Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1889-04-22
G. A. r.
SECOND ANNUAL ENCAMpMENr Or
The DEPARTMENT OF IDAHO

Second Bays Observation-Disclosures
Of Ofieers-Comrade Gums Address.
CONCLUSION OF CAPTAIN GUMS AID.
Cotton is nolonger king; free, un.
trammeled labor is king.
According to Mr.. Edward Atkin-
son, an eminent authority, the South
during FL years of slavery beginning
ia lS4l and ending with 1881, pro.
duced 58,441.9O6 bales of cotton, and
during the FL years beginning with
1866 and ending with 1886, she pro.
duced 93,3s9, o31 bales, being an
excess by free labor of 34,947,125
bale4, the value OF which can not be
less than $4,000, ooo, 900. a sum equal
to the value of all the slaves. So
that free labor has paid for itself in
the increased production of cotton
alone. Ia reviewing these facts to-
day | do SC with the pride that comes
from conviction of having been en-
gagged in just cause. But in my
nature there is no part of that spirit
that would gioat over fellow. beings
humiliation. The great mass of the
Southern people have acted nobly
Md | believe that in renewing their
allegiance to the old fag they have
done so in good faith. Whenever
have spoken on this sebjec, have
avoided to the best Of my ability say
ing anything that could injure the
feelings Of our former heroic oppon-
ents. intend as long as live to
follow that course aud to advise others
TO do the same.
Therefore, in reviewing the war and
its results let me say once more that
It u done in a friendly spirit and not
with desire to revive the bitterness
and jealousies of the past. We are
the conque+css; ,nagnanimity becomes
conquerors. We claim that we have
displayed thaynanimity in the past
such Us never shown by any other
victors, from the day when Grant
told Lees soldiers to go home aud
take their horses with them and piow
their fsrtns to the present time. Let
US hope that spirit will continue to be
displayed until the last smouldering
elhber of discomfort shall have died
out. Speed, ye winds, this pleasant
spring,ime, speed message DER the
land, bear it on the wings of the
white.robed angel OF peace and let
it be one Of fraternity and charity to
all men who stand beneath the shelter
and in loyal spirit accept the pro-
lection Of our Constitution and laws.
RESOURCES OF THE GOVERNMENT.
When we say that what we ask is
not too great a tax on the resources
OF the government, little investiga-
ton will demonstrate the correctness
of the assertion. When the war
commenced our population was about
3l,OOO,UOO. We now have at least
100000 of people. While our
population has more than doubled,
the increase of our material wealth
has gone on at an accelerated ratio.
Take the production of iron alone. In
the year 1865, at the close of the war.
we produced 931,sS2 tons. Last year
the total produ ,tion was 6,4l7,l 4S
tons. While the aggregate value of
all the mineral and mineral substances
was over $500,0OO,0oO. We have
5ust passed through national cleo
ton campaign and one of the issues
before the people was what to do
with the surplus that was bursting the
vaults of the treasury. II l could
dispose of this question in thy way
there would not be- needy veteran
in the land while there was an idle
dollar in the treasury. The increase
of the wealth of this nation has out
stripped the computations OF all polit
i,sl economists; and yet We have only
begun this magnificent work of de-
vslopment. only small portion of the
country has yet been subjected to the
dom ain Of man.
We have in the United States, in
Guiding Alaska, an area equal to
about all Europe. Europe supports
over 400. 900. 900 people and il her