The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-05-05

to give their children the education
their age and intelligence demands.
Again, there are too many in the con-
servative ranks who thing they see per-
sonal political success in getting their
names upon conservative ticket.
These farmers and laborers must have
radical measures adopted soon to enable
them to save their homes, and the grav-
est damages to them at this time is
yielding to the plausible theory that the
reform forces are to be brought to-
gether by taking a backward step from
the principles enunciated at Cincinnati
May 16. 1891, and incorporated into the
Peoples party platform at Omaha, July
4, 1892. Instead all those principles
must be kept prominently before the
people and education of the masses inust
be untiringly and increasingly kept up
on those radical lines until the mass
OF the voters know fully what they
mean, and through their Organizat ton
demand and secure them. In no other
way can full and permanent relief come.
When comparison of the present time
is made to conditions of unrest existing
In this country just before 1860. the
comparison, if thorough, causes one to
tremble, for the elimination is liable
to be a thousandfold more terrible, lust
as there is a thousandfold more human
beings liberty at stake. If the people
at this firno in,n
support these conservative policies. as
a drowning man grasps at a straw, and
be forced to face future more terrible
by far than anything to be found in the
history of civilization, they will have
little but regrets to console themselves
with. l hope their WISDOM intelligence
and patriotism enough among them yet
to perfect their organization at once
and push the educational work uDon
radical lines. Seeing the condition of
the people and fearing for the future of
this country, is what prompted me to
come to you, as / saw by the papers that
active workers on organization lines.
and feel it great loss to the farmers
OF this state that they did not take up
the more thorough form of organization.
as now suggested, by putting the F.. a.
and |. U. years ago as you both advocat-
ed, it will only be by most untiring work
that this grave loss can be overcome.
Every earnest man should take I'D the
work at in bic
and when enough interest is manifest
secure the help of a capable organizer.
There is no time to lose. Action should
be taken in every state in the union at
as never before. Do the work upon rad
ical lines that will force every conserya-
tive compromise with wrong to the rear
where they should always be kept. In
no way can this be done as we'll as
through educational organization. The
peoples demand should be voiced
through their organizations with such
unity as will make the soulless poll
lives if he fails to act in their behalf.
This is the only hope for the future
peace and prosperity of the people. Will
they be wise and patriotic enough to act
at once?
The people are in the midst of another
valley Forge" and need the issuance.
of another "The Crisis to encoura ge
and arouse them to meet and bear I'D
bo cuff
must be made to maintain their freedom
and save their homes
In my careful review of events that
have transpired in this state the past 25
years, l was forced to study the acts,
character and motive of many of those
men who have taken prominent part
in the organized efforts of the people.
and especially the farming class, for
ability, unselfish effort and large-heart-
edness, Ignatius Donnelly stands promi-
nently above them ALL l find the great
er part of his efforts with his gifted
voice and pen for the past 80 years has
continually and persistently been used
in behalf of toiling, struggling human
ity, and especially the farmer. His
speeches and writings prove how fully
he realizes the ups and downs of a farm
er's life; yet before 1 carefully exam
ined into his life's work, I, like thous-
ands of others, was deeply prejudiced
against him by constantly reading the
attacks made upon him by the subsid-
lied press. His great heart reaches out
for humanity in all his writings. I
find near the close of his great work
'Ragnarack" the following: widen
your heart. Put your intellect to work
to SO readjust the values of labor and
increase the productive capacity of ma
ture, that plenty and happiness, light
and hope may dwell in your heart, and
the Catacombs be closed forever"
Such sentiment almost continually
coming from his voice and pen for the
past 30 years has proved armor and
shield against the persistent, combined
attacks of his enemies, who are now and
have been profiting by the unjust condi-
tions he SO ably exposes. While these
attacks have drawn the thoughtful, un-
selfish closer to Mr.. Donnelly, yet it has
worked upon the prejudices of the un-.
thinking, and prevented following his
wise leadership merits and we hestir