Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1893-03-17
.T7he Leader.
J. e. HOLrER,s ADDRESS.
Dsaavered to the High1and Alliance, on
Tuesday,, March 7th.

Tuo00AE, M01cn TIM
Gfr. President and gentlemen:-I am sorry
hat could not be with.ysu and take my aliot-
ID place in discussing this great and important
question but Providence wills it not SO, and |
rave to submit. The bBst thing can do there
ore, is to be representa- by substitute and
submit my plea in writing. This question OF
government ownershipof railroads Is certainly
! great one, and the more we consider 1t tAeu
greater it looms up before us. i
In opening this discussion, should PerhapsiI
livtde my argument into three principal SUI
ects the general evolution, development and
progress OF things: ltle moral aspect OF 1t; aad
The pecuniary or money subject OF It,
In turning to theevolution OF things, We hnd
that governments, especially In time o1 9ren-
guilty. are generally timid In the undertaking
Of public improvements; and probably nlsAtiy
SO: We find within our own memory tAat tlrn-
piked road over. usarshes were let for conssruc-
tion to private parties, and that such pAft'es
received their SohgFter to take o toltduty irrom
people travelling over such turnpiked Hsad as
q compensationfsr their work and outlaF. The
some plactice prevailed In constructing torld-
ges, such bridges were shut up bp bie.heavy
bars called tolkgates, and persons could not
pass until the,re8,lated duty was paid.
in similar manner; the several farmsNrere as
signed to furnish q certain number OF unen and
horses, and theiicamping equipments to have
in readiness onsthe word OF warming. Some
farms would bessllotted the furnishing Of one
a horse, and some even two or more herses; and
some small onesswould be Tapped together in
the furnishing Of one man jointly, all according
to their size, value and taxahihty. -All these
things have become obsolete and ,detestable to
our present advancement, and We consider them
as belonging to.a time Of semi-barbarism; and
lust SO soon will the time come that eur present
railroad management will be so considered. 4.
Now Mr. President, after having thus briefly
touched upon the subject OF progress, we will
pass over to that Of morality, which Dby far is
the most important in this question.
These examinations called corporate bodies
are not new things, but the way they have
sprung forth.in the last generation or twois
phenomenon. Nearly all responsible associa-
tions Of men is.s corporation; ndeed. q nation
with organized government is a corporation,
and corporation sovereign in Animation; and
| II other corporations created by The national
.assNznes power that threatens to
.overshad0w and.defy obedience tosthe national
body corporate ,dt behooves such .ba1y to look
sharply lest danger emit.
You know very well Mr.. President, that II
has become Ahabit, or SO to speak@a second
nature in this republic Of ours for corporate
hodies organiasdacr it, to knock lot the, door Of
legislation E0rthif that privilege sanrtherint
their business and in many cases Ghave they
boon successful. 11f however they do not sue
coed the first time, they will go .systematicall!
t0work in the matter they willassociate them
SELVES with othereerporations in the same kint
Of business or with corporations in a. similar
business
We have eviaereee to the fact that they have
| contrived by shok.H-ork to hold the managing
power in both county and state conventions
and through these. to hold the controlling power
in the state legislatures yes, indeed, iin the
natiar al congresslitsef. So defant,to all right
eous Legislation have these became that oul
people have Wellnigh lost confidence lin al
legislat ion indeed lost confidence in, one 4anoth
er and are looking sat one another with sus
picion. s,f ~.
Itfsies Thomas Carlyle says in his French
revelation, II am suspect thou art suspect, he
is suspect !, we are susRect, they are suspect"
This kind OF condiEen is inocula1ing.a q .pois-
on into ths minds Of the people that lis OF sde.
grading aud vicious Mature beyond calculation,
no wonder that men .aespise what they .eall
politics. aj-.z.- ...... ..-,.5g- 80
|! But, Nri77resident, cthst is a healthy sign let
|she times Etthat the spirit Of righteousness iis
raising it's voice loud and ever louder among
cur people. And right here let me say to our
Scandinavia brethren. without in the least re
a,cting upon the integrity OF our American
brethren, that am proud .of my countEymen
for taking suAh an active part in this movement
fy,r r;o haa
said in my face by the opposition that this
mot ement shows on the face ,of it that it has
mo bottom in fact has no foundation at all, tor,
10 lit is promoted and upheld chiefly by foreign
ers apd agitatorssavho are DroHght up and ed
ucatad uuder q nponarchal syst EN- of govern
Hent Is it reasanable then that such mem
SHOULD know better the principles Of republic
an government THAI the inborn -Aneriacns
now, Mr. President knowing or not knowing,
it III, ash before mentioned, the spirit of right
eousness that moves in this matte-. and here
you always find the Scandinavian Why so?
Is he of o superior eigtous traiDings am not
ready to insist on that, ibllt would rather lay
misconceptions sense of for right. liberty and
Justice to another circumstance. He is a noun
taineer In contra comparison to o low-lsnder.
If you please we may 60 through the history
Of the world, and we will find those people
occupying the low and most Fertile lands OF the
world are the first to succu1nb to greed and
tyranny. We ind the people of the fertile
valley OF the Nile subdued to a state of bonded
life. slavery alongside OF their well filled mest
pots, and they are in very deplorable con
dition today under the yoke OF foreign control.
that OF England and France.
The people Of Lombary. Italy were rarely re-
duced to serfdom by tyrannic greed; the people
of sunny, smiling France were reduced to q
brute condition by greedy noblesse and an
Unsuitable priesthood whose insatiableness
brought on the French revolution. -
On the other hand we may 60; anywhere and
everywhere among the mountain people and
we find them imbued with high spirit Of lib
erty, freedom and Justice.
The earliest history OF cultrue and organized
freedom comes to US from among the mountains