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About The farmers' alliance. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1889-1892 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 1889)
.THE ALLIANCE. PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY BY THIS ALLIANCE PUBLISHING CO. BOHANNAN BLOCK, . ' Lincoln, - - - Nebraska. J. BURROWS, : J, M. THOMPSON, : . Editor. Associate Editor. AH communications for the paper should lc addressed to THE ALLIANCE PUBLISH ING CO., awl all matters pertaining to the Farmers' Alliance, includitg subscriptions to the papc', to the Secretary. EDITORIAL. The Nationalization of Industry. To those "who have read that great work of Edward Bellamy, "Looking Backward," the above caption will have a significance which it will not possess for others. The idea of all industries be ing controlled by the central power for the common good is not by any means new; but the benefits to be derived by -the community, the relief to mankind, the adv ance in equality, in kindness, in luxury, in intelligence, morality, public beneficence, and in fact in a higher and nobler civilization, have never been so, invitingly described as they are by Mr. Bellamy in this book. It is not our ob ject here to review the book, nor yet to advocate the benefits which may be de rived from the nationalization of indus try; but rather to show that in some Important directions industry is already nationalized, with the difference that the benefits of such nationalization ac crue to the few instead of to the many. First, what is meant by the nationali zation of industry? The general defini tion we give above is good; but it is in adequate to express the full idea. For that we must refer our readers to Mr. Bellamy's book. But let us look at the subject in' the case of one industry. Let us suppose that the government ac quired the sole ownership of all the rail roads in the country, and instead of operating them as now for gain, it should operate them solely for the ad vantage of the people. That industry to that extent would be nationalized. It might be under our present system of money and competition; or it might be under the much better, more rational and Christian system supposed by Mr. Bellamy. But in either case the ex penses of the roads would be provided for by the government, and their bene fits be enjoyed by the people, and they would no longer be an agency by which the few could tax the man v.. Now. in some very essential particu lars is not the railroad industry already nationalized? Let us see. In the first place the projectors of a railroad are Invested by law with the whole power of the government as exercised in the right of eminent domain. What does that mean? It means that if the line runs through your garden, orchard, best parlor or your wife's bed-room, that said projectors can take it with or without .your consent. The governments itself couhi not do more. So the railroad in--vlustry is effectually nationalized in this ..particular at least. Now let us see as to revenues. The same law under which the railroad is incorporated, and which confers the right of eminent domain, also confers the power to charge tolls for services, and the road fixes the amount of the tolls. Property is placed in the posses sion of the road, and it will not be sur rendered until. the tolls are paid. These tolls an- divide ! into two classes, pas sengers and freights; but in each case I hey are based on labor are the direct fruits of industry. The charge is per mitted bv law, and consumers of goods or users of roads in any manner, can no more escape their payment than they can the. import duty on goods they con sume, or any other tax imposed by the govern nient. So to this extent, alo, the. railroad industry seems to be na tionalized. Magnitude considered certainly the term national seems quite applicable. There are now nearly nine thousand millions in stocks and bonds afloat in the IT. S. Of these between four and live thousand millions represent no in vestment, but have the same force of law, and draw through inexorable taxa tion the same revenue from the fruits of industry, as does that portion which represents honest investment. So in every essential particular ex cept one the railroad industry is now nationalized. The important exception is that the people do not derive the ben efit. A few manipulators of stocks and lionds. a few men expert in making combinations,' are absorbing the wealth which ought either to go into the public treasury or remain in the pockets of the people. There is another business which is nationalized to exactly the same extent that railroading is. That is, its exac tions can no more be escaped thau can government taxation. This is the mon-ey-lending business. It is made possi ble and is upheld by vicious laws. Its charges are legalized and guaranteed by law; and through the supremacy thus acquired fix the charges in many other kinds of business. Its burden far ex ceeds the railroad burden, and its bene fits are far less tangible. But Mr. Bellamy finds the happy world he has pictured dispensing with money; so we will let our readers study his book before we discuss this question further. The Chicago