Year: 1879

believe that he could greatly benefit
our county with his pen, if his letters
did not SAVIOR SO strongly Of specula>
ton and of the interests Of capital.


Very respectfully,


BENJAMIN TAYLOR.


A Stirring Address.


We intended to print in the issue
of last week the following address to
the Minnesota Democracy, but it was
crowded out. 1t should be carefully
read, for gives in an able manner the
key note to the next political CAM
paigo.


To the Democratic Republicans of Minnesota {:


We, the undersigned committee ap-
poiated by the Democratic members of
the present Legislature to prepare an
address to you upon the political top
les of the time, and the present state
Of affairs in our country. respectfully
submit the fol|owing: While there is
an abundance of money in the country,
and large surplus of manufactured
commodities, the great mass of the
people see but little of the money and
handle still less, aud there is greater
suffering and distress for the necessa>
RES of life than has ever before been
experienced in our land, and it is
growing daily worse. The farmer
finds it very difficult, if not impossible,
to pay his taxes and decentIy support
his family and educate his children.
The skilled mechanic, with a good
trade, if he can get employment at all,
is forced to work for such low wages
as to keep him constantly on the strain
to meet his actual necessities while
tens and hundreds of thousands, out
Of means, and unable to get any en-
ployment, become demoralized tramps,
and 10 many instances, breaking over
all moral and legal restraints, become
actual criminals. This state OF affairs is
all wrong, unnatural and unnecessary,
1t has not been produced, and is not
being continued and daily aggravated
by natural causes, or the inevitable
course of events ; nor are the causes
beyond govern mental remedy. In fact
the causes are directly traceable to a
vicious system of legislation, which
has prevailed now for many long years.
A great part of the legislation Of the
country has long been in the interest
OF capital and against labor in the iu~
terest Of certain classes at the expense
aud detriment Of others; in the interest
Of associated wealth at the expense of
the people ; in the interest of the non.
producer to the detriment of the pro-
ducer of wealth. And we are now
reaping the fruits and suffering the
effects Of this long pursued system of
class legislation. The system also of
raising revenue for the federal govern
ment, by The tariff aud internal reve-
nue. acts, practically exempts capital
and throws the burden upon the labor
ing classes and the official records
show that from the close of the war in
1865, until 1876, and while the Re-
publican party had things all their
own way, there was extracted from
the pockets of the people, through the
operations of the tariff and internal
revenue system, over four thousand
millions of dollars, while the entire
amount Of revenue thus collected from
the organization of the government
in 1889, down to 1865, was only about
half that sum. This enormous drain
Of over million of dollars per day has
been sufficient of itself to almost in>
poverish the people but, in addition
to this they have been compelled to pay
as much more, indirectly. to IL favored
class of individuals, through the ope>
ratioos of the tariff The consequence
es are now seen and felt in the hard
times, distress, dishonesty and general
| demorallzatlon prevailing throughout
the country. Since the Democrats
got control of the lower House of Con.
|gress they have been enabled to cur
tail expenses somewhat, and. to some
extent, check the evils entailed by the
Republican party. But until our par
ty can have full control Of all branch
es of the government no thorough and
effective reformatory legislation can
be hoped for. So long as the Repub-
lican party is in power. the. banking
interests, the railroad interests, and
the class interests generally, can de-
mand what they will and it is granted
unto them. And it is distinguish,
ling characteristic Of that party that j,
is always swift to uphold, defend and