The farmers' union., 1891-08-20

pt"Pit, anu HuFe lllaCtu Tie ItpuDlichu
party in power for all time; yet with
all these evils imminent we never heard
| a word from this Wall street magnate.
This brave statesman, Grover Cleve
land, was as dumb as an oyster. But
| no sooner was the silver bill likely to
become law than this pseudo states
| man rushed into print to defeat it, and
the result was that the democratic
press of the land began to culogize
him as Il statesman greater than his
party, and with suhservicncy born of
| treason to democratic principles, and
nurturcd III a cowardly fear of the
aristocratS who rule the country to-
| day, this same press began to crawtsl
| on the silver question, or suddenly dis
| covered that silver was not an issue
We demand the abolition of alien
ownership .ai land. We have not
t doubt of T6A demand being good de-
| moeracy, but the democratic party has
been as dumb upon this measure as
! Grover Cleveland was upon the force
| bill, and the democratic leaders will
not know how they stand on the de-
manI until they hear from Wall street
| They were once in favor of preserving
| the public domain for actual settlers.
| But it is n matter that should not be
| made II party question, for all are alike
| interested in its solution, although the
| people can have but little to hope for
from the republican party, as under
| that partE's management Of the gov
crnm"nt they have permitted foreign
syndicates, composed of men who never
saw our flag except in a foreign port.
to accumulate more of our public do
main than there is il England, ireland,
Scotland Wales and France, and vet
under the law an American can only
buy l60 acres. What We demand is
only what every other civilized power
insists upon, and that is, that no man
shall own land under our flag until he
swear allegiance to that flag. This is
the rule in all other nations, and one
that We demand shall obtain in this.
We demand government control or
ownership of railroads. This is demo-
cratic. The present Interstate com
mcrcc law is of democratic origin. al
though it is not democratic measure.
| Reagan. of Texas. the author of the
original bill. hy his persistent efforts,
secured the passage of n bill through
the house several times, but each time
it was defeated in the senate. But
public opinion had been educated up
to point where it demanded relief
from the railroad exactions, and when
the bill was before the house the last
time it was met by the senate substi-
tutc prepared bv Cullom of Illinois. a
railroad attorney who represented the
railroad interests III the United States
senate. This measure became a law
| without the support of Mr.. Reagan.
then a member OF the house. for the
reason that the bill had been shorn Of
its most effective features, and it is
now almost universally admitted that
it does not meet the case it was ia
tended for. and experience proves that
it is we'll nigh impossible TO control
them. Our first desire is TO control
them by law if possible. but failing in
that we viii demand the national
ownership. In other words. we do not
propose to be controlled ny the rail
roads. Both state legislatures and the
national congress have been powerless
to control them, and if after a few
|
control them bv either state or national
authority, then we will try more radi
cal measures. And it will be no ex
pertinent. Other governments hav,
and do own their transportation lines
and it works we'll. and a commission
should he appointed bv the next con
gress to fully investigate these svs
TENS aud report on the condition O
these roads, SO that the people cal
Judge whether they want the owner
ship Of them or not If the statement
is true that Australia owns her road:
nnd carries passengers 100 miles for &.
cents. and transports freight on til.
same rate, Mt il profit, then it is wortl
looking into. We all know that w,
are at the mercy of the railroads gen
orally and are paying fearful intcres
on their watcred stock. The peopl,
must have relief from these burden:
soon or Ne railroads will own til,
country. ard of the two evils we pre-
fer to control or own the railroad
rather than have them control or owl
the country. v.-NGshriil"f TenH.) )TUiIel'
Wisdom From rrnhibiti"n headquarters
Liit E'tViltltlti t'aI y 'ht iioe Hthu
} single delegate, and it did not make
: single request of the conference, cithe
: directly or indirectly 1t would seem
therefore that We might look upon it a
upon any other political gathering an,
: Judge it from the same standpoint n
) that from which we should Judge an,
) old party convention.
So it might seem, AMI yet we confes
: we are unable to do this. Despite til,
facts We have stated, prohihitionist
looked and still look upon the confer
cncc with sympathetic feeling sucl
/ as docs not exist toward old parties
Its action in rejecting tlmultuousl,
: the prohibition resolutions offered, ex
: citss 10 resentment from us, for W,
: were asking nothing and expecting
, aroused by any expectations of thi
l kind. and consequently arc not alien
nted by any disappointment, But th
movement is revolt against oil.
: parties, and SO is or movement a re
volt. They have repudiatcd both oil.
parties as unfit to rule and as bevon,
, all hope of adequate reformation. w
clasp hands with them there Our in
dignation is mutual and directed at tn
, same political foes, though aroused b,
3 different reasons. Moreover. We he
| licvc that the manifest destiny of tn
| new movement is to clear the way 70
the party of the future. with prohibi
1 ton as its central issue, even as th
: Know Nothing movement cleared th
way for the republican party, with it
. anti-slavcrv issue. In very real sens
We look upon this new movement n
, orr ally, whether it intends to be o
not, whether it declares for or agains
/ us.-NoW TOik Totre.
| Tic mos: dctestablc palpcrs are the
who live by the sweat of other mon
G faces. The worst harlots are not the
: who sell their bodies for bread, bu
: they who with prayerbook in thei
I | hands sell their souIs for Jewels an,