Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-08-16

have no warfare to wage with each
other. We are bound by indissoluble
ties and must together whet our weap-
ons for a common foe. That brilliant,
patriotic, welI-beloved son of the
south, Henry w. Grady, with one
electrical flash of his genius, revealed
our danger.
"But no man." said he lean note
the encroachment of the money
power on the rights of individuals
without feeling that the time is APP
preaching when the issue between
the plutocracy and the people will be
forced to trial" The fact that man
ten years from poverty has an in
come of 800, 900, OOO,a and two associates
nearly as much-from the control of
arbitrary prices on an article Of uni
versal use-falls strangely on the
ears Of those who near it, as they sit
empty handed, while their children
are crying for bread. When the
agent of dozen men who have caps
tured and control an article of prime
necessity meets the representative of
million farmers, from whom they
have forced $1,000, 900 the year before
with no more moral right than is
behind the highwayman who halts
the traveller at his pistols point--and
insolently gives them the measure of
this years rapacity, and tells them
men who live by the sweat of their
brow and stand between God and
nature-that they must submit to the
infamy because they are helpless,
then the first fruits of this system are
gathered and have turned to ashes
on the lips. When dozen men get
together in the morning and fix the
price of dozen articles of common
use, with no standard but their arbi-
trary will, and no limit but their
greed or daring, and notify the SOW
ereign people of this free republic
how much in the mercy of their
master they shall pay for the necessi-
ties of life, then the intolereble shame
has been reached. Economics have
held that wheat grown everywhere
could never be cornered by capital,
and yet one man in Chicago tied the
wheat crop in his handkerchief and
held it until sewing woman in my
city, working for 80 cents, had to pay
him 20 cents tax on the sack of flour
she bore home in her furnishing
hands. One man cornered pork un-
til he had levied a tax Of SO per bar
rel on every consumer and pocketed
millions. The Gar of Russia would
not have dared to do these things,
and yet there are no secrets in this
| free government of ours"
/ advise that we use our efforts to
maintain our bureau of agriculture in
the state. Your state organ, the Toll
er, is worthy of the support of the
whole order and should receive it
throughout the state. The National
Economist, your national organ, is
combating with fairness and ability
the dangers Of monopoly. 1 recon-
mend it most heartily to all the
brotherhood.
By the limitation of law my term
of Office now expires. The efforts to
serve you have been a labor of love.
I have, to the best of my ability, dis
r cussed throughout the state the pur>
poses and objects of the order and the
> questions of economic government
, necessary to be deliberated upon.
, This issue between plutocracy and
. the people is upon us. The farmers
t and laborers are the only classes suffi
Q cient in numbers to cope successfully
f with the corrupting political influen'
ces of centralized wealth. Therefore
, it is the interest of all lovers ofliberty
y and country, who desire to see the
s perpetuity of our great government
Y and free institutions, to lend help
: ing hand and bid us Godspeed in re-
e claiming the country from impending
S ruin by monopolistic despots.
1 The work is a grand work. 1t il
founded OH the solid basis of equity
8 and justice. Its mission, like the
gospel of Christ, is to the poor. /
: will 60 on to success and may God'
p richest blessings go with it.