The farmers' union., August 13, 1891, Image 1

About The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895

Image provided by: State Historical Society of Missouri; Columbia, MO

                
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VOLUMK I.
MEMPHIS, MISSOURI, THURSDAY AUdUST 13, 1891.
ABOUT THE MOSQUITO.
FACTS ABOUT THE MIDSUMMER
NIGHT'S PEST.
Moi-quito i. at Soon I'mtor (In Micro
scope, wltTi an Arc tin' of the Muiinrr in
M li'rli "I hrv Ar I ro I "iiva; l'muulos
nil llicir Imlolcn". S; ousts.
I HE anything but
genial "nios niito,"
"mu-kcto," "nics
i uito," "musejUO
Lc," "inos .htto,"
"moscLetto, "
in o s q u e 1 1 o , "
" m u s e h c 1 1 o ,
" nut s i c t t o, or
"III II S (J u c 1 t u" Is
; abroad, l'or sin Ii
a vorv little pest
the "m isq ii i t o"
ha; more mi iiics
and In irorc kingna'jcs than any other
living thing Scientists variously call
her the vuhr jii;c.-. nili-r .inn tiViiiimc,
tho ciiivii. tho m iwhcr-tn and the "hum
ming stint.". 'Hn I'rutunj dictionary
describ s the insect of many aliases as
"one of many different kinds of gnats or
niidjrcs. the fema'e of when bites aui
ma's ami draws h'l-od " Persons who
are uivon to attnbut to the fcnia o sex
all the gent-ei ci.s aiI am'ability there
is hi the rid will leir thi - i:i mh.d.
Mr. Mo-quit is an cas. going, gor
geously arrayed creature, with neither
the disj:usiron n t the ability to bite and
draw bio -d. He i? a sort of a Turvey
tlrop in the insect w r'd. w.ho seems to
Lave no higher oticct during his brief
life than -to show himself about town."
MOAJCITO CME-IOINO FHOa H
Iiis life, to be sure, is a short ( nc. but
then it is full of indolence and luxury.
He is expected to pay cer;a!n delicate
attentions to his in Unites! ma! spouse,
wbi h rOie rewards when tired of him by
giving him a short, sharp, and fatal
prod of the remarkab e lance which she
carri' s e mcealed in her i rob sis. llo is
not provided with such a weapon, and is
TIIK MU,C MOsqi'ITO (new jkhsky SIU).
as much at her mercy as a boxer at that
of a skilled swordsman He Is cf gentle
and perhaps amiable character. He
lives on a strictly vegetable diet, which
may account for the absence of the
uiooilliir-iv ami lerocious spirit 01 ins
8, ouse. Hie can at a jiinch live the life
of a vegetarian, but what she wants Is
pme. piping hoi core, human if she can
pet it: but never overlooking any chance.
The toui-hest hide that ever covered a
hors ; i-r .-teer does not intervene I.c
tween the lady mosquito and her vara
pirlsh thir.-t- It is even doubted that
t ol Mos piito is given to voca' efforts
If he ever does join his consirt in a
nerve destroying duet, he slugs very
low. and his performance is entirely
overlooked, when tho restless hum in
appreciates the ease with which my
lady takes high C and ho'ds it tint I
driven nit of tho ro.jm by th oasper
lited wiclder of a wet towel.
Less is known about the origin of the
mosijulus name than of bis habits, and
Americans have no monopoly of Informa
tion upon ttiis latter phase of the Mib
jeet. All climat.-s claim tho mosou k
as pest in chief. On the upper waters
of th-j M!-.- oii,i mosniitocs, after a rainy
Bi-ason. ac the greatest impediment to
navigation mot with. They swarm by
millions. Cattl are driven in th river,
and they stand with tlieir muzz'cs a'one
lveld a-bova the 'water, wh'eh arc black
with th pe;;ts. l'iioton the boats ar ?
fore d lo bi:rn smudge fire?, llry arc
of 'ry conreiva-Mo tleree of mintite
noss acd no veil has line enough texture
t exciiide them. Art.de explorers all
c write or s:::rerlncs at tlie nands. or
rather stinn?, of mosiiuitoes.
In Kn.Tland niosanitoes are called
auats, and on the continent of Kurouo
cousins, mouchroiis, and other names.
Tho nrt irlo::KS to tho genus rttfer. It
is found in mo t of the temperate and
tropica! cr!!--ns of t!m globe whero man
l;as jieii'Mra'.ed. About, thirty species
arc k 1104 n in the 1'nited States.
In the hisrna.i family the female is the
more ornamm'al as well as the moro
amiable aniical In tho insect world.
THB FEMALE JIOSQt'ITO.
particu'arly among mosqultoc?, the re
XtiO ii the case. There arc mosquitoes
which confine their activities to tho day
light hours, and which will lavish their
carosscs principally 0:1 the tender foliago
of trees and aromatic plants. Theso
principally inhabit woods and marshes.
The other variety make themselves
beard and felt during the r.lnht chiefly.
The greater portion of thci." active exist
enco Is passed in or near human habita
tion. Theso are tho varieties with
which man Is roost Intimately ac
utiaintcd. Hut In all the species of the mosqui o
family the male apparently is the supe
rior being. In grace and elegance of
'HE I.AHVA lib" THE MllsyflTO (Highly
iiiugiiitied)
ar. hitectural construction, as well as in
variety and gorgcousuess of raiment. the
male inos ;tiito fa" surpasses the female.
