Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-11-03
MUST UNITE
AND CONQUER.
Wage-Earners Appeal to Farmers
tor Concerted Action Against
Coercion and McKinleyism.
THE SAME INTERESTS.
The Hope Of Good Government Rests
Largely with the independent
and Patriotic Farmer.


Tho Interests of All Producers Wrapped
Up In the Election of Bryan and the
Success of Free Silver-Proteo-
ton Against Coercion and
Intimidation.
The following stirring and patriotic
appeal has been addressed to the pro-
ducers Of the Mississippi valley by the
organized workmen of Chicago:
Chicago. Oct. q, 1896.
To the Farmers and Agricultural Laborers
of ths'State Of Illinois and of the Missis-
sippi Valley-Greeting:
AS representing the interests and having
at heart the welfare of the wage. earning
classes of our cities and great centers of
industry, we address you, as we approach
the close Of this momentous campaign.
upon question that we believe to be of
vital interest to all those who are engaged
In the productive industries of the country.
1t Is fact conceded by all intelligent
persons, that the wealth of the country Ia
the result of its productive energy; that
tho tOiling masses, those who work with
their hands in the industries of life. in
fact produce all OF the material wealth Of
the world. We do not propose to UNDER
estimate the value of intelligence in the de
recting OF industry: nor do we ignore the
Importance OF Intellectual labor; but we
repeat. that the material wealth of the
world is the result Of its manual toll ap-
piled to natural resources. In view Of this
truism we insist that the condition Of any
country is utterly deplorable when. as in
our land. more than Is per cent. of the
wealth Of the nation is in the hands of less
than ten per cent. Of its population. as
shown by the statistics Of the last census
report: this ten per cent. embracing not
single producer. but only the men who
grow rich and powerful by the manipula-
ton Of money and Of property. When. as
In this country, we find that the toilinR
masses. as representing more than So per
cent. Of the population. possess, as shown
by the same statistics. less than 16 per cent
OF the wealth Of the country. we submit
that these facts indicate deplorable state
of society. particularly when 1t will be ad-
united that the great ma ority of our wage
earning population are men and women
who are at once Industrious and honest,
capable and the most intelligent wage
earners in the world.
1t Is truism in finance that they who
control the money of nation control its
life. The more you reduce the volume Of
money by so much you increase its pur-
chasing power. and give to those who hold
It an advantage which Is the mere result
3,
and not the result of any honest endeavor
or genuine merit upon their part.
/ 1t is also true beyond question-as 1t has
| always been in the history of the world so
| Is 1t now-that the interests of the wage
earning and wealth-producing classes are
| Identical. Whatever financial policy will
result in raising the price of the products
| of labor, will in like manner result in
evitably in advancing the wages Of labor.
In the present campaign studied effort
| has been made, and is now being pushed,
to bring about dissension between the great
bodies of the laboring people OF the United
States. the agricultural laborers as q
class. and the industrial wage-earners.
Now, as always. the privileged classes act
upon the motto: divide and conquer
| They know that in any form OF representa-
| tive government labor united can control
| the administration and direct its legisla-
| ton. except so far as those who are elected
| may prove recreant to the trust imposed
| upon them, and vulnerable to the approach
| OF the professional lobbyist.
| Every effort has been made in the pres
| ent campaign to array the wage-earnera
| OF the cities. and Of the great manufactur-
Ing industries Of the country, against the
| agricultural producers and laborers, upon
the theory diligently pressed everywhere
that the increased prices OF agricultural
products. which would Inevitably result,
upon the reconciliation of silver, would
be prejudicial to the Industrial wage-earn-
1 ers, by increasing the cost to them of the
necessities Of life.
1t has been the policy Of the present cam
paign conducted under the direction OF
| Mark Hanna, aptly designated as IAN In.
dustrial Cannibal." to endeavor to secure
the purchasable vote which always exists
| in great centers Of population. by the Law
| ish and corrupt use of money, and to ar,
ray that vote aginst the interest of the
| agriculturists. But he and his associate.
have not stopped with this; they have II
addition resorted to every conceivable
form Of coercion. with view to compelling
incorruptible wage-earners in the city tt
Join in this crusade against agricultural
industry under the pressure of threat o.
the loss of position and employment in the
event of the triumph of the free silver
cause. The pressure that has been brough
to bear in this direction, typified by til,
brutal conduct of Mr.. Crawford in st
Louis. who discharged from his employ
ment every free silver man in his establish
ment. simply because of his attitude upol
the financial Issue. has been very great
and hard to be resisted. That by the proc
esses thus resorted to INSCRIPTIONS man
ayers OF the republican campaign expec
to succeed in controlling in a large meas
ure the purchasable vote of the grea
cities, and also through terror to caus
many a we'll intentioned workman to vot
against his own earnest convictions, can
not be doubted. We believe. however. tina
the appeal which has been made to tn
manhood of the American citizen. to asser
his rights in the exercise of the franchis
under the Australian ballot, will be sue
cessful; and that thus the efforts of thes
enemies of humanity will be rendered un
availing. Still 1t must be admitted tina
from these conditions there exists menac
to the cause we have at heart; and henc
1t Is that now we appeal to you, whose In
terests are so vitality involved in this issue
that you redouble your efforts. with quick
ened energies, and make the majority @
the agricultural vote Of the Mississipp
valley for the free silver cause and 1t
champions. as large as possible; SO large
in fact. that 1t will gloriously overt ON
and overwhelm all Of these floating votes
whether obtained corruptly or through
coercion. which the enemy may succeed II
obtaining and In which alone they fin
their present confidence of success.
You in the exercise of your calling ar
not being spied upon by the minions o
capital. as are the wage-earners of tn
cities. Each of you upon his own field O
labor walks and works in an Independent
atmosphere that Is impossible in these day
to the average wage-earner in the grea
centers of industry. Wherever such
worker tolls he Is not only being watche
by his foreman, but he is liable to find q
his elbow some spy upon his liberty, som
seducer of his civic virtue. some treach
erous fellow workman ever ready to repor
to his employer, and pressing upon til
want and self-interest of the laborer. tn
temptation of greed. or the promises whlc
appeal to the towards Those who ma
yield to influences such as these must b
Offset by the hosts of our honest and pc
triotic farmers. Secure in their persona
| b., ia1,