The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-08-01
A FARMERS MANIFESTO.


Mr.. McClammy, of North Carolina, is
one of the half dozen farmer congress
men of this house. He is a jealous ALI
ance man. Recently he gave evidence of
that zeal by introducing and indorsing
the most remarkable financial scheme
yet brought before congress. This meas
ure provides ''for the issuing of legal
tenders based on the lands of the United
States and the allotment of the same"
The proposition is that the government
shall issue legal tender notes to the
amount of $50 for each man, woman
and child in the country. The money
is to be turned over to the states in pro-
portion to the population, and the states
are to loan it at per cent. upon real es-
tate only. Counties and townships are
to have their shares, apportioned accord
ing to the number of inhabitants. The
interest derived from the per cent. will
go to the school funds. No loan is to
exceed $4,000.
In presenting this bill Farmer Nc
Clammy stated to the house that it was
Endorsed by every Farmers Alliance in
the country" After declaring that the
land is full security for this issue of legal
tenders the preamble proceeds:
when this parental government of
called on its children to surrender to the
parent the dearest of all earthly possess
sions, liberty and life. with child like
obedience the people went at the parents
call; for the time being they gave up
their liberty, they endured privations,
suffered discomforts such as only the
soldier knows, and thousands of the peo-
pie, from Bunker Hill to the last Indian
campaign, lost limb or life to save the
parent, the government. These patriotic
children yearned for wealth, for the COM
forts and joys of home, but they loved
the government more than all these,
more than life; surely. then, whatever
we have. all that we are. we owe to the
people.
Thousands of our people cannot find
employment; millions are working for
bare pittance on field or farm, in factory
or mine: the mothers of the sons of the
republic are stitching, starving in our
city garrets; the sturdy farmer, who in
the past has been our boast, comes to
congress in person and petition telling
his sufferings, his losses, how, work
ever so hard, yet he cannot save the
home where his children were born; our
sisters, wives and mothers by petition
appeal to you to aid them; they, too,
have economical at every turn; they
have for years known not of luxury; for
other years want has stared them in the
face, and we ask of you, our representa-
tives. who is benefited by all this suffer
ing and want?
eve beg OF you on your return home
to visit, not your wealthy friends in the
cities, but instead go rather to the house
of the honest laborer, who has but little
food, and that the poorest, to give his
little ones; we beg of you to go among
the farmers, not among those who are
known as 10 per cents who grind the
poor even worse than the shylocks; we
ask Of you to go among those that toll in
factory, farm or mine, not those who
live on others toll, and then say who is
benefited by all the want and misery
you will have seen. The shylock may
accumulate more property, but will he
be benefited thereby?
LAS individuals. by breeding over
wrongs, grow insane, so do nations. Let
France during her revolution illustrate
the case. Shylocks will not be benefited
if Anarchists are evolved by all this suf-
fering and want.
Armies have never and will never
hold in allegiance the red hand when the
people grow Infatuated and insane. The
farmer, the laborer, our wives and
mothers appeal to you to aid us while yet
you may. We have in the past shown
our devotion to the government; we ask
that the government shall now show
the same devotion to US; that you shall
extend the same aid to us that we have
in the past extended to the government.
In 1774 and ITS our then parent govern
ment needed not our prayers, our petit
tons. Will you not profit by their mis-
takes?
I'VE come to you with the best Sc
curity that God has given US, a security
that needs no custodian-our lands-and
ask you to give us currency based on
these lands, and that the currency so
given shall be a legal tender for public
and private dues. We ask of you to is
sue us currency to supply our needs, and
we offer $35. 600, 100000 real taxable Sc
curity. But as individual indorsers we
propose to secure the state school fund
by $1,000. 100000 real property. If this
country really belongs to the people
then we ask that the amount provided
for be divided pro rata to the states for
the people. for their use and benefit.
"Of late we, the people, have heard
much of the constitution. We ask you
who made ibid congress or the people?
Is the created superior to the creator?
But why this unusual love? On the one