The male also t n'oys privileges and pre
rogatives to which the femilc call never
aspire certainly can never gain. The
PA SIIKIT. (Highly ma Illltlell i
function which she performs in prop-.isa- :
t:on of the spe ies compels ln r to ecu- j
sumo more fo id than he does, and all'
this fool she is obliged to get herself, i
In every essentia' p:rt'eular she lias to 1
make her own and the family's iiving j
without the slightest aid from him. i
Such food as he require; for himself,!
which is neither large in cprintity nor
varied in quality, he pi -ks up lieyond j
that lie does litt e except 10 disp'av his
( harms and enjoy life. It is the female
of the mosquito family with which the
human species comos in most Intimate
c ntaet. The female does by far the
greater portion of the biting done by th"
famiiv.ati'l the warl lingsof tlc mosquito
arc those of the female mos piit only.
Ihe mosquito first appear 111 tlie
form of an egg. Tlie egvrs are d: os
Ited in the water by the tiv ther mos
quite llefor.' doing this she cro'.-es h-r
hind legs in tlie shape of a letter X. As
the eggs are dropped they are caught bv 1
the erf s.-e.i legs, th? elufinous substance
attaching to the egg boding them to
1 ether. Hie number of cgs laid by o:ie
female be'ore rising is very great. These
e gs are arranged tn tlx; form of a raft
and left to ride on the water, shall, w,
stagnant fre-h water usually being se
lected, lty the additions made to the
number of e gs the raft is convened
into a sort of a boat, and when the lay
ing process is all completed the boat
consists of from .100 to HSU egs. This
is tlie first sta?e in the cxi tenee of the
embryo mosquito Alter the last eig is
laid and the boat completed the mother's
fun tlou. so far. at least, as regards this j
particular bro d, ends, and the eggs are
left to shift for themselves.
A few davs aft t the egg I oat is
launched the larv.e apK'ar. These are
of an elongated, worm-like form, auu
come out of the lower end of the eggs,
leaving the empty s-hehs forming the
I
the MosgriTo's stino (Milil iiiagnltlcd.)
A-In its sheath. It Half to n o'T to
show sheath. V Sucker daveloi o 1 tj
show parts r Itarheil jioint f one
l)l:iile of Riicko-.
bfiat lying on t ie surfa-e of the water.
The she 1 is soon destroy. I by the action
of winds ar.d water. When the larve
appear the eggs are hatched. Most
ri aders of this article have seen th"se
larv;e In Iniir.e.ise numbers on tin: sur
face of stagnant vafer during the warm
mouths. They are vulgarly called
"wigglers " Suspen 'ed from th ; sur
face of the wato. with head downward,
ihcy are cnaBled t breath'! by means of
sort of tube comiimuif atlii-r. with the
a
trachea The appearance of the larva1
may besa'd to complct.' tho second stago
In tho existence of the mo'quito
Frotn ten tj fifteeu days after the ap
pearance of tho larvj the substance
enters the pup e state. They take on a
thin skin, a'mo t completely covering
the larva?, and roll aroirid in the water,
their motions being directed by a tin lirfc
contrivarce at tho end of the tail Th i
quick, seemingly irregular, movement
of the pup:c give them the name of
"tutnbleis " Tliey, too, are fa nlliar to
jersons residing 1 1 the rural districts in
tho spring and summer. The chang of
the larv r into the pup e Completes t':e
thlid stage in the n oj,uito's existence.
Kctween live and ten days after the
pupx appears the last and most critical
stage in the entire metamorphosis of th'.'
egg into the psrfect insect arrives.
About th!s period the pupa skin bursts
open, atid the mosquito takes its first j
look at dayliiht. 1 he upa shell is In
the form of a boat, the opening appear
ing on the surface of the shell which is
farthest from the water . The Insect
rises slowly and deliberately until it at
length balances itself on its tail A small
gust of wind now or a slight eddy, and
tho shell boat would t p over, when tho
mosquito's active exist 11 -e would end
before it begun.
If the gust of wind or e Idy fail to ap
pear and it is cert ii 11 that they often
do fail to appear the insect slowly ex-
trtcates its front pair of legs, and places
them (U the sur ace of the water, Still
clinging to the liell boat Then it as
s'owly and ielib 'i ateiy spreads its win 5s.
They at lirst strike t';e water, but are
raise ! l ,ve it again, and t!n sun for
these affairs Invariably take plat-o on
sunny days- and air dry them. Tho
hind legs are then rlawly drawn from
the shell unt.l the'r 1 nils rest 011 the
td:e of the boat, the body is Mretehed
out, the win-s e panded. A moment
afterward the winis tap, the shell is
tipped over, the head is t u ned shore-!
ward, and the nio-i.-ulto is ready for ;
business. j
Hei-lrlc o iiil4i Net.
ino of the most tiigula nsos to!
which electricity has lee:i put in tlii
electric age is announced, fioin Tut is. A !
Freneh suvant has invented on elect tie
nio'.-nito bar, whicli i, lie beliexes, ''
destiued to replace all other menus of
defense against living insic's. Mak
ing use of the principle of electric exe
cution, he has constructed a tort of
soree:i or wire-work cage, with a small'
electric light in tlie oenU'r. The mo 1
quitoe, attract I by tlie light, ftttennt
to rly tlm.ugh the Infersttcos of Un
cage; but if they so much as touch the
tips of their wiogs-nud they fa u not
lly through without doiug ki- they
arc struck by the cut rent of electricity
w ith which ihescroen is kept constantly
charged.
