The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-01-24
The Close of a Century.

the temporary capitol to build q ma
tion at the close of the last century,
after the sad arbitrament of war,
were laboring men. The Southern
System had not yet prevented white
men from wearing blue jeans with
honorable dignity. The memory OF
Valley Forge had not yet been OBJ
scured by the lust of power, or by
the bawdry shame OF purchased
honor.
BY these men, master spirits OF a
fateful period in history, a govern
ment was organized which in a hum
dred years has been but slightly
amended to rule 65 millions OF souls.
Labor there represented the genius
of state-craft-and God had his hand
upon the intellectual and the senti-
mental functions OF an impersonal
Energy, moving the men themselves
to act for ages yet unsealed and des-
TIMES unrevealed.
These men were laborers. They did
not represent wealth, but stood up
like labor-princes to organize power
t.. They did not crystalize power
into being-but sanctified weakness
by giving the lowly the rights OF
kings. They destroyed the altar OF
Moloch, prostrating the Caste upon
which chance had builded aristoc-
racies, and introduced Christ into
government. The Christ of govern
ment lay exposed in all it's beauty
when the rugged hand of toll, and
the deformed spirit OF the weak, and
the heavy heart OF the unfortunate
all met at the ballot-box to carve out
their common destiny.
The sentimental history OF that
period is wondrously beautiful to
you, We children OF toll! Oh, how
suddenly the cross of the poor mans
Christ appeared in the sunset glow OF
a western wilderness! How, in meta
phor, the child OF poverty, pregnant
with new powers, sprang from the
cradle to unsheath the sword OF JUS
tice and slay the unrighteous. Fate
which had driven every unfortunate
man into the shadows OF hopelessness
and despair.
Truly the picture OF those few
years at the close of the 18th century,
are imperishable in human history.
Now, fellow-laborers, we are closing
another century. You have another
picture to frame Across the fam
ing west there spreads giant people
whose natural resources, whose ma
tive greatness, and whose political
hopes are the supreme development
of human history.
We are Rome in all her greatness,
with a school house on every hillside
and prairie. We are Greece, with a
rugged intelligence which makes every
county seat an Acropolis and every
hearthstOne Pir9us!
But at this period when fiowery
rhetoric and booming patriotism can
scarcely describe to us the Possible
the Real thrusts itself upon us, and
the plumaged eloquence OF the states
man becomes the rant of the dema-
gogue. Amid all these splendors OF
the new, grand civilization, a race OF
freemen find wealth ascending giddy
eminence, and labor surely and pain
fully creeping into the valley OF hui
initiation.
Here is natural wealth-but $4,000
persons own three-fifths, while Co.
100000 struggle for two-ffths! The
surplus OF competence is withdrawn
from the market to make millionaires
and no toiler can get more than
bread without taking bread from
Others.
Here is political power-but the
professional has become the tool OF
the plutocrat, and partyism takes
the place of patriotism. The sneer
of the powerful crushes out-not
political strength, butpolitical honor.
And so poverty sends wealth to the
forum n ennnciate law and sentiment,
and poison the nation with political
debauchery.
Here is mighty press, it's over
shadowing wings the very @gis OF a
free government But the press is
not only owned by the money-chang-
er-the Bankers Association make
ing bold to claim it as it's property
~14 - 1:-o O& rou,c io