The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-04-07
Draw Your Own Conclusion.

The eloquent Patrick Henry said: I'VE
can judge the future by the past" Look
at the past. When Egypt went down
three per cent. OF her population owned
ninety-seven per cent. of her wealth.
The people were starved to death. When
Rome went down, !, 800 men owned all
the known world.
For the last twenty-five years the
United States has rapidly followed in the
steps of those old nations, writes J, S.
Barnum. Here are the figures: in 1850.
capitalists owned thirty-seycn and half
per cent. of the nations wealth. In
1870 they owned sixtythree per cent.
The census Of 1890 shows a still more
rapid absorption of the wealth of the ma
tion by the wealthy classes. We are
rapidly approaching the dividing line of
wealth and poverty that in all the past
history Of the world has proven to be
the dead line beyond which no nation
has yet been able to go. The age of hui
man chattel slavery is past, never to
return. The new system Of slavery with
trusts and rObber combines as task mas
ters, is no less relentless and cruel than
were the slave masters under the old
system that robbed human chattels of a
fair share of the just reward of their
labor.
Men who toll, the great army Of pro-
ducers of this country who produce all
the wealth, what are you going to do to
ward off the fate that the above official
figures plainly indicate? Will you al
low party prejudice to blind YOU while
the chains are being forged to bind YOU
and your pOsterity as slaves Of the new
order of rObber masters? In matters of
this kind delays are dangerous, and
every delay only adds to the strength,
and makes more determined and auda-
cious the greedy few who have got con-
troll of the financial and commercial in
terests Of the country, and, by means Of
this power, have for a score of years
dictated the policy Cf the Government
in all matters in which their schemes
are concerned. These facts are SO
notorious that no one denies them. A
shrug Of the shoulders, and the ever
ready interrogatory, What are you 60
ing to Go about it," is the universal an
swer given when these schemes of
Legislative robbery are spoken of.
In view of the fact that labor is in
more senses than was contemplated in
the old fable. the goose that lays the
golden egg," the question What are
you going to do about it?" is about as
pertinent question Tor the capltaliStic
classes to answer as for those who pro-
duce all the wealth or LAY the golden
egg" Will our wealthy classes keep on
with their industrial crippling and i'm
peding process in order that they may
reap the lions share of the profits until
they lose all? They have been warned
that if they allow their unholy greed to
have full sway what the consequence
would be. When the financial legisla-
tion-or rather reputation of sacred
contracts with the people-was being
enacted into law, first the Reputation
Of the contract that made green
backs and bonds interchangeable,
and then the Strengthening Credit
Act, pledging the payment OF the entire
national Indebtedness in coin (meanina
both silver and god coins,, and then
the reputation of this contract by de-
mOnetizing silver by dropping ne coin
age Of silver from the coinage act, il
cost the pro lucers Of this country thou
eands Of millions worth of property,
Thurlow Weed, who was q wise coun-