This moquito-tra), which, under a
test, is said to have killed innumerable
victims, can be maintained only by the
aid of a small electric apparatus, so ar
ranged as to send alternative currents
through the wire network.
It is supposed that the person to 1h
protected take refuge on the Interior
of tho netting, with tho little electric
light and the generating apparatus. It
is not too much to say that there are
some people who would rather have tho
mos.juitooi.
Inasmuch as, if the electrified net
ting will keep out the mosquitoes, a
nett ng made a little closer would
keep them out without any electricity,
it does not ?eem likely that this in
vention is destined to any great useful
ness. It reminds one somewhat of the utory
of a Dutchman who went about (selling
a preparation for poisoning a certain
kind of troublesome iusect.
"You take de insee' mit do finger an'
de dumb of von handt," paid the ped
dler, "an" den mit do odder handt you
put do pizen In hismout."
".But,'' said a farmer, "if you've got
to catch thorn and hold them that way.
whv can't you smash 'era and done
with it V
"Veil," said tho Dutchman, "dot's a
good vay, toa!"
The electric netijng also snggosts
I the story of l'a',iicks experience with
an ordinary mos inito canopv. Ho
found one in a room he was to pleep in
one night, and, after studying it for a
time, made up his mind how it was to
bo used. This was the wav he related
his exiieiiejeo tho next dav
It's an illegant thing I found In me
room lasht noight. There was a kyoind
of a fishing-nit for minnows over mo
bid. I made a hole through it wid me
knife, an' Ivery moskatcr in tho room
wiut into the nit through tho hole.
Thin I thtopped up the hole wid mo
hat an' shlept on the flu re all noight,
comfortable-loiko, wid nivcr a lioite
at all!"
A.
For a long time the sounds of almost
all English vowels were, as the makers
of ilietiona-ies explain at length, in a
state of transition. In different words
we now have the same vowel pro
nounced la almost all the various ways
inown to F-uropean languages, and in
several that are oculiar to English
I speech. 1'robably the pronunciation
j of more than half the words of the En
I glish language has been changed,
j There can bo no do lbt that English
j vowels originally hid the same founds
j they now have in most continental lan
guages. 1 litis a was prouounced a-i it
still is in father, c as ei in rein, i as in
1 la vino, and u like 00 in school,
i Uut th. English people, having a
! way of changing the sounds of vowels
I in speech, gradually converted ea?h
i one of them into somethirg quite dif
' fercnt.
The change is going on still. The
vowel a. in London speech, is gradu
ally rccciviug the sound of long i. An
American in London is asked if ho
wishes to "take, in a piper"- and is puz
zled until he discovers that this is En
gli h for "taking a daily pajer."
" - This tendency has Itecomc fo marked
that the "pipers" themselves have be
gun, at least In a -nliimsi?M ay, to
print words which have a hmg a with
ay instead. The I'a'l Moll Gazette,
in i:i articleon "Primrose Day," devot
ed to the memory of Ixird IJeaconsfield,
fancies Englishmen pinging:
lint who xlH oyve olil kii'iand from the
hIivih-..
And her son.-i ami daujlitwi who will
syve?
I'or fn vyne, alas! In vync we deplore th ;
honoured nytne
Of Lord UeeklussUcld n-nv lying In hts
(.ryvu
This vicious pronunciation has begun
to creep Into a limited circle in, Ameri
ca, whose members affect Engli-h
ways. It thould be rejeced ami re-o-lutely
diseouragt d by every one who
wishes to speak good English.
Youth' n Compan'on.
IIo AVai 11 Fc.-?lin' ftTun.
After a railioad accident in a New
Erglaud Ktato, a poor farmer's wifo
was taken out, bleeding and uncon
scious. Tho doctor and a kind woman
were working over her when her hus
band came in and Mood a moment,
lookiug on iu disturbed mIctico. His
cheeks were drawn in, his ovebrows
! lifted, his hands in hii 1 o kets. 1'res-
ontly, with some effort, he cleared his
throat to speak, and, as the doctor
looked up. he asked: "Ye didn't see a
new tin dipper lviu' round where yo
picked her up. did je'i" He got no
answer from tin indignant doctor, and
presently btraoJ o. it again in search
of his dipper. Meanwhile, his wifo
opened her eyes and at onco asked for
her husband. "He's safe " paid tho
doctor, shortly. !: he felt his curt tone,
and, fatnt as she was, she divined what
it meant. "He's a dreadful feelin'
man," she wid, ."bat ho don't never
say much!"
A arrier la'.
William Hester, of Spring Hill, Pa.,
has a largo brown bat which he has
I trained to carrv mes-ages like a ear
lier pigf 01. Mr. Hotter took the un
canny bird to his place of busine-s in
New Castle, and having made arrange
ments at homo to note the exact time
of it 4 arrival let it loose. The bat flew
a mile iu 27 seconds.
Of tho 11,000,01)0 spiaro mile3 of
Africa o:ily '2,..00.0)0 lomain in the
hands of the na'ive ruler.v
This is a world of compensations
snow comes down in the winter and ice
goea up in tho summer.
BOYS -IN-BLUE PARADE.
THOUSANDS OF MEN
AT DETROIT.
MARCH
A Blasiitflrent Turn-Out uf Urn ml Army
Veteran Illinois peits Lot 1 Mib TVuy
K'nhorate l oroni'luiu Alo ig tho ICuiite
Soen-s ami Jm-l'lent.
