Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-08-06

Bracket Reed, of Maine. venture to
say when truth gets hearing 1t will
be put down as the most shameful sur
render of the rights OF. the American
people ever known.
"The leaders are shrewd-ths
man like Reed ahead after every cleo
ton. or place In the white house man
like Mckinley, who can be nodded at
Will. I am not pessimist, although
my ramblings may lead you to think so.
We have for 100 years studied to &C
new struggle-that of its distribution.
There was a time, only thirty years
ago. when there was a thirst for wealth.
Cotton was king and slavery ruled.
After riots 1t was actually discovered
one day that there were twenty-five
good men. It was Sodom and Go
morrah. John Brown. with twenty
good men, went to Harper's Ferry. and
before the end was in view the Stars
and Stripes meant something. A million
men were sacrificed for principle that
gave the black slave his liberty. May
the time come for us when twenty-five
good men will 80 to Harper's Ferry or
Some other place and fight for the
liberty of the white slave. >
LET us demonstrate that the Declar-
alton of Independence did mean some
thing-that 1t meant reward for toll Of
labor, and not that the results Of min
ers' hard work should go into the pock-
cts of Mark Hama or any other pluto
crat. refer you to the last campaign
when they wanted to set aside Flag
day, and Mark Hanna, the patriot citi-,
zen, was to be made the banner bearer
Of the OCCASION The sole purpose Of
the agitation was to bolster up the
Republican policy. The purpose of
Mark Hanna's flag is to cover up the
dirt of the Republican party ~
Il hope the day will come when that
flag will mean equality Of
opportunity. believe in the American
people. have another hope born of the
fact that 100000 people put up in Chi
cago as standard bearer young and
poor man. Everywhere he went
spontaneous enthusiasm sprang up,
born of desire to obtain liberty OF the
masses. That was the grandest thing
seen in thirty years. s
"The people in the great cities ask
why they pay such enormous sums to
live IN garrets, while some men own
vast lots of unimproved land. Why
do not the people own the land them
selves? These are the questions that
agitate the peoples minds. We have
seen only the border of the promised
land, without having had even taste
of the fruit.
hope the day will come when we
can tell the glories of our land with
out lying about them.
Nov my remedies. for these evils. I
don't believe high tariff will employ
more labor. I don't believe that gold
monometallism will right things. I
don't believe that there is a combine
not protected by law l don't believe
that people will receive full fruition of
the principles of Jefferson's declaration
until the people own the land. We
can't live without land If you deprive
man of it and its results you make him
an abject slave To remedy the evils
you must destroy land monopoly.
Let the United States senate not forget
to attack land monopoly. If you love
Jefferson you must hate it. Some peo-
pie tell me to practice what preach,
but must travel inithe line that offers
the least resistance. Such resolution,
If introduced by me in the house.
would not be given a chance.
II believe in free silver and Bryan,
and believe that in rallying around
the banner we should instill the idea
that land monopoly must go. Cap
plause) .tr
ITO sum up we have made wonder
full progress and along with it there
has been very rapid concentration of
wealth. We see that half our homes
are in need. We see now quarter'of
a million men going on strike be-
cause they can't live on starvation
wages So thought this good day
to point out the evils that surround us,
I believe that some time in the flu
ture there will be sweet bye and bye
when we will reap the benefit Of our
forefathers' sowing; that we will have
a government where life will not be
mere struggling for animal existence
"a government of equal opportunity"