Clan-na-Gael. If Chicago will send her Clan-na-Gael policemen to Nebraska, they can be shot by any citizen, under an exception to one of the laws passed last winter by Church Howe's legislature. This pre vious enactment provides for the pun ishment of any person who discharges a firearm within sixty feet of a public road, "except to destroy some wild, fe rocious and dangerous beast, or an of ficer in the discharge of his duty." Just do Your Best. Tiie a itrns is bad when folks commence A-flndin fault with Providence, And tmlkin' 'cause the earth don't shake at every prancing step they take. No man is great till he can pee How less than little he would be Ef stripped to self, and stark and bare, He hung his sign out anywhere. My doctern is to lay tside , Contentions, and be satisfied; Just do your best, and praise or blame That toilers that counts je3t the same. I've alius noticed great success Is mixed with troubles, more or less. And its the man who does the best Thatg-ets more kicks than all the rest. James Wbitcorob Riley. The Tale Is Old. The tale is as old as the oldest hills. Twas told when the earth was young; The gloom of it aye 1 the joy of it fills Love's song wherever it's sung, 'Tis nothing but this: That a woman loves As a river ilows down to the sea, And a man see how old ocean moves! Man copies him faithfully. The sea is as bold as the wind and tide May choose, and It shakes the shore, As it cuts a swath in the sand so wid'; With a boastful surging roar. But over the bar the waves are less. Where old ocean salutes the river. And she gfves her all, and he ah, yes. What does old ocean give her? The tale is as old as the oldest hills, 'Tvvas old when the earth was young: The gloom of it aye! the joy of it fills Loves song wherever its sung. 'Tis nothing but this: That a river Hows As a woman lives for her lover; And the sea? Who watcheth tlie water knows The likeness he shall discover. HEIi. Know her? I should calculate! Fourteen years she has been my mate. A mighty good wife she has been to me, And a loving mother to little Dee. Back some fourteen years or so She's stuck to me, high or low; When I got mellow, staid out all night, In the window I would find a light. No matter how late, I found the door It was key under the mat, on the floor. If the key hole had moved while I was out And I had to climb up the water spout She'd smile a smile that made me sick, But scold she'd not nary a kick, But lie in bed, laugh herself hoarse, And say,"poor f'ellow.it was business o'course, Working so late to support your wife, I know it will surely shorten your life. There is a large glass of milk on the shelf." Then she would laugh a low laugh to herself. She knew my back teeth were ajmost afloat And my skin was chuck full as a goat; That it was booze, not biz, that kept me late, For she waa up in (I and onto her mate. Well, I tried pretty hard to look stiff and sober She'd laugh and giggle till I though she'd boil over. While I was mad clean through to the core. She'd snicker, "Get into bed Charles that's the floor." I gathered my strength, jumped up at abound And caught onto that bed on its twentieth round. The last thing to 7Jie she laughingly wired. "Go to sleep Charles, you make me tired." Know her? Well I should say very much, And she knows me to beat the Dutch. Omaha. December 21. Majoi: Sukwky. THE PRESS OF TO-DAY. The press of to-day is an unclean thing. Jt is a disgrace to modern civ ilization. Nature partially hides her processes of decay, and her dissolutions which involve corruption. By her di vine alchemy noxious places are made to bring forth sweet fruits and llowers. But unlike nature, the press revels and glories in and parades ostentatiously be fore the public, every day, all the vile ness and crime and immorality and beastiality that its minions of unclean ness can scrape from the foulest slums of .society. It is very rare that a daily paper can be seen the first page of which is not adorned with several slug ging mat dies, rapes, divorce cases, murders or suicides. And all this is done in the name of enterprise, and be cause it is news. News, indeed! We have often of late wondered whether the public taste does i-eally demand such a daily picture of hades. Does the press really create public sentiment, or only follow it? If it creates it, it will soon have occasion to be ashamed of its work. it it only follows it if the pub lic taste-is becoming so morbid and un healthy that it really demands such dis gusting aliment, then indeed are we in a bad way. But whatever the ethics of the case ma j be, Ave earnestly protest against all this vileness. Leave crime to the police! Leave domestic quarrels to their unfor tunate victims, and divorce cases to the courts. Or, if these must be published as news, let the summary bo brief, and omit the sensational details which are now so disgustingly elaborated by im pecunious penny-a-liners. Do you daily press editors ever reflect what sort of a menu you are spreading before the pure young girls of this generation? Do you know you are doing more to poison the springs of social life every day than all the preachers of the land can counteract in a month? For God's sake and hu manity's