HAT was a mag-
11 tient turnout of
(rand Army veter
ans In the grand pa
rade at Hotrolt.
A sapper touched
a light t a big can
non in the park, and
as the ieetberations
echoed over th; lty
of the Straits a
m o u 11 t e d t r o o p
Wheeled around the
corner of Woodward
avenue and into tho
Campus Martins. It was followed by a
mighty procession, miles and mites of it
On cttmi! tlie o'd posts and the old
familiar banners of Uluir of M.
1onls, Thomas uf Ch'eatfo, Iyf'e
of Cincinnati, MeOuy 6
lumiws yes, ;01 the posts from
ooean to oeoan, from Minnesota to Lou
isiana; there were the old tattered, rag
ged batt,!e lnigs with their bullet-torn
staffs: there were national fags with
fortv-four stars, and bands and bug'e
corps; there were life
young boys, and
there were fife and
drum corps of o 1 d,
grizr.ly fellows who
nerved as musicians
during the warof tho
rebellion; thiTCwero
the same old stirring
airs -everything pa
triotic. The proces
sion wended its way
through streets, it
seemed, with count
and drum corps ot
less thousands. Yet, aimi tant iiemeral
notwithstanding tin oori.nisu.
vast throng that nned the principal
highways along a route that covered
many miles, there was no confusion, no
disorder, no trouble of any kind. "An
Idea' day,
concourse.'
an Idea! parade, an
GOD BLESS THK VETERANS WHO
FOUGHT DO KEEP
OUH COCNTKY fNITEP.
Such was the inscription in letters
two feet high that greeted the eyes of
Commander- In- chief
Veaey as lie gave
the word for the
head of the column
to move from the
rendezvous. The
Commander- ln-chief
was surrounded by
his statT and a spe
cial detail of 100
Massachusetts vete
rans mounted on
magnificently capar-
lssj'Ki Ton liESKHAi, isoucd steeds. Two
lirnsr. hundred Michigan
veterans .in black frock suits, black
s'ouch hats and white bow ties, acted as
rear escort to the stalT.
Tlie next place of honor had bem as
signed to the. veterans from Illinois, and
as I'ost No. 1 of Uockford, with its big
1'ntritief.- C;:T!1(' into view a salvo of cheers
went from hlo .-k"""to '-faltHi. 1 apartment
Commander Horace S. Cla'rli...w1th Ad
jutant Genera! I'. L- McKinnio '8rKW
Barnes Mealy, as chif of staff, lod the
way on horseliack. I'K-ture.sque was the
appearance present d by (ie .rgc II.
Thomas Post, of Chtea-go, each man of
which carried a tri-colored umbrella.
They walked twelve abreast, from curb
to curb, tlie umbrellas completely ob
scuring the identity of those that
carried them from the people that
looked down from above. Ex Sheriff
Matson marched Solitary and alone In
front of I'lysse S. (irant Post, and those
that knew him pointed him out to open
mouthed spectators as tho man who
swung the anarchists into eternity.
Still another feature of tho Illinois
Division was Phil Sheridan Post., while
America I'ost, 70ii, in black relief uni
form, presented an appearance that was
rewarded by libera! applause.
That veteran of international fame,
Lucius Fairchild, wearing lightly his
sixty years and with his empty sleeve,
marched in the front rank of tho Wis
consin division. Vice Commander Wcis
sert walked alongside the (ienoral. Tho
spectators did not need to bo told that
the boys were from the liadger State, for
Wolcott I'ost, which led the line, carried
baldheadcd old Abe, its mascot in the
sixties, high in triumph, while alongside
of the stuffed remains of tho
famous eagle was a big badger that
once held high carnival in the woods
around Green Pay. A young girl,
typifying the Indian, with a costume of
stars and stripes and carrying a liberty
cap on a pole, led Kobert ( hlvas Post.
The Wisconsin contingent was largo and
made a creditable showing, as did tho
third section, compos-! of comrades
from the Keystone Stato. Preceding
this department were two minlaturo gun
carriages drawn by white ponies and
driven by two little boys. The Pliadel
phta and Pittsburg posts turned out in
large numbers and the sight of the tat
tered battle-fags that they carried fre
quently drove the spectators into a
frenzy of enthusiasm. The Allegheny
School Hand, composed largely of lltt'e
fellows who had but recently got Into
knickerbockers, was another feature of
the division that came in for general
recognition.
In the fourth division the boys from
Ohio turned out over ten thousand
strong. In many of tho posts every
man carried a flag. About every post
from Hamilton County was represented,
and the famous Old Guard of Dayton,
tho Memorial Post of Cleveland, and
Logan Post of the same city marched in
force. In the second rank of the Mem-
mum
TASSINIi THHOrfiH THE WOOPWARO aveni e arch.
Ideal
orlal old Comrado Terrier, whose right
leg was shot off fiom the hip at (iettys
burg, hobbled along on crutches, and a
colored brother who iost his nose in m
Wilderness and the center of whoso
face was swathed 1u a linen bandage,
kept him company. Lawrence I'ost,
of Columbus, accompanied itself
with a score of good - looking
and well - formed younz girls in
military relief caps, white bodices,
and blue skirts, who tnarel.e l along like
schooled veterans, looking neither to tho
right, nor to the left in appreciation of
the greeting that, kept their checHS tint
ed with the hot bioo I. West l'o-t, of
Columbus, ang a medley of popular
songs from one end of the rout- to tho
other. Another ministeria'-looking post
was Toledo, No. lort. while as a set oil
the volunteers of the fame eitv came out
in white helmets and waving miniature
Hags. In the Akron Tost a hnue frame
of buckeyes, garlanded with llowers,
was borni' on the shoul lers of four gray
beards and many other of the posts ilis
plaved the buckeye in numerous devicf.
