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THE LIVING ISSUES.
official ofthe f/lelim: je fls’ TuLLiA-isroE ijst:idxjst:r,ia.l
Vol. I. NO. 52.
What Atlanta Needs.
An open letter to the workingmen of
Atlanta:
As a workingman and a student of
the labor problem, I address ydu this
letter in the interest of justice, peace,
prosperity and good government.
In good government, especially a re
publican form of government, justice
to all men is the most important stone
in the foundation of the “temple of our
liberties."
You have seen this city which labor
has built, controlled and dominated by
a few for their own benefit, with an
utter disregard and contempt for your
interests, or the general welfare.
You have seen foisted upon you can
didates for your suffrage, in whom not
one spark of patriotism existed; with
no concern but for themselves and the
“ring bosses” who have chosen them
to do their bidding.
You have seeh the oppressions of
this “ring” in every phase of your daily
existence, not only curtailing your
means of living, not only reducing your
efforts to a mere "strength of exis
tence,” but rendering the efforts of the
homeless futile, in their honest endeavor
to obtain homes, through the “special
privileges” granted to “land sharks.”
You have seen the different trades of
the city organized into trades assem
blies, and the efforts of politicians,
press and pulpit to destroy them.
You have seen patriots, who dared to
show yon the difficulties which con
fronts you and the remedies you need,
howled down in public halls and arrest
ed when speaking at a public place on
the streets.
You have seen a resolution offered in
the city council which would result, if
enacted into law in preventing arv pro
test whatever from emanating from »tie
ranks of labor.
Y6u have seen published by the
daily press epithets and slanders from
Up- lips of politicians and statesmen,
so called. Even the pulpit has been
used to howl its anthems at the heads
of those who were trying to educate
the people as to the causes of their suf
ferings and the remedy for their relief.
One “learned and gifted” pastor,”
less than a year ago, denounced the
principles for which the Living Issues
is still contending as “agrarian, com
munistic , nihilistic, and born of infi
delity. But with all this unwarranted
abuse, it is nevertheless true that “Ho
works with God who works for man.”
But listen to what he now says:
“There is not a church on the face of
the green earth which would keep in its
service a minister who would dare to
go to the limits of Christian obliga
tions.” “He would be ostracised from
society if he dared go those lengths in
the matter of helping and uplifting the
poor which Christian character pre
scribed." Yet with this confession
as to the moral cowardice of the pulpit,
what apology can be made for the rot
tenness of our political condition. Yet
when brave men not fearing “ostra"
cism,” but with the fear of God alone
in their hearts, dare go- to any honor
able “lengths in the matter of helping
and uplifting the poor,” his efforts are
characterized as "the dirty work of a
dangerous agitator, demagogue and
agent of the devil himself.”
You have seen and have heard expos
ures of this corruption in your organi
zations; you have had held up to your
gaze this corruption in high places;
your speakers nave pictured to you
what might be accomplished by an or
ganized effort at the ballot box; they
have theorized upon the many import
ant reforms to be inaugurated, when
you win, but they have never thought
of the impossibility of winning under
present conditions. The army of poli
tical “scabs” are more numerous than
the army of organized labor; we must
first consider “our brother in black.”
His vote, with but few exceptions, is
bought and sold for a small sum of
money or a few drinks of mean whis
key. We next find a large and ever
growing number of our own race,
whose votes are a purchasable commo
dity; lastly, we find great numbers of
honest workingmen in the employ of
soulless corporations, who always at
tempt and sometimes succeed in forcing
their men to vote as they dictate. From
this you will see that your chances to
win are exceedingly small.
But there is a remedy, which, if need
•will purify the atmosphere of politics,
THE PEOPLE DEMAND—"EQUAL RIGH I'S TO ALL, SPECIAL PRIVILEGES TO NONE.”
will abolish the cesspools of corruption:
will obliterate the traffic in votes, and
will render the employer powerless to
control the votes of his employees.
Seek this remedy; study the justice it
provides, the equity it promises, the
safeguards it furnishes. Study this
xeform, which is the keystone of the
whole political fabric, until yon under
stand it perfectly, then propagate the
idea in your “Trades Assemblies," in
your “Federation Hall,” and upon the
platform of your “Industrial Council.”
The remedy I refer to is the Austra
lian Ballot. In it you will find success
attainable; under its provisions you
will find the voter alone with his God,
with a lead pencil to mark his ballot
according to the dictates of his own
conscience, “and none dare molest or
make him afraid.”