sake, give us a cleaner press. The Work of the State Meeting:. The State Alliance meeting which is to be held at Grand Island will be the most important Alliance meeting ever held in the state. The State Alliance has reached that period in its existence when large numbers of its members will consider it an irresistible power in the state, and will propose? and urge measures predicated upon that assump tion which could not fail to be very in jurious to the society if adopted. The new party crank will put in an appear ance, and urge the immediate change oi the Alliance from anon-partisan society into a political party. Now we confess to being considerably cranky on that subject ourselves. If the country is to be regenerated by parties, the one to do it is ytt to come. But it will not be brought by resolutions, nor by changing societies like the Alliance into political parties. Reforms must be brought about by law. Every law of a reforma tory nature must have behind it an irre sistible pressure of public opinion, first to procure its passage, next to secure its enforcement. Now when public opinion demands the passage of any law, it will be passed, no matter what party is in power. The organization of a small minority party will not secure the passage of any law, unless public opinion demands it. If public opinion j demands it, it wiil be enacted .without' the minority party. We respectfully ask all the gentlemen who have resolutions in their breast pocket making the Alliance a political party, to remember that it has ouce been utterly destroyed in. this state by such action. We also invite them to con sider that there are 200,000 voters in Nebraska, "and that the Alliance has not one fourth that number, and these are of diverse political opinions; that it is gathering to its membership men of all political faiths, and unifying and harmonizing their political convic tions; but that if it is made apolitical party it will only gather thenceforward men of that one faith We trust a care ful consideration of these things will in duce these men to throw such proposi tions into the fire. Politically, the work of the Alliance, both state and national, lies in the di rection of leading public sentiment to favor certain well-defined lines of pol icy and certain specific measures enforcing- that policy. These measures are for financial reform, land reform, transportation reform. Whenever our members of congress are convinced that the people demand a certain spe cific law on any of these subjects, they will hasten to pass that law, no matter what party tney belong to. it is our work and our duty to convince them. One important duty of the state meet ing is to see that a business house is opened by some competent man, under the supervision of the Alliance, through which the Subordinate and County Alli ances, and even individual members, can reach the numerous manufacturers and wholesalers who are anxious to deal as directly as they can with the farmers. Through such an agency an enormous trade can at once be es tablished with every county in the state where Alliances are organized. The Mutual Insurance law of the state was amended last winter, at the request of the Alliance, so that any number of persons can now associate themselves for the purpose of insurance, instead of only two hundred, as hereto fore. This law opens the way for the Alliance to establish an insurance! de partment in connection with the Alli ance. Such a department is loudly called for. The state meeting will be called upon to decide the matter. The memorial which was adopted by tie last annual meeting, and which was attacked by the money-lending interest throughout the country, and by its tool Church Howe in his legislature, should be re-adopted, with some trifling amend ments to adapt it to the altered condi tions of the money question, ami ar rangements should be made to secure tin signatures of '.0.00') Nebraska farm ers ahd workingmen. and it should then be sent to Washington, and pre sented in both houses of congress. It will be remembered that the economic propositions of the memorial have never been attacked. The attack was made alone upon its assumption that the mortgages in Nebraska amounted to $150,000,000. After the abuse that has been heaped upon the Alliance on ac count of this memorial, it is the duty of the Alliance to repeat it, backed by ."(). 000 names, and it is abundantly able to do it. Of other work of the meeting we need not speak. The Executive Committee have arranged a partial programme, in tended to expedite business, and make the session entertaining and instructive. Undoubtedly some business will arise for which no preparation has been made. But we hope and trust this meeting will prove the most useful, har monious and instructive ever held in the state. JIOIHFYIMi THE WOOL TARIFF. The house committee on ways and means has li ved upon Jan. 2 and !1 for hearing state ments and recommendations upon the sub ject of modifying the tariff on wool and woolens. Kven manufacturers of woolen goods who during the last, campaign frantically cried against Cleveland's free wool utterance for fear that any change in the tariff on the raw material would lead to a considerable