The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-08-28

from Its effects. But the shock to civili-
cation which would ensue from such a
breach of public and private faith would
be irreparable. Its effect no man could
measure from any experience OF the human
race. We cannot tell to what degree 1t
would paralyze industry.
If were asked to define civilization,
should say 1t was industrial cooperation.
Everything that man doss for his own
benefit acts directly upon the interests Of
his neighbors. No man can stand alone
In civilized community. His interests,
his prospects, his misfortunes, are to some
extent shared by all his follows. There is
not an ear of corn ripening in western
field that does not affect the price Of bread
to you and mo. The farmer who scatters
seed upon the ground by that act starts
In motion the wheels Of the factory, he
sharpens the tools of the carpenter, no
stimulates the construction of railroads,
he causes the engineers to plan new bridges
crossing currents, new tunnels under riv-
ers, new canals joining oceans and sepa-
rating continents.
If the farmer did not work, II the miner
did not dig In the subterranean gallery
every other department. of industry would
languish, for men would not produce and
create II they did not see In the industry
and activity Of others prospect of a de-
mand for the commodity which they pro-
duce, and so every man In tho world Is
bound closely to the destiny and interests
of his fellow man.
Underlying Trouble with Populists.
Underlying the whole scheme of civiliza-
ton Is the confidence men have in each
other-confidence in their honesty, conf
dence in their integrity, confidence In their
industry, confidence In their future. If
we went to silver coinage tomorrow, IL
we even debased our standard of value
men say that still you would have. the
same property you have today, you would
still have the same SOIL you would still
have the same continent And 1t Is true
Now the underlying trouble with all
Populists Is that they have fundamental
misconception Of the principles on which
civilized society is constructed. All
through Mr.. Bryan's speech, all through
Mr.. Tillman's utterances in the conven-
ton, wherever you find Populists assem-
bled, you will find discussions proceeding
upon the theory that men are hostile to
each other in their interests; that the con-
dition of life is one of contest.
l merely desire to call the attention Of
this gathering to the character of that
speech, to the underlying spirit that per-
vades it, and then to ask the workingman
of this country to ask the citizens of this
nation IL the government should be trust
ed TO tho hands of men whose conception
of civilized society is one of warfare and
of strife.
The Whole Nation Will Resist.
We believe that the very essence of civil
lization Is mutual interest, mutual for
bearance, mutual corporation. We believe
the world has got past the time when
mems hands are at each others throats
We believe today that men stand shoulder
to shoulder, working together for COM
mon purpose beneficial to all, and we be-
lieve that this attempt to assail wages
which means an attempt to attack the pros
perity of ALL will be resisted, not by a
class, but by the whole nation.
What labor has gained, that 1t shall
keep. The rate Of wages that is paid to it
today is the lowest rate we will ever will
ingly accept. We look forward to further
and further increase in the prosperity of
workingmen- not. merely by IN increase In