The ward politician and “heeler” will
become back numbers: the “ring” will
like Othello, “find their occupation
gone;” the professional politician will
no longer buy votes which he can no
longer see delivered; it is a wrecker of
“machine politics;” it enables justice
and truth to again lift their august
heads; public spirit and patriotism no
longer trodden under foot, will become
more than mere words for the hypo
crites of party to compare with, and
class hatreds must disappear as class
legislation tends to vanish.
Study this question, debate it in your
assemblages; circulate a petition for
signatures among the citizens of Atlan
ta, asking the legislature lb so amend
the city charter as to allow the Austra
lian system adopted ; vote for no candi
date for any position, who will not agree
to work for its enactment into law.
A little more than five years ago.
Louisville, Ky., adopted this system to
free her«elf fr n ro the control of corrupt
rings. Massachusetts, the first state to
adopt it, soon followed, other states
followed in quick succession, until now
nearly half of the states of the union
are using a modification of the Austra
lian system in their elections. It is use
less to wait for the state to adopt it; as
goes Atlanta, so follows the state in her
march of progress. The cities of Ten
nessee first received the authority to
vote in this way, now the entire state
has adopted the system.
It is useless to say more on this sub
ject: “Organize, educate, agitate.”
“A word to the wise is sufficient.”
E. Wittich.
Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 29, ’93.
Postmaster General Bissell and the Alli
ance.
It is reported that Postmaster Gen
eral Bissell has declared his purpose to
appoint no allianceman to even a fourth
class post office. This determination, if
true, verifies the judgment of the alli
ance in doubting the friendliness of Mr.
Cleveland to this Order and tends to
show error of judgment in voting tor
him in the last election.
This conclusion on the part of Mr.
Bissell should stimulate every alliance
man to greater exersion in the interest
of the organization and a stronger de
termination to stand by the alliance
first, last and all the time, ever refus
ing to kiss the hand raised to smite
them.
The farmers have nothing to hope for
from the present national administra
tion, as manifest in this announcement,
and the action heretofore, especially
with reference to our congressmen and
this matter of postoffices. Our mem
bers of congress as well as the alliance
should stand firm, let the consequences
be what they may.—South Carolina
Cotton Plant.
The alliance can now see how they
are to be treated by the present admin
istration.
No allianceman need apply even for a
fourth class post office. This adminis
tration does not think a farmer has
sense enough to hold an office. They
are only fit, in the eyes of the million
aire boodle cabinet, to raise six cents
cotton and support the fellow with
the silver spoon in his mouth,
j
Can the sale of an inferior article con
stantly increase for 24 years? Dobbins’
Electric Soap has been on the market
ever since 1865, and is to-day as ever,
the best and purest family soap made.
Try it. Your grocer will get it.
Subscribe for the Living Issues.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, OCTO BEE 5, 1893,
South Georgia,
Editor Living Issues:
I am a subscriber to your newsy ItHle
paper, and it always finds a hearty wel
come in my house. Its a useful politi
cal guide to the country at large.
Now if space admits I will write
something of interest to your many
readers about the finances of this section
of Georgia. As lands are rising in
market value from time to time. I will
first tell you something of the lai ds of
of this section.
South Georgia is unsurpasse: by
Florida as a land of flowers, *d in
many respects preferable to the great
west with its stock farms and cattle
ranches. South Georgia is destined to
come to the front. You can get real
good land here at $2.50 to $3 per acre
that’s just as good or better than north
and east Georgia land that cost from
$lO per acre up, and it is much easier to
put into a state of cultivation and takes
much less fertilizers to the acre here
than in north and east Georgia. Thir.ty
acres can be cultivated here with one
plow, as the land is free and easy of
cultivation; the average crop here on
uplands are 750 pounds seed cotton to
the acre or 20 bushels, oats 200 bushels
sweet potatoes 300 gallons of syrup and
ample crops of other products with an
average of 100 pounds of guano to the
acre. Saw mills are fortune makers
in any favored land and its no trouble
to get plenty of yellow nine timber.
Her stock roam at large in the woods
and hogs sheep and cattle require but
little care to yield immense profits if
properly managed. Terms can be mede
to suit purchasers of land, where parties
can’t pay all cash. This is a new and
growing country with splendid and
constantly increasing railroads and oth
er enterprises. Land that can now e
bought for $2 or $3 per acre will as
things now| look sell for sls per acre,
and upward in less than ten years. A id
above all this is as healthy a county as
can be found anywhere in the United
States; it is acknowledged by all -
are acquainted here to be ext.a g i
I am sorry I can’t give all the advan
tages the country has, but we have a I
land and business director for this whole
section of country. Dr. J. M. McNeal,
Mcßae, Ga., to whom if you write with
stamp for reply, will give correct an
swers to all questions asked. He is
bound by the public not to misrepresent
anything. Churches and schools are
plentiful and we have pure freestone.