reduc tion in the protective tariff on the manufac tured goods, are said at last to be in course of changing their minds. There appears now to be quite a widrspread conv iction that Ameri can industries, however well protected, can not prosper when the raw materials which they consume are made inordidately e.vpen pensive by takation. Ex. By aU means let the republican party put wool upon the free lit. It is the only agricultural product that receives any tariff protection of any account. It will be perfectly right and proper to re move protection in this one ease, so as to entirely remove the illusion of pro tection to farmers. Tariff protection of labor is about exploded, and the home market fraud played out. When the farmers are convinced that protection is a myth, as far as they are concerned, they mav vote the other way. Earl Wemyss, a British landlord, asks "Why not create a bread and beef court as well as a land court?" His lordship no doubt considers this a fine stroke of sarcasm, but it is really a very pertinent suggestion, and be fore long he may be surprised to find himself taken at his word. If the trusts and monopo lies keep on raising the prices of the necessa ries of life, and at the lame time cutting down the farmers' prices so that the latter can hardly exist, it won't be long before the peo ple are ready for Earl Wemyss' bread court. Journal of the Knights of Labor. 'This same principle may. also be ap plied in "other directions. New railroad corporations in the west are buying their right-of-way, and taking deeds in fee. They; are setting up the claim that they own; and have a right to control the land .thus acquired to exactly the same extent that a private citizen has the land he has bought, and we are ex pecting to see this ?laim set up before our Board of Transportation, and in our courts. The British Earls and our railroad barons have gall enough to claim the very air of heaven, and (iod's sunshine, if they thought they could maintain the claim- In answering advertisements always mention The Alliance. Farmers' Co-Opcrative firain and Ele- valor Co. of Osceola, aco., vs. The Omaha - Republican Valley Rail- road Company. This is a case in which the Omaha & Republican Valley Railroad Co., or in other words the U. P- Railroad Co., re fused to lease the above-named Farm ers' Grain Co., incorporated and doing business at Osceola, grounds aud track privileges for an elevator. This case was heard by the Board of Transportation at Osceola, Dec. 4th, and the date fixed for a decision by the Board is Dee. 80th. The decision will be looked for with much interest. It appears in the evidence of Mi Monson, Secretary of the Farmers' Grain and Elevator Co., of Osceola, given at Osceola, Dec. 4th, that there were two elevators at Osceola, and that a Mr. Hotchkiss was buying at one of these for a Council Bluffs elevator, and that a Mr. Johnson was buying at the other for the Union Elevator Co., of Omaha. It also appears that the two Companies of Council Bluffs and Oma ha were subsequently consolidated, and that thenceforward', the two Osceola houses were, while nominally compet ing, actually buying for and shipping to the same company, viz: the Union Grain Co., of Omaha. It also appears from the same evi dence that the U. P. Railroad Co. re ported stock which it owned in the con solidated elevators to the Board of Equalization, which was assessed at a valuation of $6,000.00, or GO per cent of the whole. It therefore appears road, which operated defendant at Osceola, trolled every avenue that the U. P. the road of the practically eon for the sale and shipment of grain at that point. Mr. Monson also testified that grain brought a better price at neighboring stations than at Osceola; that he sold his grain at Stromsburgh, though he had to haul it further. Difference in favor of these other stations was to cents per bushel. Testimony of Mr. Van Wye confirmed Mr. Monson as to price, and the fact that farmers living near Osceola hauled their grain a greater distauce to other stations on account of lower prices at Osceola. We hope every Alliance and Farmers' Association in the state which is re fused track and elevator privileges will promptly appeal to the State Board. The publicity that will be given to these cases, and the expose of the grain steal ing of railroad companies, and their collusion and partnership with local grain buyers, either active or passive, will aid in convincing the general pub lic that the government should own and operate the railroads. We have reason to believe some in teresting developments could be, made along the Rock Island lines, if proper efforts were made. Meeting of the Saunders Co. Alliance. On Saturday afternoon, Dec. 21, we attended the ' meeting of the Saunders County Alliance, held at the Saunders School House, about three miles north of Ashland. Though the day was stormy and cold the house was packed with sturdy and intelligent farmers from all parts of the county. All but two subordinate Alliances in the county were represented by delegates. There were several lady delegates present, but not so many as there should have been. The one speech by a lady delegate was exactly to the point, contained just