Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-05-14


into the hands of priytte monopolies.
whether individuSi or corporate.
have heari much recently Of
the necessity for preserving the
oyster, ami ! largely agree with
the proposition; but there is q
greater necessity for preserving
American manhood.
The evidences of wealth have
been rapidly accumulating during
the last quarter of "a century. We
have built more railroads, opened
more mines, cut down more forests,
erected more factories, public bull
dings and private palaces in the
past few years than ever before in
this peoples history; but these facts
are not a guarantee of the happiness
or prosperity of our people, nor OF
the permanent stability of our gov
eminent. Ten years ago two mill
ion men owned three-quarters OF
the wealth of fifty million, and it
has gone on concentrating ever
since. Those Oft-quoted though
apt lines from Goldsmith's "De-
serted Village" most pertinently
apply to the times in which we live:
'Ill fares the land to fastening ills q
prey.
Where wealth accumulates and men de-
cay"
| have learned in the school of
political economy to which | be-
long that it is the preservation Of
the independence of the man and
his home, the freedom of religion,
the education of youth and the
permanent establishment of the
yeOmanry in the enjoyment of
their natural rights that can alone
secure the perpetuity of republi-
can government.
/ would rather see the small
frame house, half-hidden among
the orchard trees, with the winding
path leading down through the
tangled grass to the sloping banks
of the shining river, where the boat
lazily tugs at its mornings; with
the door stoop crowded with the
happy inmates of humble home,
gathered in the quiet of the even
tide; with the croaking of the frogs,
the sudden splash of the rising fish
and the distant lowing of the kline
rs the flames of the sunset die
out in the gathering night, than |
would the monster establishments
and their golden blazonry of cor
porate wealth, created by the con-
centrated profits wrung from u
peoples industry.
A people who had surrended their
common of fishery to a corporation
would fare worse than the aborigine,
who wandered unhindered along
the rivers and water courses, fished
where he pleased, shared the wild
fowl in the marshes, and piled up
the shells of many an oyster feast
on the Kent County shore.
In such a State and Country as
this no honest man should be con-
strained to be dependent on cor
pOrate power, distinct from the
government, for his right to cul-
tivate the soil, kill the bird on the
wing, fish in the waters, or hunt
on the lands of the public domain.
The interests of one class in the
community are so closely inter
woven with all others. that the ex-
perience of Il system applied to one
department of industry is certain
guide to what may be expected
from the application of that sys-
tenn to other departments. That
good, wise and courageous states
man. so justly distinguished even
among the illustrious men who
founded this republic that lead
er of the people, Patrick Henry,
said: I've can only judge of the
future by the past. Let us,
then, for a moment review the past
experience of this people in the
matter of corporate monopoly in
the United States. We see around
us in every State of this Union
i'll every county of the State,
new organization, heretofore
unknown in this republic-it
is called the Farmers ALI
ance." What has brought it into
existence: What has broken down
the old dividing barriers of political
party and united Democrats and
Republicans in one combination:
A similar cause to that which brings
this mixed assembly together to-
night. The only difference is, that