Now, I have not one foot of land here
for sale, I only write the above for the
good of the brother alliancemen and
subscribers of our paper intending to
move somewhere.
J. R. Gilleon.
From a Democratic View.
The Washington Sentinel, a demo
cratic paper takes this view of the sit
uation at the capitol:
“The Stewart resolution censuring
Mr. Cleveland is widening the breach
between the president and senate. As
a consequence, it is now said that vari
ous important executive nominations
pending in the senate will be held up -
and Mr. Cleveland will hold up nomi
nations promised and expected until the
senate relents. The prospect of its re
lenting is not as good as it was last
week, and is constantly growing less.
Tj say that many democratic sena;
tors sympathize with Senator Stewart
in his speech arraigning Mr. Cleveland
would be entirely true. Mr. Stewart
had the whole attention of the senate
when he read Mr. Cleveland’| letter de
clining to attend a college meeting be
cause he would “have congress on his
hands about that time.” In its impli
cations and suggestions the Nevada sen
ator’s speech was effective.
Among the nominations that are men
tioned as likely to be held up are those
of Minister to Italy, Collector of Cus
toms at New York, Justice of the Su
preme Court, with others of less im.
portance in character but of superior
importance to politicians, senators and
the president.”
Alliance Growing.
Editor Living Issues:
We had a very interesting alliance
meeting at prospect sub-alliance, Mon
roe county, Sept. 9th. Had a good lec
ture from the Hon. T. J. Barrett,
county lecturer for Pike county and
also brother Jones, of Pike, gave us a
good lecture, reminding us that it will
be by organization that we can expect
success and it is by organization that
we can be able to combat with the ene
my. We must stand banded together
as one in defense of right and justice to
all men. There is work for all. The
crisis is upon us and he that won’t fight
nor contend for himself and household
denies the faith and is worse than an
infidel.
The alliance has got to keep thor
oughly organized. The oppression of
the money power grows stronger as the
days go by as proven by our representa
tives in congress and in various other
ways. We are asked now to dump our
cotton on the market at the low price
of 7 cents and take bank or clearing
house certificates in payment for it;
clearing house certificates backed up by
a verbal promise of one or more men.
A shame that we are asked to sacrifice
our hard earnings in such way. But
when we, the farmers alliance had in
troduced a bill in congress in the form
of a sub-treasury bill, asking the gov
ernment to loan us (the farmers) money
direct, proposing to secure them with
the best security the world can afford,
mother earth, and her non-perishable
products, we were told by a democratic
congress that that would never do in
the world, unconstitutional, but it is
allright to pay us for cotton in bank
certificates, We hear no complaint at
that, but the good part concerning cer
tificates is they seem to not circulate
worth a cent with us, somewhat under
par, and will be next time you hear
from them. I hope. We have been
duped for near 30 years and are becom
ing tired of such stuff.
Mr. Editor, our lodge has been on
gaining ground ever since you spoke for
us in July. We would be glad to have
you come again soon and give us in
creased faith and hope to help us to press
forward and onward until we push the
alliance and reform to the zenith of its
glory. Long may you live to help and
lead us,.pever ceasing in ’our efforts till
we are crowned with victory for equal
rights to all men.
W. L. Harris.
Lamont, Ga., Sept. 25.
tSßitov. ■
Editor Living Issues:
As I see but little from Bartow coun
ty, I wish to say a few words if you will
allow me a little snace in your valuable
and highly appreciated paper.
I wish first to commend Mrs. Dr.
Felton for her views on the situation
and the causes. It does seem to me
that all the thinking reading people
ought to be thoroughly convinced of
the causes of the oppression that our
common laboring people are now having
to bear. The most of the prominent
democrats in this county show symp
toms of being very sick, but they are
like the hog that had the itch, he was
too stubborn to scratch; they are two
stubborn to yield to their honest con
victions. I think a great many of them
are about ready to confess their sins
and come along with the people and be
saved from everlasting ruin. May the
Lord help them to come out boldly like
men, and declare themselves with the
people; we need their co-operation in
this great and grand struggle for relief.
Brother editor, lam trying to do all
I can in my feeble way to educate the
people and build up the cause of the
people. I must say that we have been
somewhat discouraged in our county
since the last election, but the people
see now what they did not see then,
feeling is the nacked truth, and that is
what it takes to convince some. The
people are anxiously waiting, hoping to
receive some relief from the state as we
are ignored by the federal government.
