The farmers' union., September 20, 1894, Image 1

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

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

                
THE
UNION.
Volume IY.
MEMPHIS, MISSOURI, THURSDAY, SPTMBR J20, 1894.
Number 35.
. Humphrey's
Green Frot.
10,000
Men,
BoysandCWldren
to call at my Store and examine my
Mammoth Stock
OP-
Clothing,
which I have just received,
and which has been pur
chased under a prospect of
a low tariff and bought the
goods a wav DOWN, the equal
has never been known in
Northeast Missouri. I am
prepared to sell you
GOOD GOODS,
Kvcn below your own ex
pectation. Those
Hats,
Caps,
Boots,
Neckwear,
Famishing Goods,
AS WELL A MY
Clothing Stock,
Are all Fresh, New Goods,
and purchased under the re
cent decline in the eastern
market, and, positively, will
lie closed out to make room
for another stock, which 1
expect to buy in the near
future, eveu lower than ever
if possible. Call early and
sec me if you wish to
Save Money !
Hemember. Old and Young
Ladies' Shoes and Slippers
a specialty. I am yours as
ever.
M. Humphry,
Green Front,
or h Side,
Memphis, Mo.
ROAST FOR CLEVELAND.
In reply to the invitation of chair
man of the democratic state com
mittee to take part in the democratic
can vass of the state John K. Atwood,
one of the ablest lawyers ami most
influential democrats of Leavenworth,
sent the following letter to the state
committee-
Leavenworth, Kau., Aug. 31.
The Hon. J. S. Richardson, Chairman
Democratic State Central Committee,
Topeka Kas.:
My Dear Sir Vour letter of Aug.
28, requesting me to take the stump
is now before me. This it will be im
possible for me to do.
The democratic party under its pre
sent national leadership is unworthy
the support of any democrat west of
the Allegheny mountains or whose
memory runs further back than first
reign of Gr rover Cleveland. There is
not to day in the national house of re
presentatives a democratic congress
man from the Mississippi basin or
west of it who could now be where he
is but for the pledge made by himself
and his party that there should be
legislation rehabilitation silver as
money; Mr. Cleveland was elected on
a platform which demanded "the use
of both gold and silver as the stand
ard money of the countrj-, and the
coinage of both gold and silver with
out discrimination against either
metal." In his famous Buffalo letter,
when the people were clamoring to
know if he still adhered to the dog
mas of Wall and Thread needle
streets, he said in substance that he
was bound to admit that the effects
of the Bland ; ct had not been as de
trimental to the business of the coun
try as he had feared, nor detrimen
tal at all, and we worshiping demo
crats, anxious to believe, siezed upon
that as a declaration that he had
ceased to be an enemy to silver, and
with that letter and our money plank
we went forth and taught free silver
as a democratic doctrine.
What can such of us as did this two
years ago say now to the people to
whom we then spoke? So far from
adhering to our national declaration
of principles, the president has em
ployed all the great powers of his uigfa
oflicc to show how magnificent!' he
can violate a party promise. The
temple of bimetallism was promised
by us to be built up perfected and
in fulfillment of this promise the high
priest of our party applied the torch
and compelled democratic congress
men to cast on fuel that the flame
might be the fiercer, and now scared v
the blackness of ashes marks where
it stood.
And how much easier it is to explain
our attitude on the tariff? The dif
ference between it and our position
on silver is that as to silver we openly
and brazenly crumpled our promises
like pie crust and then gloried in the
applause of the money changers of
the east, while with the tat it! we in
dulged in pretenses and shuffling.
Mr. Wilson says there is relief for
the people in the new law -conceding
this it is but a bite where a loaf was
promised, and can it be said that the
payment of $1 when one owes $4 is
an honest quittance of a debt.
Mr. Cleveland says he could not
help it; but do you not think if he
had applied to the tariff contention
the methods used to annihilate the
last vestige of silver legislation the
i result might have been different?
I
i Those methods were nicely alternated
threats and promises uctered ex-cath-edra:
methods very little in keeping
with the traditions clinging about the
exalted office of president, but since
he has chosen to employ them that
our pledges might be made mendaci
ties, he can hardly be permitted to
plead their impropriety when the ful-
tillinent of promise w:is a stake.