There were forty-seven divisions in
the parade, and it took Just two and a
third hot.'W'for tlie first, four to pas; a
given fp;rt. Estimates of men who ga'
lojied along the Hue iunl through the
formation struts after the co'nmr ha
moved placed t he men in line all the way
from thirty-five to fifty Ihousand.
Every division was repleto with
interesting feature. At the hen?!
of tlie Indiana delegation, Wallace
Foster, Secretary of the Silent
Army of Ieaf Soldiers, Sailors, nud
Marines, carried an immeme 1 miner
with the inscription. "Tc.vh patriotism'
In the public schools " The only col
ored member of the National Council of
Administration of the (Jra .d Arnry. .'as.
I,. Fuller, marched ale a 1 of Ihih'grcti
Post, of Norfolk, Va. In the Mich gan
division the Sault Sto. Marie post car
ried umbrellas emblematic of Lake Su
perior and the city of the Sn i
When the head of th' column had
passed the grand f-tand Commander
Veazey relinquished comman 1 to Vice
Commander Wcissert and took his pla. e
u0:i the reviewing stand. The pro es
sion taken "by and large," as the sai'ors
sav. was a ereat suci es. It compared
J favorably with th.is of other year-.
True, tho old comrades don't march
as well as they did twenty years azo,
The'r Joints are more rheumatic, and
their limp moro pronounced. Their'
boys oceasiona'ly march with them in
the line now, "just to keep pa p from
stumbling." Put they march just the
same, and they march bravely, too,
with their comrades and their old battle
(lass. They pass in review and salute
tliMr Commander-in-chief. No man
with a spark of patriotism in his breast
can see one of these parades without
enthusing and howling himself hoarse.
The si'iht of the fag and its defenders
is enough to arouse tin; American breast.
Detroit in-ver saw such a sight before,
and never will again. Hefore the city
is selected as the location Of another
encampment thousands of tho Gra-id
Army will have passed away. The aver
age aire of tho members of tho (rdcr is
said to be 5t"i years; but a short time and
they will have left the staee of life. The
Sons of Veterans will to some extent
AHCH ON .lEKFKHSON AVEKCE.
take the places of their fathers, but not
fully. Tho old fellows did tho lighting.
He Wan Fastld ous.
A burglar broke into a house up in
North Philadelphia and found his way
into tho parJor, whero he struck a
light and looked about him. Then ho
gave one long shriek and fell senseless
to the floor. Tho family came down
and found him tbore and revived him.
"Take me to jail ! take me out! get
me away from hero! I am punished.
God knows I have suffered. I have
stood up against army rifles and toy
pistols, bulldogs, brass knuckles, ar.d
electric mat 4; 1 have conquered spike
fences an l patent bolts, but, madame,"
to tho serious, fat-looking woman, who
stood by in a nightrobo, with a with
ered look on her fac. grasping the
nock of a cod liver oil bottle,- "I'm a
sensitive man, of tender sympathies,
and would sooner go to jail than abuso
my harmonious spiiit with a further
inspection of this abominable apart
ment. Put handcuffs on me and take
me out, or I will die at the sight of
those macramo lambrequins and green
tidies." The Upholsterer.
Matthew M.vrshat.t, of tho New
York .Swt, has revised his figures as to
the amount of money spent by American
tourists who go to Europe. His original
figures were 865.00,000 for each year.
Now he raises them to $100,COO,ooo, and
this Is not an overestimate, probably. It
is all solid go'd, too,
"When a man runs away it is usually
from one of two motives: he is either
running away with a woman or run
ning away from one.
WHY ABE PEOPLE TOOK?
HARD WORK AND GOOD
OF NO AVAIL.
CROPS
TI10 Minify Moiiiipu y mel Hoards of
Trade, Together Willi the Traiisporta
tiuu Companies ICuli tlie rroduccrs of
the l'ritduet.s ot'Tlicir l.uteir.
Why are people so poor?
This is a question often asked and
seldom answered. Poverty is usually
the fruit of indolence and thriftless
ness, but at the present day another
cause must exist; for it is an accepted
fact that 110 people 011 earth work
harder and economize closer than the
American fanner of today.
Years ago he dispensed with every
luxury for himself and family and has
been content all through these long
years with the bare uccessaries of life.
The harder lie lias worked and the
closer he has lived the poorer he has
become, ami less money he has seen as
the fruits of his toil.
What then is the trouble? Why i:
it he can not prosper?
The answer is found iu one word
impossible.
Eor years and years he lias been
struggling at a disadvantage the
odds have been heavily against him.
He has uniformly made good crops,
but he has not been able to get back
the money and labor expended in
making the crops. Every year he has
found the balance against liini. In
stead of having at the end of each year
a surplus over and above his expenses
to lay up for a rainy day, he has found
that he has become deeper and deeper
involved, wnicu lias rendered it im
possible for him to thrive and prosper.
The sales of his crops have been less
than the actual cost of production, and
he could see in the future nothing but
ultimate bankruptcy confronting him.
To what must his misfortune, be at
tributable? Why is it that his honest
toil has gone unrequited? Whv is it
that the squalor of iiovrrtv hangs like
a pall over his homestead? Why
should the wolf howl at his door?
