The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-02

hill struggle from the first, with chances
| against me all the time.
| Another said: / am an American, and my
grandfather before me, and have only the
same chance that you have, although you
can see plenty OF unoccnpied land about
here. am fifty years old, was born in
Maryland, where lived happily with my
wife and one child until about five years
ago, when mortgaged my farm. Being
sick and unable TO pay out whenit become
due / started out to work for my family;
IN Six months after | received letter
from an old friend stating that the man
who held the mortgage had foreclosed and
had taken my wife from me also, getting
divorce for my desertion while | was
working hard and sending her money to.
live ON comfortably and living myself in
abject poverty. Money had bought lawyers,
Judge and justice, and what is lett OF me
Is only tit to wander about and die in
some ditch. How the law can overcome
| justice in this country makes me feel des-
perate, and don't want to say any more
| This and many other sermons we heard
there that night, sermons that il sounded
with trumpets from the housetops OF all
the cities OF our land would be truthful
warning TO tho people that not TO
ourselves must we gather everything
created by the hand OF labor, and give
only plttance to the producer. Simple
Justice demands that We should give to
every man his due and just share OF every
thing he produces, and II q man prefer 10
work the land he should be allowed to do
so, and exchange his produce for like
value in anything he may need without
paying rent to some one who claims TO
own the land.
Look at Main street last winterl Men ar
rested for being without money and the
crime OF being found in box car, with
chains on their legs, scraping mud of the
pavement. What u disgrace! DO men
think that these are brethren and in like
circumstances might be in the same box?
But the law allows il or don't allow IL, and
II is done all the same, and men get paid
for doing it. Are there no rights but prop
erty rights? In fighting monopoies and
trusts and trying to cheaper products,
who does IL benefit but the land
holder2 II the worSingmen could get
provisions cheaper rent will be correspond
ngly higher. Many imagine that the
foundations OF society resi- on the individ-
ual ownership OF land, but let us look at
It in this lighr How much more would
each man strive TO uphold Government
that would guarantee to him and his chill
dren homo on the land, place that he
could never sell or mortgage, and be Il sure
home for his childrenf Ii the State, with
all its power, can defend the title OF q
few, why could ii not defend itself and let
the people live ON the land? My husband
owns eighty acres OF land, but that don't
make II right in his eyes, or mine. We
would freely give II up to the State, II all
would do So
Not long ago 7 had = talk win a neigh
Dor, lady who has live beautiful and
interesting daughters. | was passing her
home and saw her sitting IN the window
and looking rs il she could see beyond the
grave. ! made motion that attracted her
attention, and she called me to her Said
she: "Do YOU see those boys there on
that corner smoking cigarettes2 Who is
TO blame, the boys or the cigarette makers
or the law which allows men 10 sell them
poison whisky aud vile cigarettes" Come,
said |, do not think about il; take a walk
with me. She did 80, and We came over
TO Auction street just AS the colored school
was dismissed. Tho children came troop
ing by us Without speaking TO each
other until all the children had passed, /
asked her what impression that procession
had made upon her She said without
hesitation: There was not iull-blooded
African in the whole lot" Some were
white with light hair and blue eyes, with
faces ~ exprcssionless rs monkeys, and all
showed the faint Of their origin.
What with smoking and drinking our
young men have no brains above the pres
cnt and no prospects Of getting home,
were content TO associate with vile negroes.
She had no prospects for her daughters, or
thought OF how such a thing as q homeless
young man could be avoided. Said 1, II
the State Of Tennessee should give to every
child within It's borders a home on the
land Il would lift up the young men, and
their aspirations would be 10 seq, worthy
partner OF their joys and sorrows; and
every young lady would be selecting from
tho many really good boys lover for
whom they could cherish sentiment I'M
mixed with those little qualms OF con.
science that now come TO them Ia the
thought Of what he might have done in
times past. Such race OF men as could
DO brought up hero in old Tennessee rs
the world never saw. just assure them Of a
home on the land; but OF course this
touches q big moneyed interest that would
make big tight, but what will men not
do in a good cause and for the right
Christian spectators In Gods bounty
eau find food for thought II they would
ask themselves from whence comes my
prohts2
Land owners can ask themselves when
receiving their rents: Why am / thus
fayorcd2 Is IL my just due2 Am better
or smarter than my iellows9 In cutting
the virgin forests Of Arkansas Gods
bsnntyl, and receiving the profits, can he
thank God in his heart, this IL given me
above all mon? No, no, no. II Is simply
injustice, and will, sooner or later, over
take u.s. Every mother should instruct
her sou that his right 10 the land came
from the being that gave him breath, and
that the right 10 breathe and live on the
land are equal Mas. EMLER.
"savc the Library"
In I, /. IalInr 81 The AnanI.