words enough to state the point clearly, and no more, and for directness, brevity and force, was the best address of the afternoon. We were culpably negli gent in not obtaining her name. Ami we wish to say right here that the men who are neglecting to induce their wives to join the Alliance, and take an interest in its meetings, are not doing their whole duty to the society. The business of the meeting was to discuss the question of shipping and selling products, to consult with State Agent Root as to business arrangements connected with his department, and with the purchase of goods, and the election of officers for the ensuing term. Incidentally, addresses by Mr. Root and the editor of Tiik Almaxck, were listened to. At the evening meeting, which was open to the public, a literary programme was given, which was quite entertain ing. The officers elected were as follows: President, S.. II. Moss, of Mead. Vice-President, P. J. Hall, of Mem phis. Sec.-Treas., W. O. Rand, of Wahoo. Lecturer, C. O. Mese, of Assistant Lecturer. L. Lippincott. of Ashland. Door-keeper, .John W. O'Kane. Chaplain, George Morris. The Alliance men of Saunders county are alive to their interests ami energetic in the work, and we look for good re sults from their efforts. They are mak ing preparations .to follow their pro ducts as far on their road to the con sumer as it is possible to do with profit, ami to go to first hands for their goods. In short, they are doing just as all other classes are doing, viz: organizing to promote their own interests. For the kind greetings of all we met we feel sincerely grateful. We enjoyed the hospitality and good cheer of Bro. J. Saunders and his amiable wife, and our sincere wish at parting was that we might soon be there again. Beauties of Daily Journalism. The Lincoln Journal of Dec. 24 gives its readers a column hash of nasty divorce cases. The World-Herald of Dee. 23 gives its readers a romantic probably highly romantic case of a St. Louis young man who drew $30,000 out of that gigantic fraud the Louisiana Lottery. It also has a flaring advertisement of the same fraud. If it is illegal to hold a lottery in this state, it ought to be ille gal to advertise them. - 1RR. CULVER, JURYMAN". Mr. Culver, of Evanston, was the twelfth juror in the Cronin case who is said to have prevented the death sen tence from being imposed upon the murderers of Dr. Cronin. The Chicago Herald jumped upon him ferociously, and he has sued the Herald for $2."),000 damages. We hope he will get it. The course of such papers as the Herald in trying a case before the people, and in inflaming public sentiment against ac rtuciwl lnt not convicted persons, is an outrage upon justice, and should be suppressed by the courts. Its attack up on a juror, after the rendering of a ver dict, because his judgment did not ac cord with its editor's, is another outrage which should be redressed by law. The sweeping condemnation and abuse by such papers as the Herald, supposed to have great power through their influ ence upon public sentiment, of all per sons who happen to go counter to their views, is the kind of license that public opinion should utterly condemn. The Herald and papers of its ilk, with their pages of unclean divorce trials, thefts, murders, and nameless outrages, are doing more to debauch public senti ment, and spread obscenity aud impure morals in the homes of America, than all other agencies combined. A government eook-book for workingmen's wives is the latest. It tells how a meal for six persons can be prepared for 24 cents. Now for prosperity. Three meals a day for an or- dinarr family and all for ii cents. Men will be able now to work lor $1 a day and have $4 a year to pasr rent.doetors' bills and pew rent, besides buying fuel, clothing, etc. Then they will have the glorious satisfaction of knowing that, if their employers find out they can live at government cook-book rates, they will have to work for government cook-book w a ges . Exchange. How about the prosperity of the peo ple who furnish the raw material for these cheap meals? Would it not be better to have the meals cost twice as much, and so enable the producer to buy the goods and employ the labor of the people who eat the meals. This thing goes around in a circle. It doesn't seem to be hardly worth while for A to force down B's products to such a point that B is entirely unable to buy A's goods. Low prices, by destroying all margin above mere subsistence, para lyze demand, cause apparent overpro duction and a consequent stoppage of industry, which makes idle labor, more paralysis of demand, -stagnation of trade, etc. Let the government make a bonfire of its cheap cook-books, and then try some panacea that will make higher prices. DICK TREVELL1CK COMING. That distinguished Knight of Labor and champion of temperance reform, Hon. Richard Treveliick, is expected to be in Lincoln again soon. Mr. Trevel iick is a man of great versatility and possesses oratorical powers of a high order. A great traveler, he has gath ered from all quarters of the globe and from a very varied experience a fund of information which makes him a most entertaining speaker. Added to these qualifications is an unselfish