The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-09-30

behcneS JnhL Jhere Is an lrrecOnGilable con
hict between labor and capital, and which
demands indiscriminate, hostile and re-
pressive legislation against men because
they are rich and corporations because
they are strong.
LABOR AND CAPITAL.
Labor and capital should not be antapo
nists, but allies rather. They should mo-
be opponents and enemies, but colleagues
and auxiliaries, whose cooperating rivalry
is essential to national prosperity. But
cannot forbear to affirm that a politica
system which under such despotio power
can be wrested from the people and vested
In the few is a democracy only in name
A financial system under which more thar
one-half of the enormous wealth of the
country, derived from the bounty of nature
and the labor of all, is owned by a lit.
tie more than 10000 people, while 1,OOO,.
600 American citizens, able and willing to
toll, are homeless tramps, starving for
bread, requires adjustment. SOCIAL SYS-
TEN WHICH OFFERS TO TENDER, VlRTUOUS
AND INDEPENDENT WOMEN THE ALTERNA-
TIVE BETWEEN PROSTITUTION AND SUICIDE
AS AN ESCAPE FROM BEGGARY IS ORGAN
lied CRIME, for which some day unrelent.
ing justice will demand atonement and
explanation. Mr.. President, the man who
loves his country and who studies her his.
tory will search in vain for any national
cause for this appalling condition. The
earth has not forgot Il to yield her
increase. There has been no general
failure of harvests. We have had be.
nignant skies and the early and the late
rain. Neither famine nor pestilence has
decimated our population nor wasted its
energies. immigration is flowing in from
every land, and we are in the lusty prime
of national youth and strength with I'M
exempted resources and every stimulus to
their development; but, sir, the great body
of the American people are engaged to-
day in studying these problems that l
have suggested in this morning hour.
They are disheartened with misfortune.
They are tired of the exactions of the
spectators. They desire peace and rest.
They are turning their attention to the
great industrial questions which under
lie their material prosperity. They are
Indifferent to party. They care moth
ing for Republicanism nor for Democ-
racy as such. They are ready to say, "a
plague on both your houses" and they
are ready, also, Mr.. President, to hail and
to welcome any organization, any meas
ure, any leader that promises them relief
from the profitless strife of politicians and
this turbulent and distracting agitation
which has already eliminated in violence
and may end in blood.
Such, sir, is the verdict which l read
in the elections from which we have Just
emerged; a verdict that was unex pected
by the leaders of both parties, and which
surprised alike the victors and the van
pushed. 1t was a spontaneous, unpre.
meditated protest of the people against
existing conditions. 1t was revolt OF
the national conscience against injustice
movement that is full of pathos and
also full of danger, because such move,
ments sometimes make victims of those
who are guiltless. 1t was not a Repub.
lican defeat. 1t was not a Democratic
victory. 1t was a great upheaval aud up,
rising, Independent of and superior tC
catastrophe, filled with terrible admoni
ton, but not without encouragement tc
those who understand and are ready tC
cooperate with it.
PEACEFUL REVOLUTIONS.
1t was a peaceful revolution, an attemp t
to resume rights that seemed to have been
infringed, 1t is many years, Mr.. Presi
dent, since l predicted this inevitable re-
suit. In speech delivered in this chamber
on the 18th of February, 1878, from the
seat that is now adorned by my honorable
friend from Texas, who sits before me
Mr.. REAGAN 1 said;
We cannot disguise the truth that we are on tn,
verge Of an impending revolution. The old issue
are dead. The people are arraying themselves upOI
one side or the other of pOTtentOus contest, o.
one side is capital, fOrmdably entrenched in priv
lege, arrogant from continued triumph, cOnserva
tive, tenacious of old theories, demanding new
concessions enriched by domestic levy and foreign
commerce. and struggling to adjust all values to ii
own standard. On the other is labor, asking TO
employment, striving to develop domestic indus
tries, battling with the forces of nature and sub
DUNG the wilderness; labor starving and sullen
resOlutely determined to overthrow q system unde
which the rich are growing richer and the poor arr
growing poorer; system which gives to Wander
bilt the possession Of wealth beyond the dreams o
avarlce, aud condemns the poor to poverty whcl
has no refuge from starvation but the prison or tn
grave. Our demands for relief for justice, hav
been met with indifference or disdain, The labor
ers of the country asking for employment are treated
like impudent mendicants begging for bread.
Mr.. President, it may be cause, it MAJ
be coincidence, it may be effect, it may b.
post hoe or it may be propter hoe, but it ii
historically true that this great blight tina
has fallen upon our industries, this par
alysis that has overtaken our fnancia
system, coincided in point of time NTH tn
dinainution of the circulating medium of tn
country. The public debt was declared
payable in coin, and the power of silvel
was destroyed. The value Of property di
unfinished in proportion, IUdgeS fell, and III,
value of everything i0as deprecated eGcep
debts and gold. The mortgage, the bond
the coupon and the tax have retained i'm
mortal youth and vigor. They have no
deprecated. The debt remains, but thu
capacity to pay has been destroyed. Tit
accumulation of years disappears undel
the hammer of the sheriff, and the debtol
is homeless, tUhile the creditor obtains tn
security for his debt for a fraction Of t0ha
10 tUas actually north tUhen the debt iVGS con
trdcted.
There is, Mr.. President, deep-seateC
conviction among the people, 'Ohich full
share, that the decentralization of silver il
1873 was one element of great cOnspirac!
to deliver the fiscal system of this countr!
over to those by whom it has, in my opin
ion, finally been captured. I see no proc
of the assertion that the demonetizatiol
act of 1873 was frsudulently or corrupt.
procured, but it is impossible to avoid tn
conviction that it iOaS part Of a deliberdt
plan and conspiracy formed By those i0h
hare been called spectators to still fitrthe