The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-08-08
OWEN At MANKATO.
A VERY THOUGHTFUL ADDRESS.
He Criticises President Cleveland Sc
verely for Ordering Troops Into
Illinois During the Recent Strike
The Silver Question Discussed.

8. NJ Owen, the Peoples party candidate
| for governor, spoke at Mankato, July 21th'
| to a good audience. The REPRESENTA-
| TIVE is indebted to the Mankato Review
for the following Synopsis:
Upon opening his remarks Mr.. Owen
stated that on account Of the weather and
the conditions of the campaign, he would
not make red hot speech. The time has
| again come in this country when the citizens
| should approach the discussion of great
| questions only as citizens. They should
| forget their politics. religion and national
| ity, and should only remember that they
| are American citizens. So much depends
| upon the correct solution Of these ques-
| tions. The speaker said that he was not
partisan, for years ago he had learned bet
ter to worship political party, because in
| doing could not be good citizen
| of the country. Of course we must have
| political parties, but let us recognize them
| only long as they accomplish good re-
| suits for A political party is mere
man made thing.
| The duties of the citizen in a republic
are greater than those under any other
| form of government. The best possible
| form Of government is republic, but all
| depends upon the rulers. Have a gov
| eminent that is wisely ruled? Ought we
| not to sit down and consider whether this
| is the best government earth? This is
a republic only in name, but not in spirit,
and if the fathers of this country were
alive today they would hardly recognize
it as the republic founded by them.
During the past Is or 80 years vast
| revolution has taken place, and we now
| have a plutarchy instead of a republic.
| He did not think it necessary for him to
| state the conditions of our country or do
| any calamity bowling, for everywhere cal
amity is doing its own bowling. We see
| there is something wrong in this best coun-
| try earth, which ought to be in a pros
| porous condition. Every laborer should be
| at work, the workshops busy and every
| store should be filled with customers
There is no reason whatever why this
| state of affairs should exist at the present
| time.
The Creator has given us everything to
make nation great, prosperous and hap
| Ply. This nation should be the browning
| nation of the earth; it ought to dictate
| to the other nations and it would if God
! had only peopled it in the same manner
| that he supplied it with natural resources.
| What is the cause of this condition of af-
| fairs? You have been fathless to your dut-
| les. While your are quarreling over politics
| a few men have gained control of all our
| wealth. One-twentieth of one per cent of
| our population owns one-half of the wealth
| of this country.
In 1860 we had only five millonaires and
! the money was equally distributed But
| during the past 80 years we have been maxi
| ing money with marvellous rapidity and to-
| day the per capita is $500. We have ex-
| pended this large amount of natural re-
| sources to gain the wealth which is in the
| hands of so few men
| The beginning of the decay of a nation is
| the Capitalization of it's wealth in the hands
| of few of its people. If each person was
| getting his or her just proportion of money
| there would be a different condition of af-
| fairs. With this increased purchasing
| power there would be a greater demand
| for goods, which would necessitate the
starting of more manufactures in every
| state in the Union. Why have we not that
condition? Because the few have absorbed
| all of our wealth. Isn't it time you bust
ness men should study and investigate the
| true condition of affairs? The business
man is the one who should be quickest to
discover these iniquties; he should be the
| first to tell the farmer, for his business
| is affected by it. 1t is matter of home
and not of politics, but so many of YOU
| have not had the sense to see it, The time
| is coming when you will.
He then referred to some of the causes
that have produced this state of affairs
The Republicans tell us to just wait until
| they get into power again. They say we
| have had a change of administrato ton But
there is the trouble-we have not, for if we
had, it might have been good enough for
| the Populists, and there would have been
| no need for our party. There has been a
| change in name only He blamed the Demo-
cratic party for not having made a single
| effort to remedy the present condition of af-
| fairs. They tell us the Republican tariff is
| killing US We gave the Democrats the
power, and they have found that Repub-
! lican protection is not SO bad they
| thought it was and have only diluted lit
| tie. He had discovered that a protective
| Democrat was the same a protective Re
! publican-yOu cannot tell them apart. This
| protective tariff is one cause of this cen
| traliZation of wealth.
| Glass legislation and the voting of money
| into the pockets of people was another
cause. Billions of dollars have been legis
| lated into the pockets of certain people
| during the past 30 years.
| Exemption from taxation was one of the
| causes. 1t is the farmer and laborer that
| is not exempted. There is not pig in
| Blue Earth county, no matter how small,
| but assessor can see it; there Is not a
| diamond in the city. no matter how large,
| that assessor can see, even with the
| aid Of a magnfying glass.
| He then referred to the war debt one
| of the causes. Through the manipulation
| of this debt deprived of our pros
| porous condition. The debt of 1864 and 1865
| a blessing instead of a burden, be-
| cause it was in the shape of circulating
| medium. This sort of debt did not suit
| the monied people-they wanted it to draw
| interest changed in any manner 50 that it
| would put money into their pockets, and
| cared little about the hardShipS it worked
| upon the mass of the people. They changed
! this debt to bonded Indebtedness pay
| able in paper money, but in 1869 it was
| made payable in coin.
| All of this class of legislation for the
| benefit of the wealthy, the Democrats had
opposed but after while the leaders of
| the party got a taste of this wealth and
| fell into line. He referred to Senator Voor-
| heeS' strong and able speech in opposition
| to the bill allowing monied men to put
| their money into government bonds draw
| ing interest and which could not be taxed;
| but he has changed his ways wonderfully
| during the past year.
| He then touched upon the silver ques-
| ton and stated that of all the legislative
| crimes perpetrated since this government
| was formed the demonetizing of silver was
| the most vile and wicked in any history.
There has never been a good excuse offered
for this change Not because we have too
much silver, not because we have too
much money but the change was made to
benefit the wealthy few. Gold is not Gods
kind of money; gold is a commodity.
Our private debt is increasing and the
old parties tell it is all right-it makes
better showing for orr country Tbav