I am still a democrat, but of the
kiud which Bryan of Nebraska is so
I magnificent a type rather than of
I those who bow the knee to Baal
simply because the monster is tagged
"Jehovah." I cannot advocate the
single gold standard nor a tariff policy
that is modified McKinleyism with a
democratic label. Trusting that the
time is not far distant when we can
again meet on common ground, I am
very truly yours,
John II. Atwood,
Gov. Stone Gets Down on His Marrow
Bones.
Our readers will remember that
Gov. Stone, during the strike, and
while Gen. Joe Shelby was swearing
in all the deputy marshal Is he thought
would be needed to run the state,
made a weak, sickly protest and ask
ed Gen. Shelby what he was doing.
All rememder the way he answered
the governor, by substantially telling
him that it was none of his business,
that he was acting under orders from
Attorney General Olney, and it would
be well for Gdv. Stone to attend to
his own affairs. He wanted the gov
ernor to understand that he had put in
four years of his life at the head of
an arm-, and during that time was
not particularly responsible to any
body, and much less would he he to
Gov. Stone now. At this the govern
or's royal blue Kentucky blood boil
ed, but he did not have the courage
or manhood to stand up for his state
or her people, but would let a man
like Shelby run riot over the state
with his crowd of hoodlums, rather
than make a single move to defend
the state that he had held up his
hands and swore he would. Now that
it is over, the governor wants to go to
the senate or any other place that will
elevate him, notwithstanding his cow
ard ice, he makes overatures of peace
to the doughty general by saying that
he can be made governor at the next
election if he will only come over on
the su'e of the governor. Shelby,
with all his faults and short coinings,
indignantly spurns the offer by refus
ing to do anything of the kind; bad
as he is, little as he cares for any
body's rights, he is not base enough
to go to the feet of a coward like Gov.
Stone. He has courage and manhood
enough left to dispise the cringing
coward that did not have manhood
enough to stand up for the people of
his own state. Reckless as Joe Shel
by is, little as he cares for law, order,
decency, morals, sobriety or good gov
ernment, shows more of the spirit of
a man, now than Gov. Stone does,
who is willing to take all the insults
Shell)- heaped on him, for the sake
of a little political advancement. No
wonder we are called poor old Mis
souri. Industrial Union.
The boon of free speech is now de
nied the employes of corporations.
The Union Pacific, now in the hands
of receivers, for the government, has
issued a decree to that end. Yester
day that company issued a "notice to
all employes to abstain from partici
pating in politics, discussion of any
subject tending in that direction be
ing prohibited. All men not willing
to keep out of politics are requested
to resign." Railroad men will not
tamely submit to such tyranny, and
in November will vote with the party
that favors government ownership of
railroads. Iowa Tribune.
Old party congressmen ate now
rushing hither and thither in their
districts calling on the 50 cent wheat
growers and the 7 cent cotton plant
ers, asking them to stand by the par
ty and '-settle the tariff."' Back in
the chambers of the Wall street
money changers sit so-called Repub
licans, who read with delight the ac
counts of what great crowds greet
their congressional servants who al-
! ways make - convicing and logical ad
! Jresses on the tariff."' Missouri
World.
The republican oracles are once
more resorting to the old-time tariff
wail. Now. as a year ago, the yell
I goes forth that prosecutive change of
i tariff schedules was the --sole and on-
i
ly cause' of the panic. As all per
sons are not fools, or related to fools,
it is safe to predict that all persons
do not take any stock in this cam
paign racket of the g. o. p. Nonconformist,
The Good Derived from Conventions.
By II ATT ie Crauj.
We will first see what good the
convention does the town in which it
is held? lie v. Henry McEwin says
of the New York convention: "The
business men of the city thought it a
wild dream of the young people when
they heard of the thousands who
were to come. When, however, it
was over, they anxiously asked when
it would meet here again. Large bills
of sale accomplished what sober state
ments of our committee could not do.
that is convince them that there were
thousands of delegates there and that
they were not penniless. The enter
prising saloon keepers read the pa
pers and made preparations. They
were the one class of people which
had always reaped a harvest from
conventions. They turned sadly away
from th;s one." So the N. Y. con
vention proved to the business men
that the C. E. did not consist of a
few dyspeptic religious cranks, but a
happy throng of young people, work
ing for our Savior, and taught the sa
loon keepers temperance was not a
sham.