There can be but one answer! The
direful cause, the mtdiguant ngencv,
is to be found in the unjust financial
system 01 the national government a
system which was made to serve the
interests of tlie rich man and work the
destruction of the poor man a system
which has put three-fifths of the en
tire wealth of this nation into the pock
ets of one-twentieth of the population
a svstcm whicli has created in this
country a plutocracy of thirtv-onc
thousand millionaires and an armv of
three millions of tramps begging for
bread.
How has this been done?
We point first and foremost to the
iniquitous national banking svstcm. a
plan by which the government loans or
issues all the currency of the country
to a few rich men called national banks
at one per cent, per annum, and these
banks compel the farmer to pav one
per cent, per month twelve per cent.
per annum. 11 v this maneuver the
government virtually "holds down"
the farmer for Hhvlock to bleed him
for twelve per cent, per annum and
Shylock makes just eleven per cent
clear by the operation. When the
farmer pavs twelve per cent, formonev
to make his crops, and the sales of his
crop amount to onlv three per cent
profit on the amount he has borrowed
and invested he loses nine per cent, by
the operation on everv crop he makes.
This is just how and why the farmer
has come out of the "little end of the
horn." This is whv the farmer is so
poor.
But why is it that he can't sell his
crops for more money, for a living
price.' r uteen and twenty vears ago
he got thirty cents a pound for his
cotton, one dollar a bushel for corn
and two dollars a bushel for wheat
Now he gets onlv eight cents for cot
ton, forty cents for corn and cightv-tive
cents for wheat. What's done nil this?
The want of money in the country has
done it. Thero has not been enough
money iu circulation to meet the d
mands 01 tmsiness in litteen venrs.
The cause of this trouble has been
brought about by the inordinate greed
and tvranical power of the rich class,
those who control the monev. Thev
have got possession of all the monev
and now want possession of all th
property, even if it should reduce the
plain people to the estate of serfs. To
make a dollar moro valuable, to give it
a greater purchasing power, it was
necessarv to make monev scarcer.
When money is plentiful all prices are
high ; when money is scarce prices
rule low. Twenty vears ago when
money was plentiful one bale of cotton
would bring $loO; now when money is
scarce it will take three bales of cot
ton to bring $150. Yet it costs just as
much to make a bale of cotton now as
it did twenty years ago.
But how has the government man
aged to work this great hardship upon
-the farmer .'
Thn'M'OiTi'nmcnt committed this
cruel act on the-J-rt-!' day of April.
18t, when it enacted w1i2t is known
as tho "Contraction"' act. it was tl,0,n
that this pernicious system was inane
urated. The object and intent of this
act was to reduce the circulating me
dium by culling in and destroying all
the treasury notes called 'green
backs," which was effected by the sale
of bonds; its effect was to starve out
the toiling millions who depended
upon the "sweat of their brow" for
their daily subsistence, that the "mon
ey power" might become the sovcr-.
eign of this country instead of the
people. Before the passage of this act
there were only 520 failures that year
in the United States; farm products
brought good prices and the farmer
was prosperous and happy; labor was
well paid and fully employed.
The per capita of currency then was
$52, and there was not. a tramp in all
the land. The following year the
worn ot reducing the currency was
vigorously pushed, which caused 2,386
business failures. In 18G8 there was
retired from circulation $41)3,000,000
and business failures reached 3,000;
money was tight and financial spasms
frequent.
In 18t0 thero was five hundred mil
lion dollars taken out of the circula
tion and there were nearly 4,000
failures.
This system of reducing the curren
cy, taking the money out of tho reach
of the people went steadily on, until
1873 the storm reached its climax. The
bottom dropped out, the prices of all
farm products went below the cost of
production.
The people became panic stricken,
and 6.000 business houses went to the
wall, five hundred thousand men were
thrown out of employment, wages
were cut down all oyer the country,
and strikes were frequent.
In tho face of all this, the govern
ment continued to give another turn of
the screw each succeeding year by
continually reducing tho currency,
until now tho per capita circulation
amounts to less than $10, and to-day.
instead of a prosperous, contented and
happy people, there are three millions
of men on the tramp, not from choice,
but from poverty; homeless and friend
less, the pitiable-victims of the "money
power."
How long is this condition to con
tinue? Just so long as the people
juietly submit o it.
The only rebel known under the sun
is to be found in the efforts now being
made by the order of the Fanners' Al
liance. If you would bo free from
these wrongs stand by the alliance; if
you would further endure these wrongs
and forever lis the badge of poverty
upon posterity, turn your back upon
your brother and follow the lead of the
politicians and partisan press, who
are the friends of the plutocracv and
the enemies of tho people. Talla-
tf'.sc (t'hi.) Jlliaiu-r.
The Itliiiii l.. :oliiis: I lie ltlliid.
A minister of this citv recently, in
conversation with the writer, took the
ground that the millionaire is a bless
ing, because, he said, he sets on foot
great enterprises that would not other
wise be developed, thus giving em
ployment to labor and augmenting the
production of wealth. In support of
this position he cited the lact that
kerosene oil is much cheaper than be
fore the organization of the Standard
Oil trust.
To the superficial listener this would
seem a weighty argument ; but viewed
bv anv thinking man, it is an attempt
to form a conclusion without premises
or reasoning. HedueeU to logical torm.
it must read
Major premise: Prior to the organ
ization of the Standard Oil trust, the
oil fields were comparatively undevel
oped, and owing to crude and costly
processes, oil was scarce at high prices.