devotion to labor reform, and every good cause he espouses, lit; should always receive a warm welcome from the Knights of Lincoln, as well as all other good citi zens. TIIE CANADA STEALERS. The congressional ox is gored this time, an Ass't-Sergeant-at-arms having skipped across the border with $75,000 of the member's money. We'll bet a cookie that some strong . move will be made this session for the extradition of thieves; and another cookie that the people will have to make up Silcott's theft. It makes so much difference whose ox is gored. The West Lincoln Pkkss is a new and bright paper lately started in West Lincoln by Messrs. Whit & Davis. These gentlemen are fully capable of making their enterprise a success, and we have no. doubt they will do so. There is plenty of room for newspaper enterprise and editorial ability in the upper stories. The vox populi in tellectual lift hasn't been invented yet, so many of these upper rooms are still to let. Same Old Game. Whether a democrat like Carlisle or a republican like Reed sits in the speaker's j chair makes little difference the com mittee on rules, which practically runs the House of Representatives, is made up in th same way. In the first place there is Mr. Speaker; then there is Mr. Randall, and then come Messrs MeKin ley, Cannon, and Carlisle. Last year it was about the same except that Carlisle was then Mr. Speaker and Reed was one of the so-called minority. In any such committee as this it mat ters little what the pretended party aftl iationsof the members may be. Mr. Speaker Reed. Mr. Randall, Mr. Can non and Mr. McKinleyare all advocates and defenders of the God-given tariff. Mr. Carlisle, a week-kneed tariff re former, may stand by himself or go with the majority, as lie pleases. The com mittee on rules binds and gags the House of Representatives at the very outset of its career. It is composed of old birds who know how to do it. After they have made their report and the House has adopted it, the popular branch of Congress surrenders its right to legislate for the people. So long as that commit tee is made up of monopolists things will be exactly as they have been for the last twenty years. Under such auspices it is always in or der to rob the people, to waste their money or to impose new taxes. To re duce the burdens of taxpayers is forever out of order. The "regular order" is jobbery. The true representative of the massess can do nothing to change it af ter the boodle tariff rides have once been adopted. Chicago Herald. An exchange says Secretary Noble has recently patented to the Northern Pacific railroad millionaires enough land to make twenty counties, -which was forfeited ten years ago, and which includes much valuable mineral land that was expressly exempted from the grant. When all the railroad and bank men demanded Harrison's nomination, and Depew swung the New York dele gation to him, they knew what they were about. TIIE SILVER CONVENTION. - ' .-, Extracts from a letter by Jcfrse Harper lu tbieago Sentinel. We aimed to have the following com munication of Col. Harper appear in the last issae of The Sentinel, but it was delayed several days in the mail. However, the manner in which it is written up makes it good at any time. It will be "good reading" ten years from now. even: St. jLouis, Mo., Nov. 27, 1889. Col. S. F. Norton; Editor Sentinel, Chicago: The first national silver con vention, convened in Music Hall in this citv yesterday, is still in session. The marked feature of the conven tion is the oweness of thought that beams from every face. There are a few sillibubs who part their hair in the center; they cut no figure however. Sen ator Stewart of Nevada, in his speech this afternoon and it is the speech of the convention, towering high above all others began by saying: "Thus far in the proceedings of the convention Money has been both text and sermon. And well it may be, for without the advent of money we would not have had civilization, and if money leaves us civilization will die." Truth, Senator, every word of it. In looking over this body of men one can see the lighting up of the bronzed. care-worn faces as the money problem is held forth. And the denunciation of the "rase lis" who have brought the country to the verge of bankruptcy, through their schemes "contraction," j "demonetization," and t;hoarding" , br6Ugnt the llOUSe down With a shout that no other subject could. The "fellows" that have been called "cranks," "fiatists," "lunatics," are here as "accredited delegates," "distin guished gentlemen," and are recognized now as "half white" and "partly free." We have advanced in honor. Scattered all over the ludl we shook hands with men whom we have been camping with for a decade and a half of years. The cheery ring of their voice was: "We are here because those sil ver men are going in the right direction; they want moke money." Squads of the "old guard" are here looking on. The new men, "just out of the shell" are "flying with silver wings." They rush up to the old vet erans and say: "I am glad you are here; you know how to fight these devils of "contraction," "demonetization"' and "hoarding." How an old Greenbacker at such a place can eat popcorn and