The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-06-03

armed foes, the spirit of states rights
doctrine as advocated by the enemies of
our country, and the demon of secession
fell and died, and for them there is no
resurrection. At Appomattox was the
unity and power of the national govern
ment for the first time fully recog
nized and acknowledged, never again to
be called in question. The institution
of human slavery in this country, died
side by side with the doctrine of Sc
cession.
Aside from elevating the millions of
slaves from level with the brute Gre
alton, to an equality with other hu-
man beings, your valor brought bless
ing to every man who tolls with his
hands. For the slave labor of the
south was the most unequal, the most
unjust competition the northern laborer
ever had to contend with. 1t was hard
to get good wages in any locality, while
| the work in half the country was done
| by slaves. With the fall of slavery,
labor made a mighty gain. Shall I be
pardoned if 1 say that labor, by its
organization and intelligent leadership,
has made and still is making greater
gains? Shall say that the sure way
to prevent negro slavery being followed
by industrial slavery, is for laborers to
combine their bone and sinew as men
combine capital and by and through in
telligent leadership and concerted by just
united effort, achieve victories which
shall promote the good of the race.
Let no man tell me that it is right for
the capitalist to unite and merge his
money and financial interests, but that
it is the duty of laborers to stand apart
and be crushed separately in the eco
nomic and industrial strife. This should
be told to those who, Ito use Queen
Louisa's expression), "never ate their
bread in tears" 1 would say to the
| laborers of the land, stand and work
together for your just rights and insist
upon them by every lawful means, and
when you once acquire those rights in
full, there will be much less need of
asking for more. The welfare and
prosperity of our country depend upon
the condition of the most numerous
classes of our people. May we all hope
that those conditions may become as
profitable and as honorable as possible.
1t strikes me, that without the aboli-
ton of slavery in this country, labor
could never be nearly so profitable or
honorable as it now is. And to you vet
Grams is due the threefold credit of saw
ing the Union, freeing the slave and
elevating American labor. This work of
saving the Union was so thoroughly done,
that since the war, the theory of re-
vokable delegated rights has not had
a single respectable champion. The
authority of the flag is recognized
everywhere in our land; and this fact
makes it much the more respected
abroad As illustrative of the changed
condition and feeling at the south,
will refer to references to this fact in
President Roosevelt's book on the
Rough Riders" In speaking of the
progress of the boys in blue through Dixie,
to embark from Tampa for Cuba, Roose-
welt says: Everywhere we saw the
stars and stripes, and everywhere were
told, half laughing, by grizzled ex-con-
federates, that they never dreamed in
the bygone days of bitterness, to greet
the old flag as they now were greeting
| it, and to send their sons as they now
were sending them, to fight and die I'M
der it, So is the bitterness softened in
the south. In the north, is scarcely a
trace of it.
No one regrets so much as l, the time
limit which prevents my paying trib-
ute to the members of the Relief corps.
They are, in many places, as it is here in
Mankato, almost the life of the dual or
ganization. Their words of sympathy,
their deeds of charity, their tender
ministrations cannot be measured by
any earthly standard. For their deeds
as members or this organization, | am
sure God will add jewel in the crown
of each of them.
L sometimes wonder if the young of
our land realize what the soldier of the
rebellion has done for them, and if they
appreciate their duty to our country
By your deeds of valor, you have saved
the Union and firmly cemented the foun-
dation of the greatest nation on earth.
Now, the young should bear their part.
For "Peace hath its victories, not less
than war;" The young should honor our
a H. Lao linz lsx-ae