Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-10-20
AN ApDRrss
To the voters of Rankin County. Ml..l.-
sppi.

.
advisable by those participating, to is
sue an address to our follow citizens,
touching the political situation which
now confronts us as common citizens of
a common country, and this work
being assigned TO us as a committee, in
our humble way we now undertake its
performance.
The wall of distress that is being
heard from the homes of the toiling
poor of our land is of the greatest sig
nilicance. Famine nor pestilence hath
bcfallen us to cause it. The soil, from
which comes mainly our country's
wealth is plentiful and productive.
Whence, then, the cause?
Labor is not without profit, but this
profit is taken from us, indirectly by
taxation, directly, by speculation. The
margin seeker leaves us usually with a
bare living, when a bogus claim is
rendered Statesmen tell us that this
condition of affairs is brought about
principally by wrong legislation. Where
then must we look for our most potent
help, in fighting the evils that beset
us ? Verify, to the ballot box
This brings us to consider political
parties. The Republican party is
chiefly characterized by its favoritism
to the rich and oppression to the poor,
its eXtravigance with public moneys,
etc. 1t is at once condemned and its
acts worthy of universal Reputation.
We have been taught to look to the
Democratic party for relief and to wait
till it can get into power; and we have
looked and waited till the day Of our
doom seems near at hand The record
of the Democrats, when partially in
power, is not such as to inspire the
confidence of the voter.
During Cleveland's administration,
when they raised their hand against
the greatest of Republican iniquities
the protective tariff in the celebrated
Mills bill, they only proposed an aver
age reduction of 4 y per cent. when %
would have been touching it lightly.
The last Democratic house, with their
HI majority could have at least put
themselves on record as willing work
ers, by voting a wholesale repeal of the
infamous" Mckinley bill, but they
only toyed with the measure little.
E., Notwithstanding the Democratic
party, the Democratic press and Dem
ocratic Congressman were committed
to the free and unlimited coinage of
silver, when a Republican Senate pass
ed the measure, the Democratic House
with its great majority defeated it,
manifestly for fear of insulting the
money sharks of New York and New
England.
Believing that both the old parties
have served their day of usefulness,
(mainly exist upon party prejudice and
sectional hate and that so long as they
survive we are to have q divided ma
tion-solid South against solid North,
with the balance of power in the hands
of sordid plutocracy, who must flaunt
in luxury and wealth, at the expense of
the happiness and comfort of the poor;
|
that new party, in which the indus
trial classes of our country, regardless
of section, may unite their efforts, is
absolutely necessary.
The laboring classes, the wealth pro-
ducers, must take the affairs of govern
ment in hand, through the ballot box,
or legislation will continue to be in the
interest of the rich, and the peace
even the safety of our republic, jeop-
ardized.
This being our faith, we have fallen
in line with the Peoples party, which,
though only few months old, is expe-
riencing wonderful growth, through
out the whole country, and is even now
the nearest inroad to needed reform.
And we cal upon you, fellow citizens,
to consider we'll the situation before
concluding to cast your vote for either
of the old parties, with the hope that
you may decide to help win the fight
against money oppression.
The Peoples party platform, in the
main embraces the demands of the
Farmers Alliance, which are familiar
to all. We do not anticipate general
triumph at once, but no doubt sweep
ing triumph awaits our efforts four
years ncHCe.
In the West we have tho lively oppo-
sition of the Republican party and in
he South we are formidably opposed
by the Democratic party. This we
naturally expect, and would expect if
we were to go on in the same channels,
enduring the same oppression for
twenty years more and then start out
to better our condition. 1t would amp
ly pay the Democratic politicians of
the South to keep the Southern States
Democratic, if they had no hope of
ever electing a National ticket nor get
ting in control of congress, so long as
they can continue to reap the emolu-
ments of Congressional, State and
county Offices.
And this wonderful impetus doubt
less goes far toward making the party
countenance such glaring disgraces as
the late Alabama election swindle, in
which the honest, toiling white citizens
we're defrauded out of their rights by
a few INSCRIPTIONS ballot box fxers
eHd the State saved( p to the straight(?)
Democracy. The great injustice prac-
ticed against a large and respectable
class of our citizens by the opposition
press, in publishing everything against
the Peoples party movement, whether
fact or fabrication, and refusing to
publish replies or corrections, is truly
surprising, and betrays fragrant de-