The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-06-12
TRIGHTFUL CONDITION OF THE
COUNTRY UNDER CORRUPT
GOVERNMENT.
Worse Than England Under the
Norman, Peru Under PiZarro,
Mexico Under CorteZ, or
France Under Napoleon.
JOINT HORRORS OF THE CON.
QUEST BY SWORD AND.
PURSE.
Latter Much the WOrst-Three Sow
ereign Remedies, Kind of Trim,
ity in Unity, Proposed by
POpulists.

Twill conclude this series of chapters
with some practical remarks as to the
present conditions in this country,
and mere mention Of the more obvi-
Gus and urgent remedies for existing
evils,
When William Of Normandy had
won the battle of Hastings, and was
parceling out the lands Of England
among his generals and nobles; when
he held the public highways, con-
trolled the English finances, and ,lev-
led tribute at will on the people, can
it be said in any just sense that the
conquered English were then a free
people? In America, to-day, corpora
tions have ceased control of our finan-
ces; they put up and down prices at
will; "they are masters of all industry
and commerce!" "All property is at
their mercy" Corporations control
our public highways, and those mod
ern barons, "more powerful than their
medieval prototypes as stated by
Mr.. Garfield, ''levy tribute at will on
all our vast industries"
American farmers pay millions
OF rent and tribute to the foreign
landlords, and our lands and homes
are being parceled out to our new
masters, as William the Conqueror di-
vided the lands Of England among his
followers. In view of these burning
and shameful facts, can it be truly
said that we are "a free people?'
When Pizarro. had conquered an
cient Peru: whenhe held their king
prisoner; when he was master of the
cities, highways, and fortresses of the
empire; when the gold and silver of
the country were emptied at the feet
OF the cOnQuerOr, as so much trash, in
ransom for their king, were the Peru
vians free people?
When ancient Mexico lay helpless
at the feet of Cortez, as the United
States now lie in the hands of a cor
porate money power; when the Mexi-
can highways were held and con-
trolled by the conquering Spaniards,
0o OuAo oAO uOAu duO OOu VI OllCO NY UIlC
corporate kings Of the purse and the
rail; when all the lands of Mexico
were held subject to the disposal of a
foreign monarch, as ours are to-day
being parceled out among a cormor-
ant crew of foreign and domest tic
landlords; and when the finances Of
the country had become the instru-
ment of oppression in the hands of a
foreign despot, as ours are to-day in
the hands of the London money lords
and their American Agents and at
torneys, could it be truly said that the
Mexicans were free people?
England, Peru and Mexico were con-
Quered by the sword. They were sub
dued that the people of those lands
could be compelled to pay tribute to
the cOnquerors, and that they should
be subject to the will of their mas
ters. They were conquered as the lion
and the tiger conquer-as Alexander,
Caesar. Napoleon and Cortez conquer
ed-by rending killing and wasting
in contests full of personal danger to
the victors. The people of the United
States cannot be conquered by the
sword; but by that other war power,
mightier than the sword-the purse.
1t does not tear and destroy as do the
lion and the tiger. 1t does not kill,
burn and waste, as does the sword
The purse cOnQuers as the serpent
conquers. 1t charms. it shines, it
crushes, and then devours. Advance
ing noiselessly, nothing escapes the
voracity Of its merciless, greedy and
insidiOuS warfare on humanity.
The sword and the purse-the lion
and the bOa-Lave common purpose
On their conquests. 1t is to compel the
conquered to nourish the victors; so
Shat the masters may levy tribute ON
the people subiugated. The tribute
levied by the sword is enforced by the
cannon, muSket, the lash and the
bloodhound. The tribute levied by
the purse is enforced by bonds, mort
cages, watered stocks, high railroad
charges, usury on moneys, and rent
on lands; and by the shrinkage of
values through monetary contraction.
But in each and every case it is tri-
bute-it is slavery-and the people
who pay unjust tribute at the behest
of a master are slaves.
The finances of the United States
are controlled by banking corpora
tions boasting that, on twenty-four
hours notice, they can ''defy an act
OF Congress-" The late Senator
Plumb told us that in one year the
banks contracted the volume Of the
currency per cent Of its volume,
which deprecated the values of prop
erty in this country three billions OF
dollars" Pretty heay tax that.
Neither Alexander, Caesar. Napoleon,
Pizarro, nor Cortez ever did as much.
Mr.. Garfield said that
"WhOever controls the volume OF
the currency is absolute masters of all
industry and commerce"
Senator Thomas a. Benton, speak