The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-02-05
The 81. louis Conference.

Many people are looking hopefully
but anxiously toward st. Louis.
What is the object Of this conference?
What the measure OF its authority?
Will it endorse the demands of the
Alliance? Is it an advisory council
only, or may it act with authority,
binding the various industrial organiza-
tions to the support Of a new political
party3 Many people are asking these
questions
It is not party convention. but a
conference seeking "more perfect
union between the industrial classes,
to the end that they may act in concert
in carrying forward certain reforms and
enforcing certain demands.
Clearly the first duty Of every dele
gate is to leave his "party fealty' at
home, and for once in his life forget
that he ever belonged to any party.
Leave at home the prejudices and
enmities engendered by former contests,
the jealousies Of locality and occupation.
A broad comprehension of the wants,
the needs, the rights Of all the people,
ought to pervade the conference.
It is good time to emphasize the
fact that industry is in the ''slough Of
despond,' and must be rescued before
our temperance friends, our female
suffrage friends and many others can
expect more than our sympathy. 1t is
good time to postpone all minor mat
tiers and concentrate the forces on q few
questions Of paramount importance.
Depend upon it, the chief grievance
of mankind is inequitable distribution
OF goods and rights. The chief danger
to d government of the people is con-
centration Of wealth and political power
through monopolization Of natural ma
terials and forces.
Poverty is the gulf that yawns at the
door of the sheep, by the side Of the
field, in the home Of the laborer !; pow
erty, the result of enforced idleness
rather than debauched Incidence ;
poverty, crushed beneath the wheel of
monopoly's machine; poverty, pushed
into the gutter by the combinations aud
conspiracies Of heartless greed. Poverty
is the counterpoise to the plutocrat,
both the result Of . system Of distribu-
ton, unjust, irrational, snd barbarous.
1t is possible to lay at St. Louis the
corner stone Of the most magnificent
political structure of modern times--a
new temple Of liberty. May this con-
ference rise with the opportunity and
lay foundation SO broad, SO generous,
so transparently just, that the farmer,
the mechanic, the laborer, aye. the
priest and prophet may join hands and
carry up the stones for its buildings.
1t should be substantially new dec
laration Of independence, reafiirming
the natural rights of man to the equal
use of natural materials and forces. Il
should demand new adjustment Of all
public instrumentality, whereby the
products Of labor are distributed. The
railway. the telegraph, the express, the
medium Of exchange, all public dis
tributary agencies, should be construct
ed and operated solely for the beneti
Of the people. Corporate ownership o
all such should be abolished. The It'll,
Of the people to all natural materials
and forces shonld be declared inalien
able. Organizations sending delegates
should remember their moral obligation
to consider the welfare of oil classes o
people, ask no advantage or specia
favor, take the motto each for all, al
for each. The business Of the confer
ence ought to be confined to few sub
jects. To attempt too much is as baG
as too little. The reformation of oul
financial system; the reformation Of oul
transportation system, the reformation
Of our system Of taxation; the reforma
ton Of our land system. Much as al
these matters, and many more. need
attention, it would be better to leave of
all Of these except the first two than Il
confuse and divert attention by adding
more. mo man loses his way 10 .
straight road" SO said the wise Achmsn
many years ago. A new party is in
evitable, for the reason that the indus
trial classes have no party devoted to
their interests, and. therefore, no means
Of enforcing their demands. The COM
mon belief that there are two grea,
parties, with widely divergent policies,
is not founded on fact but on fiction,
There are indeed two great organisa-
tious; they are mere factions of one
IN