to the laborii
man, to you men who toll, who lab
from morn until night, who earn yo
| ;,;p~ of
who constitute the masses in every cou
l. try and in the territory of Montana,
y you would preserve your political inc
> pendence, if you would sustain the d
nifty of labor and maintain your self
spect, if you would preserve your ms
hood, If you would remain your own fl
moral agents. if you would believe in
purity Of the ballot and the rule of
y majority, if you would rebuke the bal
20 ers and the millionairs and the corpo
.. =. tions who are seeking to reduce to pol
- cal slavery the people of this terrific
then see to it that you do not elect a dc
ce ocratic legislature. Long and loud ;
he plause.
. say to you my friends, that this fl
no is not so much against the eyistrat
RS. law as it is against the Australian syst
ty Of voting; for it is this latter law VIII
!, ~ has shorn the millionaire of his POI
"a. and which has rendered his milli
nj valuclcss; which las rendered his ct
he cion on election day useless and VIII
has in short, in so far as the actual CT
,e- ing Of ballot is concerned, reduced
A. to the common level of the humblest
le divilual Of Montana. and if mistake
>na the sentiment which is abroad, runr
f swiftly in an undercurrent Of popular
dignation, this law will yet prove a sec
proclamation Of emancipation relea:
hundreds Of laboriny men from al
glance which is distasteful to them, WI
n is antagonistic to every sentiment
freedom and individual responsibility
~ Too much stress cannot be laid i,
~ this matter. think | see in this
the means by which the new stat
q Montana may be saved from the ma
Influences which have directed its pt
Ia cal efforts 50 largely in tie past. Il
IN see thr6uyh this law tn" means