The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-09-14


mechanic; his apostles fishermen. It
preached to the multitude equality and
universal brotherhood; the Immortality of
the soul and the love-of heavenly Father.
1t scourged the money-changers out of the
temple and consigned the wicked rich to the
tOrtures of an eternal he'll.
The growth of Christianity was a sue
ceSsful insurrectfon of the poor and was
adopted by the great, only after it had en-
braced the great body of the people, 1t
gradually abolished slavery, mitigated the
evils Of human selfshness and lifted up all
mankind.
The next great step in this pre-ordained
advancement was the voyage of Columbus;
and the transfer of the best blood of the
old world to the shores of the new. A flood
of poor, hungry men struggled across the
Atlantic, and, on terms of perfect equality,
and filled with the positive demands Of lib
erty, spread themselves over the virgin
land; kept void of inhabitants therefor by
the providence of God.
Then began a process of splendid develop
ment for which the previous experience of
mankind had afforded no parallel. The
genius of humanity cast away its chains,
and stepped forward into the light with a
continent for arena, surrounded by the
glorious effulgence of universal prosperity.
All who stood before it went down, and
resistance was but a stepping stone to
nobler heights of development. The dream
realized, and government of equal rights
and human brotherhood, enlightened by
universal education, rose like mountain
before the gaze of the astonished world.
From the Atlantic to the Mississippi the
forests were brushed away and endless gar
dens and magnificent cities covered the
land.
The bodies and the minds Of men were
enlarged to nobler proportions, and all the
magnificent qualities OF the human soul
shone forth with respondent luster.
But the width of the Atlantic had not
changed human nature, Into this paradise
the old serpent of injustice intruded him
self. He took possession Of the garden and
drove the toiler from beneath his vine and
fig tree He changed the lovely scene into
an abode of unhappiness filled with lamen-
tatiOns
The census of 1890 showed that one-fourth
Of the jewellers in this land of free honaDs,
had become tenants. While population had
in 10 years increased Is per cent and wealth
As per cent, the mortgage Indebtedness on
the homes of the people, had in the same
period advanced 156 per cent. The farm
owning families, despite the homestead law,
had increased but 272 per cent; while the
tenants of land had increased 401a per cent.
1t was shown by that census that 4,647
families owned $4,000, 000 900 Of the wealth
of the whole country! III other words three
one-hundredths of l per cent Of the people
owned one-fifth of all the wealth. Nine per
cent of the people owned Il per cent of the
entire property of the country: while the
remaining 81 per cent owned but 20 per cent
of the wealth. Bankruptcy, suicide and in
sanity had grown beyb nd all precedent.
These facts struck terror to the souls of
all thinking people.
They asked themselves if less than 100
years of national strfSe, starting from an
ideal condition of eauaaity, under the noblest
institutions ever knONn to man, had pro-
duced these terribles results, what would
another hundred years bring forth?
They perceived that the great American
people were rapidly becoming landless,
homeless and hopeless.
They beheld the birth of that product of
modern times-the corporation; an artificial
creature unknown to the ancient world; A
demon possessed Of all the attributes Of
Gods creatures, but clothed with immortal
life and boundless power They saw 1t Use
in a few generations from nothingness to
the control of congress, state legislatures,
municipal governments, the avenues Of pub
lie opinion and all the instrumentalities OF
production and distribution. They saw
in it a government within a government,
levying taxes and collecting revenues never
voted by the people. They saw 1t lessen
ing the opportunities of labor. driving the
farmer from his farm and the workman
from his bench, concentrating the eartn'
surface in the hands of a few, and consign-
ing the toiler to chains and starvation.
Thoushtful men looked down the vista OF
the future and saw the people returning tt
the awful conditions of pre-Christian slav-
cry. To the evl-rich Christ had become
but a name and the horrid image Of MolocE
displaced the gentle Nazarene in the hearts
of the rulers Of the world.
Appalled by the revelations of the census
of 1890, the friends Of mankind assembled