"Minor premise: lliat trust secured
control of all oil fields, and through
improved machinery producrd so much
oil that its price has fallen far below
wlmt it was before the formation of the
trust.
'Conclusion: ineretore, trusts are
beneficent institutions, and it is only
bv allowing them to flourish that the
people can buv at cheap prices the ne
cessities of lite.
Aud resting on this lame and impo
tent conclusion, our reverend friend
continues to preach Christ crucified to
a world of sinners, and to pray piously
for the kingdom of tiod to come in the
hearts of men
This argument proceeds upon tho
theory that whatever is. is right. B
cause trusts and large capitalists have
laid hands upon the fruits of inventive
genius and the blessings of civivihza
tion. it is concluded these thiugs could
possibly have been used in anv
other wav. It assumes that all com
merce and human labor would cense
with the disappearance of the million
aire, and ascrioes to greed a power
greater than all others existing in gov
ernment or society. It would tolerate
a dangerous and mercenary plunderer
because incidentally he might confer
boon upon his victims.
The wealth of John 1). Rockefeller
is 1 25.t 100,000, wrung from the chil
dren of (iod through the oil trust.
This sum represents the difference be
tween the cost of getting his oil out of
the earth and into the market, and the
price which it has brought him. In
the commercial handling of this fine
article of everv-dav use. a fortune one-
fifteenth as large ns the national debt
has stuck to the hands of one indi
vidual, and a minister ot tiod tells us
this is right, because with a multiplied
power of production and with vastly
improved means ft more clieaplv re
fining this oil, its price is lower than
when but little of it was produced by
methods crude and costlv
Surclv tho blind is leading the blind,
Will thev all fall into the ditch to
gethcr? -ithinl'ir (In.) hiriti-jittur
The Construct ive I'ai'l.v.
The people's partv is constructive.
Whatever it tears down is incidental
what it builds essential
It demands the abolition of national
banks of issue, because thev stand in
the wav of trulv national svstcm of
finance.
It demands the abolition of bonds
and all interest-bearing indebtedness,
because they are against public policy.
Then begins the work of construe
tion.
llie government issues tiat paper
dollars m payment of their indebted
ness.
And so the linancial problem is
solved.
Cursu the M"Xi:v imiwf.u.
The transportation question is the
next easiest of solution.
The government, that is the people.
squeezes the monev out of the railroad
stock and that reduces it to 33 per
cent, of its face valut
It, next deducts troni this all the
dividends and profits paid 011 the
watered stock.
That reduces the stock to lo per
cent, of its present normal value
From this the people deduct all
public lauds bounties, bonds, gratui
i'oo ird whatever else has been
o-rnnteil nr v.'ted to the railroads, and
this leaves the railroads about $500,
ononno ind.bte.l to the American
mmulo
The government then takes tl,e rail
roods mi.1 does the trunsiMirtiitiim .'US'
iness of the American people at cost
ltailroad millionaires disappear, and
nil other syndicates, corporations, com
binations and trusts tremble, for their
time is coming.
Taxation including tariffs comes
next.
Tax eaters, tariff robbers, bounty
grabbers, subsidy thieves, and the
whole brood of harpiea that live from
tho public crib will be eliminated.
A free people will have free trade.
Crush the moxky i-owek.
The land question comes later.
And it too will le settled on the
broad principle "that the land and all
natural sources of wealth is the heri
tage of all the people, and should not
be subject to speculative traffic.'
And so the constructive work of the
people's party will go on till the coun
try and its institutions, its resources
and its wealth have been restored to
the people.
Crush the money I'oweb. Pitts
burg (Kan.) Kaitxan.
The Standard Oil monopoly has
three of its members in the United
States senate. The Central Pacific
road has its president and two paid
attorneys there. The Georgia Certral's
president is a senator, and the Penn
sylvania Central has two attorneys
there, besides there are Beveral sen
ators representing less important
trusts, national banks, etc. Do you
believe such representatives as these
will legislate for the interests of wage
workers? Midi a nd Mechanic, x-
VASlIiNOTOX IS CHOSEN
THE
ENCAMPMENT IN
BE HELD THERE.
'92 TO
Cuptiiiu ,Foli i I'aliiicr, of Mow York.
Klec'cil Cininnlcr-:ii-Cliier Otlicr r
liecrH Kloi toU Woman's llclief Corps
Meeting.
Washington was selected by the vet-
raus at Detroit as 1 lie place ior 1110
holding of the next encampment of tho
A it. The race between Washington
an 1 Lincoln, Neb., was a close one, so
clos'i that eacli sh'c was confident of suc-
ss until the result of the bal ot was
announced: Washington, 301'; Lincoln,
Ki.'.
For f'omiuandcr-in chief there wero
four candidates: .lohn Palmer, of Al
bany, N. Y. ; A. t". Weisi-ari, of Mi'
waukec. Wis.; y. P. Suielburv, of Cal
ifornia; S II Hurst, of Oho."
Benjamin K. Bryant, of Wisconsin,
placed ve:ssart 111 nomination m an
lo.'iuent speech, and the nomination
was quickly s conde 1 by the States of
Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, and Kentucky.
Corporal Tanmr. of New York, placed
I'a'mei- in nomination, and Massachu
setts, New Jer-ey, and Pennsylvania
seconded tho nomination.
