Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-03-09
ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE
OF the Industrial and Allied Or
ganizations of the Country.
The Beginning of the Great Political
Revolution of Modern Timos-A
Declaration of Principles
Put Forth, Etc.
Especially Reported by Elwood s pefrerl

]
/ OF the confederation of industrial organ.
lzations, which convened here last Mon.
DAY, came to an end this evening.
From its deliberations, many thousands
believe, will date the greatest political
revolution of modern times. However
that may be, it is assured that the peo.
pies party can enter the campaign with
additional strength and renewed life,
because of its actions.
The conference opened at o'clock
Monday afternoon, in Music hall, with
nearly three thousand delegates and
visitors in attendance
). III. SniCer, of Kansas, chairman OF
the committee on arrangements, intro.
duced Hon. Ben Terrell, of Texas, who
presided until temporary chairman
was elected
The session was formally opened with
prayer-an invocation to God to be pres
ent and assist in the work of the con.
vention.
Judge Terrell then introduced Mr..
Cryus P. Waldridge. president of the
st. Louis city council, who, on behalf
of the city, rendered a welcome to the
visiting delegates. He said
If my memory serves me correctly saw
some weeks ago notice in the daily papers Of
the obsequies of the Farmers Alliance and
peoples party. Judging from the display be-
fore me 1t must have been a mistake News
papers generally tell the truth, but sometimes
Typographical errors slip in At any rate if I
were candidate for Office, think should
give the elements represented here to-day
credit for having little vitality left.
The philosopher tells US that life is a struggle
for the survival of the fttest Most of US will
FlQ ilxT nflT hot y Ofkl,
pecially the first half of it. suspect There are
few men in this hall who have not some time in
their lives had to struggle for existence. But
how about the survival of the fittestP What is
the fttest to survive? At one time the fittest
was supposed to be he who was strongest and
best able to destroy his fellows. When Bruce
and Wallace were breaking the heads of Eng
hshmen with their huge battle axes, muscle was
considered the only fit thing to survive When
the farmer Graded his grain and raked and
bound 1t by hand and threshed it with a fail
when canals were dug and railroads graded by
human hands alone, when the fieetest messen-
ger from st. Louis to San Francisco was the
pony express, 1t was very important that mus
Gle should survive.
But times changed. The battle ak was sue
ceeded by the needle gun. The cradle and fail
were followed by the reaper, the self binder
the header and thresher Steam shovels and
graders and electric motors took the place of
laborers In the construction of canals and rail-
roads. The telegraph and telephone succeeded
the pony express. labor saving schemes and
devices of tremendous import were evolved
from the brain Of man. Then there sprane ND
a class who said muscle is of little Importance:
brains alone are fit to survive The contest
which followed speedily developed the theory
which is destined to govern the world, viz: He
is best fitted to survive who can best bring
brain and muscle into harmonious CO. operation.
Then the word went along the industrial line:
mo trust can control our intelligence Let us
-orrgsarrssztaa rs aud they did organize.
In the industrial pursuits of the United States
alone, 4,0000OO men struck hands in the name Of
cooperative brain and muscle
You have frequently heard the remark
Competition is the life of trade" If com
petition be the life of business why don't the
Farmers Mutual Benefit association offer
bonus to every man who will open q new farm?
If competition be so desirable why don't the
Knights of Labor send missionaries into Europe
to induce men to come over here and compete
with them in their various avocationsi
No. my friends, the theory ia false. The le-
gitimate result of unrestricted competition is
to crush out the weak and build up the strong.
1t - AnTastri~tN@ competition that has
bnub up those vast fortunes whose own
ers have incomes almost equal to the revenue
of an empire. No competition, but competi-
tive cooperation is the true life of business and
the best guide for all human action. Is not this
the object of your convention? If understand
1t, you are here TO bring about the competitive
cooperation of the industrial orders of the ma
ton. The farmer and wage worker the artisan
and labOrer, the producer and consumer IF
this convention shall develope the genius to
bring those elements into harmonious and
aggressive union based upon right principles
there will go out from this hall force which
nothing on earth can resist.
In the name of the city of St. Louis bid you
cordial welcome. I welcome you. not one as
farmer as mechanic as iaborer, but as Amer
leans loyal and true whose deliberations will be
enforced by patriotic desire to produce the
greatest good to the greatest number
Following Mr.. Waldridge, Mr.. Terrell
| read the following address to the con-
vention, requesting that it be referred to
the committee on platform:
GENTLEMKN:-You are he . by the authority
of the several industrial organizations which
you have the honor to represent, and for the
purpose of comforting together without prediu-
dice of any kind, to the end that you may agree
upon such platform of principles flor the COW
ernment of our loved and common countryl as
well as secure equal justice to all, and esp ,cial
privileges to none. Believing las we dol in the
fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.
and considering that the interests you repre-
sent are those of the toilers of our
land, it is hoped and believed that
your deliberations will be marked
by that earnestness fairness and manlincss
which should characterize the discussion of
such interests. 1t is possible that the future of
our country is in the hands Of this oonvent ton
o-day. If you act wisely, believe a revolution
by the ballot attainable and our country saved
from the fate of all nations whose financial
policy concentrated in the hands of the few its
wealth while the many were made paupers
The responsibility resting upon you is not
less than that of the grand old heroes and IA
theirs who signed the declaration of independ-
ence in l776, aud your country is expecting of
light THa tue same isAiiSSS oeV0'i0n 70 justice and
1 beg of you that you will remember that the
eyes of the toiling masses are upon you to-day,
and they are expecting a second declaration of
independence. l pray God you may be able to
rise above all party sectional pretudices lay
aside self, throw off every weight, and do your
duty like men worthy of the trust confided to
| you by those whose cause is just
In view of the depressed condition of labor
and the absolute Lecessity for unity Of action,
hope the convention will be conservative and
| just in it's demands. Let US not attempt
! too much There is much truth in the
| saying that you can unite many on few
| things, and but few on many" 1 would, there
| fore, advise that you confine your de-
| mands to land, transportation, taxation and
money, believing that when conditions are so
changed that men can enjoy the fruit of their
/ labor, they will find more time and inclination
| to attend to those moral reforms 90 much
needed and SO earnestly desired by AL who love
| humanity.
The question of who shall own our lands ia
| 70 ask who shall own the people, for those who
OWE the land own the people, so If we would be
free we must continue to own our lands There
/ is no escape from this truism. 1t has held good
since history began, and the continuance of
! popular government depends upon the owner
| ship of our lands by the masses. for lsneu the
monopoiy of the land is accomplished, slavery
| tor the masses begins. II, gentlemen, you can
| prevent the condition of landlord and tenant
! from obtaining in this country you vii deserve
| the gratitude OF future generations.
/ Lines of communication and transportation
are for public use. and should be controlled by
the government as to prevent abuses. Their
power to fix prices and rob labor Is too great to
be trusted to corporations without control but
| the control Of government should be to prevent
abuse, and not to unduly burden or hamper
them. There can be no antagonisnr between
| capital invested in them and the true interests
OF labor, unless abuses are practiced Govern