Many new C. EL societies have been
formed in or near the convention city
which otherwise would not have been
organized. The warm, vital breath
of the convention often puts new life
into dry bones of a half dead society,
and turns it into a prosperous society.
This itself means life in the church
es. The church feels the influence of
the convention in other ways also.
Many faint hearted Christians, who
h ive begun to feel that possibly the
devil was getting the upper hand, will
return to his woik with renewed zeal.
Mr, A. It. Grafton savs: "If these
conventions did no more than bind
together in one fellowship the twenty
five or thirty denominations, repre
sented in its ranks, I believe it
would be worth meeting once a year.
To listen to the strains of "Blest be
the tie that binds," as they float heav
enward, impresses us the day is not
far distant, when all Christians will
take for their motto: "One is your
Master, even Christ Jesus. Eveu the
members who stays at home derives
some benefit from the convention.
Everyone who goes, stores away in
his brain and note book some of the
convention and with more or less en
thusiasm and impart it to those at
home. They can also derive benefit
by praying for it and it will be ans
wered in their own hearts, as well in
the grand success of the convention.
A large portion of the youth of both
sexes, who should help make up the
best of our church workers care little
or nothing about matters, that are
strictly religious. A convention will
undoubtedly attract their attention,
and convict them of carelessness in
regard to their duty to their church,
their fcllowmen and to their Savior.
The true value of the convention
depends not upon the great crowd uor
tluent speakers there, but what is car
ried away, of inspiration for the com
ing year of Christian work in our
churches.
After a two days' session the State
meeting of the Farmers and Labor
ers' I'nion of Missouri adjourned.
Officers elected were: Pierce Hackett
of Bates County, President; R. P.
Clarkson of Chariton County, Vice
President; J. Weller Long of Adair
County. Secretary; Win. A. JivQ icen
of Lavafatte County. Treasurer; S. C.
Hooks was elected a member of the
Executive Committee aud the Ocala
platform was indorsed. The office of
State Lecturer, was abolished.
Al.Bl Ql'ERQUE M., Sept. 14.
The territorial populist convention
nominated T. B. Mills, of Laskegas,
for congress. The platform favors
the election of president, United
States senators. United States mar
shals and postmasters by a direct
vote, the abolition of national banks;
the establishment of a postal savings
bank and the Swiss system of referendum.
ONWARD AND UPWARD.
An Honest Appeal by President Hackett
of the Missouri F. & L. U. for
Zealous Energetic Work.
To the membership of Missouri:
Having been elected president of
the Farmers and Laborers Union of
Missouri, at our recent state session
held at Warrensburg, I desire to ad
dress a few words to the membership
throughout the state an 1 to all friends
of labor, the wage earners and wealth
producers.
This is an age of organization
even? class, eyery occupation is organ
ized for self protection and mutual
betterment. All other occupations
are more closely and effectually or
ganized than are the farmers and farm
laborers. We need organization
now more than at any other period in
the history of our country. The scrip
tural admonition, "Ask and ye shall
receive," is only applicable in our na
tional economy when backed up by
the power of organized numbers.
Every fair-minded observer, of what
ever occupation, will admit that our
order, the Farmers and Laborers
Union, has exerted a powerful influ
ence for good, not only in strengthen
ing the social ties of brotherhood and
stimulating a careful study of politi
cal economy, whereby our political
views have been broadened and liber
alized, but it has enabled the wealth
producers, in state and nation, to make
very material advancement toward a
realization of our just demands. But
this work is only begun we cannot
afford to sacrifice the fruits of our la
bors in behalf of our beloved order.
Brethren. I appeal to you to stand to
gether, to re-double your efforts in an
earnest endeavor to sustain and ad
vance our organization. Re-organize
your lodges, subordinate and county,
elect new officers from among your
tried, efficient membeis. Where ad
jacent lodges are weak in numbers,
cc nsolidate and make good, strong or
ganizations. Do this at once. Get
into communication with our State
Secretary, Brother J. W. Long at
Kirksville, who will furnish you with
all needed information. Pay up your
state dues and secure the new P. W.
so that your lodge will be in close
touch with those in all other parts of
the state. Don't delay but begin now.
We must sustain our obligations it's
principles and capabilities for good
merit our warmest support aud should
stimulate our best eflorts in its behalf.
