The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-10-09
THE IMPENDING CRISIS.

In Webster's immortal reply to
Hayne, the opening paragraph reads
as follows: ".Mr. Presidents: When
the mariner has been tossed for many
days, and in thick weather and on an
unknown sea, he naturally ayails
himself of the first pause In the
storm, the earliest glance at the sun.
to take his latitude and ascertain how
| far the element have driven him from
his true course.' Is it not about
time that we as tempest tossed peo-
pie. should ascertain "where we are
at?"
Like the mariner, the great army of
ound-shouldered bread winners have
been tempest-tossed for, yea, these
many years. Indeed, throughout the
cycles Of antiquity, they have been
ridden down by the iron-shod hoofs of
shylock's knight errantry. At re-
mote intervals only have they arisen
and thrown off the yoke Of oppression
| to gain lapse into the vortex Of slav-
cry. The following are among the in
stances where the people have more
eat-dog policy that has characterized
the worlds history: Under the
Mosaic law, providing for the year of
jubiless, once in fifty years; when all
Hebrew slaves were set free and all
debts cancelled; when all alienated
lands reverted to the family, usury
prohibited and the harvest-field and
vineyard we're left ungleamed for the
benefit Of the poor. Again, when the
cruel laws of DracO, of Athens, were
replaced by those of Solon, relieving
debtors from debt, giving freedom to
slaves and forbidding parents from
selling their children; again, the
twelve tables of Roman law secured
the rights of the Plebians against
usurpations of the patricians; against
again, the removal of the atrocities
OF the Spanish inQuisition and erect
| ing in it's stead freedom of a religious
thought to a great degree; again, in
the 'Edict of Nantes," issued by
Henry Nv. Of France, by which Pro
testant liberties OF conscience was Sc
cured against the bloody prosecutions
that eliminated in the massacre of
most notable event, outside Of Ameri-
can history, regarding the triumph of
natural and civil justice, was the es-
tablishment Of the English "Magna
Charta," under King John, in the
thirteenth century, By this, the bar
barous customs of the feudal system
were greatly mitigated, by breaking
down the tyranny OF kings, lords, and
aristocrats; again, amidst an
avalanche Of blood and carnage. came
the French revolution. Among the
causes that percepitated this mem
Orable butchery Of kings, queens,
mobiles, and aristocrats, were the long
extravaganza and prodIgality of
royal court, to support which the
masses suffered the most burdensome
| taxation, as the favored classes were
exempt, ian army Of 100000 men in
| time OF peace and double that num-
Der in war, together with a great
marine establishment, while 10000
serfs were bought and sold with the
| land on which they were born. All
this was wiped out and to-day no ma
tion has so many owners Of small
| farms or is SO pros porous as people,
| as France; and, now, we come to the
immortal ''Declaration of Indepen-
dence" under which 5000 subjects Of
British tyranny, scattered in 13 colo
MES along a rugged coast, behind
which the interminal wilderness was
filled with murderous savages through
seven years Of bloody war, erected
temple Of liberty and free govern
ment, to shine as glorious beacon to
all mankind. And, now, after this
temple had stood 1l9 years, the cry
goes up-"W what of the
night?" Alas, how soon have all the
blessings been invaded by the gloved
hand Of avarice, hidden within the
recesses OF corporate intrigue and
despotism. Are the people to again
lapse into the vortex Of slavery? In
deed, where are we at?' When 81 900
own three-ffths Of the nations
wealth; when alien landlords own 81
million acres Of the same; when we
have S66, 1856 tenant farmers in Il
states, more than there is in England,
Ireland, Scotland and Wales: where
railroads charge exorbitant rates to
pay dividends on billions of real
value and 81 of fictitious value, or wa
| tered stock, when the whole railroad