If our governor was in sympathy with
the people he would call the legislature
together immediately’ and stay’ the laws
until the farmers could get a fair price
for the present crop. Without something
is done, and that speedily, the present
crop will go for a mere song, as it has
been doing in the past. I wonder if our
governor has gone entirely blind to the
interest of the common people of our
proud and noble state. If so, we would
like to know it. Just now we need a
governor that is in sympathy with the
common laboring people of our state.
Now is the time we, the people, need
his sympathy and co-operation. May he
raise his glasses and look out in the
rural parts of the state and see what he
don’t seem to see. All public men
make a record and it rests with him
whether it is to honor or dishonor. I
believe the people know what they want
and what they need and what they are
obliged to have, and expect from
their representatives. If there is not
something done there will be a powerful
rattling of the dry bones.
G. B. Lovelace.
Subscription-One Dollar Per Year
To the Rescue.
Editor Living Issues:
lam satisfied that the brethren do
not know the condition of our paper,
and therefore do not realize the neces
sity for subscribing for it to a man; not
only tnat, but to do all in their power
to place it in the homes of those who
are not in our order.
I have received, and suppose all coun
ty secretaries have received, a full
statement of the cost of the paner, ex
pense of issuing it, and number of sub
scribers. It is not best to publish this
to the world, but eacA county secretary
should read his statement to his county
alliance and thus show that the price
this year must remain at $1 per year,
in order to the more quickly put it on
a safe, sound and paying basis, and in
a position to reduce the price. Lej
every secretary remember this and se
cure all the subscriptions possible. The
delegates will take the statements to
their sub-alliances and make a full
canvas for it. Each member will act
as agent for it among his neighbors, and
thus cover the entire field. The result
will be to double this list of subscrib
ers in 60 days, if each man does but
half of his duty,
lam not a newspaper expert, but
know enough of the business to say to
you that our paper must receive our
individual support. The working capi
tol is very small for the purpose. A
large amount of the subscriptions nave
several months to run, which is a large
expense and no receipts. This will
about eat up our capital unless many
new subscribers are obtained. The
present number on the books will bare
ly pay actual expenses. A little more
type is needed I believe; SSO worth prob
ably. In a money point of view, we
must increase our list by 6,000 to en
able us to carry out our lecture system
effectively and have a small sum to our
credit in the state treasury for emer
gencies. With our own paper on a
paying basis, we can print and circu
lar free or at cost, much valuable
miscellaneous literature that will aid
us greatly.
. 1 SUpposi* no Gae IW’iK'Brihc 1- ;
for an organ; but do you realize the
power it gives us? Do you receive one
single copy that does not give you
much valuable information, fresh hope
and courage, new zeal? Are you not
being educated as to your duties as
citizens, a part of this government; as
to finance, effects of laws and bills, and
the whole system of government?
There you can see the advantage of
getting others to read it.
As a power for good or evil, I cite a
fact that most speeches in congress are
partly composed and aided by extracts
from the papers. Our best minds
speak to the public through the press.
A campaign without a newspaper
would be a flat failure. Our organ,
our own paper, must be sustained, not
merely kept alive, but fed. addivated,
cared for, and made a power for good.
Are you going to do your duty by your
own?
I want to speak to every sub-alliance
in the country and the members. At
tend your meetings: you are needed,
every man of you; your presence gives
courage to others. A good attendance
is a spur and incentive to others. Let
no man sat’ that he can do no good by
attending, he cannot speak. Talking
is as nothing against work. Work is
the mainspring.
Get through with the business as
soon as you can and do it right, then
sing, read some good short articles of
any interesting character, some of
them humorous, talk on various sub
jects; make the alliance a pleasant
place, as well as a school.
In many places the sub depends upon
its officers to see to it that they are al
ways in place. Have drills on initiation
and the secret work until all under
stand it thoroughly. Co-operate iu
buying and selling. Do all you can to
make the order profitable, pleasant, in
structive. In short, do your duty as a
citizen and brother.
W. H. Warner.
Gainesville, Ga.
Says the St. Louis Republic: “All
members of congress have but to look
at the unemployed workingmen, the
anxious merchants and the perplexed
bankers of the country to realize that a
settlement is demanded. Hard sense,
not sentimental sympathy, calls for
action. If they would stop the spread
of socialism, they must put an end to
idleness.lf they would ward off a contest
over printing press money they must
provide promptly a currency system
that will satisfy reasonable winds.”
