The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-05-22
Speech Of General Weaver ct st.
Louis.
BEFORE THE FARMERS ALLIANCE AND
KNIGHTS or LABOR.

MINUTES OF LABOR.
General Weaver happened In that
city and attended the convention.
He was called on to speak and said:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen Of
the Conventional have no right to
speak here can only do 80 through
the courtesy Of the convention. |
happened to be passing through the
city and thought would like to know
what you were doing. ] knew you
were here. To say that have an In
terest in all efforts to better your
condition and the condition Of the
world in general il to repeat what !
believe you know. l am constantly
in sympathy with all such efforts.
[Applausel Brother Wright left out q
very important part Of the quotation
from Nehemiah. 1t is this: II con-
suited with myself He did not ask
the usurer and the men who had
foreclosed his mortgage, whether he
should issue that decree. He said Il
consulted with myself" Now that is
the philosophy Of the present situa-
ton. Consult with yourselves and
issue your decree that monopolists,
usurers and oppressors shall under
stand and obey. [Cheers. This gov
crnment is Republic In form, but is
it not an aristocracy in fact! The
form is all the law can give you. Let
me specify what mean. Your Con-
stitution says that Congress shall
have power to regulate commerce
among the states. No one else can
have this power. Missouri cannot
regulate commerce among the States.
1t belongs to Congress as the repre-
sentative Of all the States. That is
the view OF Daniel Webster, Congress
shall have power to regulate conn.,
merce. The first great interest il
money. You cannot have commerce
without money. Savages cannot have
commerce as they are without money.
The second great essential is trans
portation. and the third is transmits
sion Of intelligence by telegraph and
postal system, and you cannot live
without them; and their regulations
il placed by the constitution in the
hands Of congress for your protec-
ton. They constitute the channels
OF commerce between the States, the
regulation and control of which is
delegated to Congress by the consti-
tuition. Does Congress do it? Have
the morbpolists ''cornered" the con-
stitution! Who controls your money?
Congress! No; it is the men who were
NOT chosen by the people-the ma.
tional bankers. They are in the bust
ness to make money. II you put a
eaddle on your back and spurs on
their heels, don't you suppose they
will ride! Q.aughter.) Who regu.
lates transportation? Congressy No;
that has been farlned out to railroad
companies. Who regulates transmits.
sion OF intelligence by telegraph
One man out of the sixty-two millions
and he not servant of the people
These three vital interests are farmed
out and controlled by men not chosen
by the people. What is left Of your
government is mere hull. 1t is q
police force. Q.aughter.) 1t is anigh,
Waterman for the corporations. Gap
plause.) The only power left it is tt
declare war and make peace, and il
they would leave that to the powder
and gun manufacturers we might gel
along without q government. (Great
laughter and cheers.) Agriculture
complains, labor complains, business
complains. We are struggling to get
possession Of the government. 1t il
out Of the hands Of the people except
when you hold up both hands and let
them take the money out of your
pockets. They have not only corn
cred your grain, money and cotton,
but they have cornered your govern
ment. How have they cornered your
government? In the House Of Repre-
sentatives. No; your Representatives
have done fairly well. Your govern
nent has been cornered in the Sem
ate. They cornered your government
when they wrote the word except
across the greenback. applause.
They cornered the government when
they refused to forfeit the land grants
(applause) and reserve them for ac-
tual settlers. (Cheers.)- They corner
ed the government when they refused
to remonetize silver. [Cheers.] They
have cornered the Senate of the Unit
ed States. Voices, That's so:' 'abol-
ish it, No, don't abolish it. No,
don't do that, for two reasons, First,
it won't do; and second, you cannot
do it. Laughter But you can make
it an elective Office by the people.
We can do that; not by amendment,
but by forcing the parties to nomi-
nate their candidates for the Senate.
Applause They did do it in ILL.,
noies in 1853, when Lincoln and Doug
las Illuminated the country by their
memorable discussions, and though
it resulted in the return Of Douglas to
the Senate, it made Lincoln Presi-
dent. There il no danger in trusting
the people, and its not question as
to whether they are Democratic, Re
publicans, knights Of Labor. Green.
hackers or members of the Farmers
Alliance. When the politicians see
that you mean they shall perform