The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-06-25

come off, and my friend looked down,
beheld the dinner Of that American
citizen. What was it? Was it the
roast beef and plum pudding of old
England2 Was it even the good pork
and beans of the western farmer? No,
sir: that American citizen was descend
ing to his toll, and his dinner was two
cold boiled potatoes: that is all he got
out of life. That was all h, was to
get out of the American constitution
and the Declaration of Independence.
and the victory of our armies and the
glories Of o,,r.tlas. Applause.
Now, my friends, this is all wrong.
We live in tire midst Of gigantic civ
ilization. 81 civilization that God di-
rected, civilization that has been
lifting up the human family to mex
ampled heights Of power and great
ness. We, the people of America, the
laborer. the plain people. as Abraham
Lincoln called them. we are entitled to
our share in the blessings of the
abounding civilization. Applause
What Is the farmer getting? What is
the worklngman getting out of the
magnificent inventions and discoveries
which glorifv the age in which we live?
Nothing. The laborer has got the old
world conditions, almost Asiatic con-
ditions. The struggling farmer has
got mortgages, poverty, suffering and
bankruptcy. Now, my friends. where
have the profits of the world gone?
Why, they have gene into tile hands
of a few. What have they done.
Built up an aristocracy that in its
heart Of hearts hates liberty and de
spises this flag: Applause. What
are they producing? Why the condi-
tions in which a Republic can not con-
tinuc to exist, for You can maintain a
Republic where a minority are rich
enough to corrupt the ballot box and
the poor are poor enough to be COM
PEELED to sell their manhood. APP
Ilausc.
The republic originated from the
common people. The men who framed
our government were men in home
spun. The men WHO fought in the
great revolution were clad in deer
skins: there were no millionaires
among them: there was no great wealth
anywhere. Now, while we do not want
to 90 back to homespun and deerskins,
we claim, We insist, that we shall have
our share of the blessings of that civil
ization which God has given in these
latter days of the worlds history.
Applause. And that demand is just
and right. and why should it be
changed? Why should it he denied
lis hy invoking the memories Of the
war? Now. as I said before, am an
old republican, Il northern man. from
the extreme northern tier of states, but
say this, my friends, that while we
think the south was wrong in invoking
the terrible goddess of civil war in
. their land. vet we do see clearly that
it was no criminal outbreak that made
that rebellion. 1t was Ivy MEN who he
lieved from the standpoint of their
education that they were right, and
they brought to the defense of their
, principles a courage, herolsm, a
chivalry such az the world has hardly
. ever seer before. Applause.
, For all those noble qualities the
people of the north can lie proud. 1t
would be disgrace to Us, my friends,
| if one-half Of the territory of this
country had been inhabited by a caitif1
race. Their courage and heroism is
part VI tue VI loi ;
and the heart Of America say it as a
northcrner and an old republican-the
heart of America is big enough and
, generous enough to enshrine III the re-
cesscs of its tenderest memories, not
), only the names of Grant and Lincoln,
, but the names Of Robert E. Lee and
Stonewall jackson. IApplause.i And
as we pass away from that dark and
I terrible time, clearer and clearer will
the American people see that we must
give mp the recriminations of the past.
| Applause.
/ And oh. what a glorious sight 1t was
+ here to-day, when, on that platform,
f we saw the representatives of north
and south, under the waving banners
of the greatest republic and greatest
S government on Gods earth Applause
shake hands across the bloody chasn
S and renew the memories of Bunker Hill
: and Yorktown. And, my friends, never
$ has there been witnessed such a scene,
S as grand In enthusiasm as that which
t then presented itself The war is over
t The feelings which accompanied it
{ must die with it. This whole land
n must address itself to the great econ
1 omic questions: they must address tc
4 the problem: How can we take the
1 plunderer from our throat? How can
4 we lift up the downtrodden and the de
: iected? How can we strike down
/ these continental evils that oppress
: us? Why, my friends, our national
| debt to-day, after deducting the sink
G ing fund. is considerably less than one
i billion of dollars. But what do we
:, find? Why. we find that the railroad
! corporations of the United States have
c sadtllcd debt upon the American
o people for which the American people
i never received one cent; from which
i they have derived and will derive nt
c benefits, a debt represented by ticti
). tious capital and watered stock, whicl
n amounts to four billions of dollars
|. more than four times the actual deb
of the country. But for that nationa
a debt we have something in exchange
We have n redeemed and rescued
;. nation. We have our flag, high float
! ing in the face of mankind, triumphant
v victorious and glorious. We hav
n union from sea to sea. and from TIL
f lakes to the gulf, but what have w
f ever got for that bogus debt whicl
v oppresses you? Not one penny-no
q one penny of actual capital ever wa
!, Invested for it. 1t is fraud, it is rob
q berry. Applause.
), And yet, my friends, there is not
v man in this hall, there is not man il
l. these United States, nor a woman no
= a child that is not levied upon to pa
r the interest upon that bogus capital
h ization. Some of you may ask how
e Why, the bogus capitalization, in
, creasing the nominal cost of railroad:
l. increases their charges for transports
a ton, and those charges are taken ou
Il of the people, upon everything the
u buy and upon everything they sell
O and there is no money We can have Q
2 can earn, we can not draw the breat
Is of life in this great land without pa,
ing tribute to these gigantic rings