The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-02-28
AN ADDRESS
Delivered Before the State Farm.
ers Alliance at Minneapolis,
January 10th, 1898.
BY HON. JOHN ARNOLD KEYES.

BY HON. JOHN ARNOLD KEYES.
Continued from last ,ceek.
Let us now turn, as citizens and
men, and facing the problem, ask our
selves the practical Yankee questson,
what is going to be done about it?"
We are not here to lis ten to, or speak,
soft words; nor to tear down and
destroy. We are neither anarchists,
nihilists, nor socialists, but fearing
all them, we are here, as citizens of a
common country, forseeing the evil
and working with all heart and soul
for it's cure. 1t is difficult to speak
straight on and on, in times like
these, and breast the tide of criticism
that rises to overwhelm. He who
does, will be called by unpleasant
names and treated with unfairness.
Speaking out in the simplicity of
justice and innocence, he will be
surprised, of sudden, to hear that
he has become an evil genius think
ing himself sounding faithful note
of warning, he will be chagrined to
hear that his doctrines are Infamous,
and himself corrupter of youth and
a stirrer-up of seditiOn.
He will be told there is no remedy
and one who thinks there is, is fool
In spite of all this there are men Of
faith, and culture, and courage, still
living; and they all unite in saying
that there is remedy,-a moral,
constitutional, effective remedy
namely, the ballot. Education mere
ly as such, cannot accomplish the re-
form.
The church in the presence of the
need, has, as practical element
proved itself impOtent, and ever will
There is no single social force ade-
quate to it's accomplishment but
that is to be secured by union of all
the honest, earnest, wOrka-day ele-
ments of the people, in grand move
ment to possess themselves of the
government; strike down the power
acquired by natural monopolies; Sc
cure control of and regulate the
highways of transportation. and the
avenues of the transmission of in
telligence; restore it's constitutional
power to issue and control it's curren-
cy, and fix that issue at a reasonable
ratio; and at the same time institute
new measures, corrective of the past
errors in the industrial life of the
people.
l have said that education alone
will not avail Indeed it is but re-
tinment of cruelty to awaken in the
child a desire for higher life, unless
along with it we give him fair guar
anty that by reasonable industry he
can secure the right to food and shell
ter and clothing, and share of the
fruits of a common civilization. Of
what real avail has emancipation
been to the Negro? Very little. And
why? Because we turned him loose,
a wait in strange land; we gave him
citizenship and nothing else.
Straight is the gate and plain the
way that leads to this thing, and
there can be no mistaking it if one
cares to look.
Force will never do, but let all men
of intelligence unite in a common
cause to liberate themselves. and
those weaker than themselves, from
the thraldom of this system: and if
the blacks cannot use the ballot we
must use it for them, and by it's
means reconstruct the governing
powers SO that we can cope with the
new condition, and be equal to the
needs of the hour, and swing into har-
mony with the new ideals of life. If
constitutions need amending, amend
them. No mere paper barrier can
stand before us, nor shall it so stand.
Yes, says some one "all that is very
fine but the cohesive power of the
people is not strong enough and their
power of endurance is not long enough
to attain the end; they will divide on
non essentials and meet defeat as in
the past"
This is indeed the most serious OBJ
stacle to be encountered but it must
be overcome; and you are the men of
all others upon whom the duty first
falls. From the soil of the hills and
the prairies spring the men who rule
and save them in times of
peril. So it has been and so it will
be, and therefore you are of the tribe
of Levi in this thing. This tendency
to divide can only be overcome by or
compact, determined
There should be, and
I am an advocate of, a federation of
all agricultural, industrial and allied
workers and thinkers, in whatever
occupations, who believe in progress