The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-17
OPEN AIR ORATORY.
Peoples Party Ratification on
Pioneer Place.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SPEECH
Ralph Beaumont Unfolds the Mysteries
OF tho sub-Treasury Scheme
and Other Fallacies.

There were about 5000 people on Pioneer
pace last night to listen to the address of Ralph
Beaumont, of Washington City, on the aims
ana objects Of the Peoples party, the occasion
being the ratification OF the party's nominations
ior president and vice president Mr. Beau
mont spoke Tor over two and one-half hours and
nelo his audience well, though the rattle of the
cars caused him great deal of annoyance.
T. =. Jeffries presided, and there were several
iadies on the platform. When Mr.. Beaumont
was introduced he said in part:
only the fellows who kick get the good things
ers. The question is not whether the people are
peter OF than they ever were before, but are
.ney as well off rs they ought to be? The differ
man who was worth $4,000 few years ago and
the young man who had just started ont and
eafned MS first dollar was 1899; but the differ
man OF today is 1895, 1919. Corporations derive
their right to exist from the law and they are
constantly asking for more statutes to
give them special privileges to rob aud
piunder by law. The peoples movement
is not the work of night. It is the seed Of the
eivil war. 1t started in the trade unions at the
orange, later by the knights OF Labor and is
now being agtated by the Farmers Alliance,
hh Nm OF LABOR and Peoples party Old parties
the platform high above the man who stands on
The speaker then went into discussion of the
'eAAoue PiauAs III the piAtIOrm OIL the party, De.
ginning with the land question. He said that
2o,OOo000 acres of land in the United States was
neid by aliens and l00O00.o00 by corporations.
anu that the commissioner of public lands told
the knights of Labor legislative committee, of
winch he was the chairman, that the lands held
by corporations were all unjustly held He
tnen went over the history of the Central
ana Union Pacific railroads. showing
the manner in which Charles Francis
Adams and his associates worked
congress, first in getting permission to build the
roads, then going back and, without dollar
In money with which to build, asking for land
grant and getting it. Next they got the govern
ment to secure the $20,0O0.OoO bonds and guar.
antee the interest, and aiterward got permission
10 give first mortgage on the road for $50 900 900
more and let the government shoulder the first
$500O.0O0 They organized the Credit Mobilier
and stole the money. He referred to the action
OF the United States Senate with reference to
the matter, and designated that body as the
house of lords which was fifty years behind the
people In IDEAS, but 200 years IN advance in ras-
caity. Continuing on the land question, the
speaker said a few men got control of large
slice of land in Texas for building a statehouss
there, and inside OF five months sold portion
OF 1t to an English syndicate for SIS 600 900 more
than the building cost The people made the
land valuable and the spectators got the BEN
efit. He indirectly advocated the single land
tax as a remedy, and said that the Free Soil
party, from which the Republican party sprung,
took the same position on the land question
that the Peoples party does now.
In speaking on the question of government
ownership o. railroads, teiegraphs and tele-