In conclusion, brethren, let me again
appeal to you on the strength of our
fraternal ties, on the love for your
country, your home and your families,
to lend your united efforts in sustain
ing our organization.
Fraternally,
Pierce Hackett,
President Missouri F. and L. U.
Virginia, Mo.
m m m
The People's party believe in run
ning money through anv bank
filltereither. Instead of loaning it to
the banks at 1 per cent, and allowing
them to loan it to the people anywhere
from 6 to 100 per cent, it would either
loan itto the people direct at two
per cent or use it in paying expenses
of the government or for public
improvement. Missouri World.
Senator Dubois, of Idaho, in an in
terview announces that he and six
other republican United States sen
ators will come over to the Populists
unless the republican party declares
for silver coinage at 16 to 1. The re
publican party is controlled by the
money-lending east and will never do
it. So these gentlemen had better
come right now.-
-Iowa Tribune.
The goldbug is now bowling him
self hoarse by demanding a dollar's
worth of silver in the dollar. The
farmer should also make a demand
that more of a dollar should be put
into a bushel of wheat Nonconfor
mist.
The railroad corporations of the
land are opposed to the Populists.
Are you for the railtoads? Noncon
The New Tariff Law.
We are now to experience the ben
eficent effects of Democratic tariff re
form. They promised to reduce the
tariff on the necessaries of life and ta v
the burden of taxation on luxuries.
Instead we find that many necessaries
come in for higher taxation am many
"luxuries" go free or are given a less
tariff. Sugar, one of the principal
"necessaries of life," that is used by
rich and poor alike, comes in for a
tax of 40 per cent on the raw article
and a still larger tax on the refined as
a protection to the sugar trust This
tax will increase the cost of sugar to
the consumers not less than 14; per
cents per pound. The per capita con
sumption of sugar is 63 pounds. The
population of Missouri is about 2,700,
000 and our annual consumption of
sugar is about 170,100,000 pounds;
this at an increased cost of 14 cents
per pound will make our sugar cost
us $2,551,500 more than under the
ffftKiirtaj This sum is mora than
sufficient to pay all the expenses of
our State government This increas
ed tax will average about $17,000 to
each congressional district and will
apply alike to all the states and ter
ritories of the union. See what our
public servants have done for us.
"But the Missouri delegation nearly
all opposed the sugar tax." Yes, and
they nearly all opposed the "crime of
'93" in demonetizing silver, yet they
nearly all support the party that im
posed those outrages upon us. The
one increases the price of some of the
necessaries ot life that we must buy
while the other decreases the price of
all things we have to sell. Such "tar
iff refcrm' and "mouetary reform"
ought to kill the party that does the
reforming (?) and relegate all to the
rear who support it Verily, we are
having some very costly ''object les
sons" as a result of Democratic ascen
dency. Yet Democratic congressmen
come home from the national capital
and ask us to give them another
"chance." T. J. Hendrickson.
D d Populist Rot.
On the 4th of July last one of the
patriotic old town, in the country ad
vertised an old fashioned celebration,
and the people were present from far
and near. When the order of exer
cises were being gone through with a
gentleman arose aud commenced to
recite the declaration of independence,
he haviug committed it to memory.
He bad not proceeded far when an old
party leader became indignant, arose
and walked out of the audience, re
marking, "1 have heard enough of
that dd populist rot," and pro
tested in strong terms against politics
being even referred to at a Fourth of
July celebration. When such men
are leaders in the old parties is it any
wonder the labor of the country is be
ing sold into wage slavery as fast as
monopoly can weave the laws asked
by corporate power upon the statutes
of the various states. Searchlight!
Michigan City, Ind.
Restorative Wine.
If you are weak and debilitated use
Speer's Port Grape Wine or his Un
fermented Grape Juice. Either will
purify your blood, restore digestion
and make you feel like a younger per
son. Take none but Speer's.
The People's party has recognized
the labor organizations sll over the
country, thus exemplifying their say
ing. "The interests of rural and ur
ban labor are the same; their enem
ies identical." Has the effort to unite
labor been in vain? November will
tell. Iowa Tribune.
Republicans say there is plenty of
monev in the banks east Oh, yes;
plenty of water in the ocean, and
even in Lake Michigan, bat what
does it benefit us? Our land parched
up, no crops, no feed for stock, etc.
lows Tribune.
No real Jacksonian Democrat can
affiliate with the democracy of today.