rest! Pur "fools" are increasing, and every new convert, as he puts on the "silver shield," says: "We must have more money." Shylock calls all such "fools." To imagine that both precious met als, utilized to their utmost limit of production, will supply the demand for money, is as absurd as to suppose the flail and distaff could fill the place of the threshing machine and power loom. And the attempt to crowd the advanc ing ages down to the barbaric past is as cruel as it would be to take your son of twenty years and crush him into an iron suit that fitted him at ten. That would be murder of the boy, the former would be murder of civilization. And this convention sees it, feels it and knows it. So plain is this that when an opportunity arose to show it the deep conviction burst out like a pent-up hurricane. It was brought about when the resolution was read: "Resolved. That gold and silver be put upon an equal footing and their coinage left perfectly free and unlimit ed; that their coinage be encouraged to the fullest extent, and that all of the gold and silver so coined be made full legal tender money for all debts public and private. Resolved, further, that the government shall in addition thereto issue full legal tender paper money in sufficient amount to make altogether gold, stiver and paper money fifty-two dollars per capita." This brought the greatest shout ever heard in that hall. It was like the lushing of many waters: like the bellow ing of the seven thunders! Men shied their hats, stood up and shouted them selves hoarse. It was a declaration for "more mon ey." and found a grand response. ' The silver dollar suspended above the head of the president of the convention, spoke audibly: "Let her go Gallagher." And the eagle on his perch above the dollar and under the flag, looked out on the great sea of faces, only as the bird of Egis can look, and he laughed, as only our own national bird can laugh, and there trilled from his throat the sublime words: "Carry the news to Eli." It is these volunteer resolutions that give the true sentiment of the body of the convention. Thev show that the situation (want of money) is at last realized, become universal. THE MEM HERS PRESENT. The convention was called by certain gentlemen in St. Louis and as an initia tory step was well conceived and suc cessfully carried out. Some governors of the states failed to appoint delegates, so that the numbers were not so large as it otherwise would have been. In the short speeches made by dele gates, in a kind of love-feast manner, it was pitiful and tearful to hear the story. Some states had full delegations ap pointed, but had only one or two in at tendance. "Too poor to get there," is the way they write. When those pres were asked, "why did not your men come?" the answer was, "too poor; had no money. ' So it was all through. There were at the highest point near ly four hundred, and they represented the country in a sad condition as to the need of money. The opening addresses by the chair man of the committee, followed by the Governor in a welcome address, were in a line with the broad catholic spirit that prevailed in the body of the con vention. There were excellent, pro found words uttered. Those of the Governor: "The hand of the vevv is iron and it is being used to crush the many; unclasp that hand if you are men The spirit of the convention on the question that brought it together re sponded in a shout: "The clasped hand of gold, now upon silver, we will remove or crush the hand." And remember; TnE GREENBACK SHALL NOT PERISH. The same hand is now on the throat of the greenback "rag baby," as the bankers' golden babe has always called it. The old Greenbackers, the "old guard," who know that the greenback ("rag money") saved the flag swear now by the God of the beros dead, who were paid in that money, that the clasp of the hand of Shylock shall be taken off or the hand shall perish. And if gold and silver make a compact hvhieh w think they will and try to outlaw t)tt greenback, then let the tight triumph and both metals go to tlu place w here Judas went. For the American people will never give up the greenback. The an,i the geenback have leen tuiptised to gether in the best blood that ever poni ed from the veil. a of dying heros. Wind them round the body as you lay a u the city of the dead and the worm will refuse to touch thesfc two emblems of liberty. Al'.LE DOCUMENTS HEM. The papers read before the conven vention were able and valuable contri butions to the branch of economic science relating to money. They will appear in the published proceedings oi the convention, and ought to be secured and reajl by the people. The address of General Warner m taking the chair as permanent presiding officer, waa a close and logical premut ation of the wonderful depression now affecting the whole world through the wrongful use of money. All of it and much more is to be found in his printed speeches made in Congress. f ho statistical showing in the paper bv Mr. Jordan of New York is useful lie cause he quotes from two authoiith. that take different views on the same question. And it shows that Franc with less than half our population and not as large as Texas, has fifty-two ( dollars per capita, and is enjoying a de gree of happiness among her masses not equalled in any other nation. While this is true of that Republic, we are trying to do business on less than ten (10) dollars per capita in circu lation. The consequence is that crime and misery are on the increase in this coun try at a greater rate than any other na tion. This branch of economic science the relation of money to crim. misery, happiness and bravery was iu the most masterly manner shown by Senator Stewart ot Nevada. He was at his best and carried everything before him, and loused the convention into a storm of applause. In passing hi swooped down on that class of econo mists who are eternally talking about the two metals being the recognized money of all past i.ges wherefore, say they, "it must be so." lie said the? were Diagones at sea in a tub, threat ening to sink any steam ships that came in his way. He said truly, such had been the view, was largely so now rut that man could m: and would r.E educated out ok it and stand on higher a no u n i), making theik MONEY OUT OF THINGS REQUIRING LESS HUMAN EFFORT, THAT IS, LK LAROR TO OET THEM. But while we are not at this higher elevation we must do cur best in the lower, and as both the precious metals, so-called, are not enough to answer the sum required, it is crime to cut off half our supply, or even cripple it. The speech covered the three points heretofore intimated gold, silver ami paper. All full legal tender; all on equal footing and a very much larger volume per capita than France. Enough to do business for cash, or on a cash basis. IN CONCLUSION. We stand where we have for years - LEGAL TENDER PATER MON EY. enough of it to do business without credit. Sixty dollars is little enough and eighty dollars per capita would not be exces sive. A party to carry this idea including transportation and land, is the great necessity of the hour. The Union Labor Party stands here (it now takes all three of the money gold, silver, paper all legal tender) and it is pledged to the accomplishment of these threw things as primitive, first question. More money is the cry of the masses in every land. And unless there is rnort money the world will go to its doom. We are on the eiui-line and as le truction in the past, so will destruct in the future carry to the dust of death the grandest achievements man has ever wrong! t. J. Harper. Danville. III. Rather Contradictory. On Nov. 18, certain individuals assem bled together in a room in the city of Atlanta, look a vote, ami found that the majority among them believed as follow. The land, including all the iiatm.il sources of wealth, is the heritage :' the people, and should not be subject. l speculative traffic. Occupancy aud ue should be the only title to the po session of land. The taxes upon land should In levied upon its full value for use. edu sive of improvement, ami should be sufti cient to take for the community all the unearned increment. It is a rat her contradictory sort of creed, and I think the men who hold it can hardly have attempted to define its arti eles very clearly in their own mind; but at all events, that is what a majority of the delegates to the general assemblv ot the Knights of Labor said they believed, and I tliink it is a thing to rejoice over When they come to defend their cierd. as tlH'3 will certainly have to do. thev will discover that it would bo impossible to make occupancy and use the only title of land, so long as the possession of land depends upon the punctual payment of taxes. And when they make that di coverv, I am pretty certain that they will drop the tax paying clause of the creed, and cling to the occupancy ami use declaration. Hut what amazes m. most in connection with this creed, is to find it quoted approvingly in The Stand ard, and warmly indorsed by the very man who not long ago stigmatized ttie idea that oecupanev and use should U- tlte only title to possession oi lanu. as "vacant land nonsense." I ran scarcely believe that Henry George intends t join in the demand for the altolition of ownership, of vacant land; and yet he says of this declaration of the Knights' of Labor delegates: "At last the true standard is raised in the ranks of organized labor at Ia.t tb true path has been taken." Yet no man bet ter understands the meaning of word than Mr. George; and it is impossible that he should have failed to see that the declaration lie so lauds involves the de mand of which he has spoken so con temptuously. Hugh (). Pentecost, in Twentieth Century. Every labor reformer ought to be in favor of woman's enfranchisement. It" we lH'lieve that the land belongs to all. how can we logically refuse to one-half of the people a share in the administra tion of the common heritage? There is no argument for excluding women from the ballot-box, and thus establishing an aristocracy of sex, which cannot and lias not been just as forcibly used in fa vor of class ascendency. The spirit which would deny the suffrage to wom an on the ground that her place was at home is just the same as that which not so long ago in monarchical countries refused the ballot to the workingmen on the ground of unfitness. Journal of the Knights of Labor.