W- .1. Ilolilngsworth, of Chio. nomi
nated liurst, an 1 . j. names, 01 taii
fonra, nominate! fcrnedhury. The
a'.t'f's nomination was seconded oy
Nebraska, Kansas, ('.regon, Was'ii gton.
and Alaska. New Mexico, and Io.va.
Before the lirst ioruial ballot. General
Hurst, of Ohio, peremptorily withdrew
his name from the cons derat on 01 tho
encamp iienx. 1 no oanoi resu. ..:
J. I'a'-uer, ot Albany, X. Y
Wclsmrt. a
Hani burv, of California, . 1
The roll was again called, and on tho
second ballot thero were numerous de
fe( tions from the Wisconsin man, Palmer
coming within ten of tin; number no -es-sary
to a cho'ce. Before the third bal-
CATTAIS JOHN VAT. Ml" 11.
tot was ordered the Californi.i delega
tion withdrew Smedbury and cat ts
vote for Palmer. The latter": elect:on
was then made unanimous
Captain John Palmer was born on
Staten Is'aud, N. Y., March 22,
His lirst army service was in tlie Ninety
first New York Volunteers. Ueenlis'ed
Sept. 1, ltHil, and remained with that
regiment until it was mustered out gn
July 4, is)e. He was a participator in
all its engagements, and was seriously
wounded at the battle of Five Forks.
For the last twenty-five years he has
been engaged in the painting business at
Albany, N. Y. He was several terms
Commander of New "Benedict Post, No.
5, aud was e'eVted Commander of tho
New York Department, and i i 1879 was
elected Senior Vice Commander-in-chief.
He is an earnest speaker, and
has presided at department and national
conventions with credit to timself aud
satisfaction to all.
OTHER XfcV. OVFICEH!1.
For Senior Vice Commander-in-th!f
there was but one candidate, Henry M.
Duflicld, of Michigan, being chosen by
acclamation.
T. S. Clarksnn of Nebraska, Peter R
Aycrsof Delaware, and Albf rtli Sholes
Of Georgia were nominated f r Junior
Vice Commander-in-chief. Clarkson woa
on tk first ballot.
For Chaplain there were three candi
date: S. R Payne of Florid t. D. C. Mii
ner ot Kansas, and A. 1$. Kendrlck of
Iowa. Mr. Payne was elected.
Surgeon General Benjamin T. Steven
son of Connecticut was re-clecto 1 by ac
clamation. woman's isf.i.if.f conns mketixo. !
The Ninth National Convention f 1 tnn
Woman's Keliet Corps tool: place with
many distinguished visitors pre nt
The houso was called to or.ier by Na
tional President Mary Seers Mellenry,
and the excrei es were opened by singing
"My Country. 'Tis of Tlie ,'' and prayer
by the National Chaplain.
Tho National President rea l her an
nual report, showiug a iarse increase iu
membership during the year. Forty
three States in the I'nioii and all but
three of tho Territories hive. Woman's
Relief Corps organiat'ons During last
year T,-.'fio joined the or'er. There arc
twenty-seven colored relief corps, which
are accomplishing much good in thir
own wav.
PEOPLE'S PARTY
PLATFORM.
Uiitlin a Iteiiorteil f 1-0111 the
C011-
vcntioia at .rlng'.ietl.
At the People's Party Convcnfon in
Springfield. Ohio, the platter. n was re
ported as fol'ows:
"We hold that .laljpr is the basis of all
wealth, happiness and pi ogress, and
must have equal protection by the law.
"In the organization of onp party W6
know no North, South, 1'ast or West,
and we are detenu 11 'd that the govern
ment of our co: ntry shall be so admin
istered as to secure equa rights to all
people. We deman I that ta ation na
tional, Mate or municipal shall not bo
used to build up one interest, or class at
the expense of aiiotlcr. Wc demand
the abolition of national I auks as banks
of issue. We d-man 1 that full lega!
tender ticis iry notes I c issued iu-nili-,.'c.;jt
vo'utn to conduct the business of
the couih. V ! -Ja-'5--
"We demand tlieTayne?'.'? of al b",nds
of tlie government instead of refutii."?J
them in such im.tiey as they were origin
ally ma ,'c 1 a ah e iu.
"We demand governticntownershipof
all the means of t: a ' siorta'ion and
eorninunh ation between and by the peo
ple of the United tates
-We favor iheral peic-im' to all hon
orab y dis-harf I Union solders o" tho
lat; civil war anl generous care for
tlieir widows and orphans, and demand
that the ifference bvtwi c:i the alue of
gold and greenbacks a tho ate of ay
men t be mail' equa! to gold, so as t)
p ace tlie soldier on tlie same foot'ug as
the boudho c er has been.""
A wo 1 an suffrage plank is included in
the platform. Tin: plat orm favors Gov
ernment loans directly to Individual,
favors free coinage of sil er, opposes
alien ownership of Ian and demands
that Congress devise a means of obtain
ing all laud a rea y owned by foreign
syndicate deman Is that all lands held
by railroads and other corporations iu
excess of what is actually neede 1 ba ro
clain c 1 by ths Government and hold for
actual settlers only; anl demands a
graduate 1 tax on incomes.
I Iihw onaPiTe-.
Mr. Gori.n dropped ." into tho plato
at the church lie attended in Cheyenne,
Wyo It was probably in silver. Mr.
Gould, a- he once remarked himself, is
a silver man in silver -t; tes, a gold mau
in gold States, a preenbacker iu green
back Stat s, anl a Gould man cver-j
where. Xew YorX Ailvcrthser. -