THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE. 187 



from 520 to 12,340. One-half of one per cent of our population 

 own three-fourths of the property of the country, and less than 

 one thousand persons dictate a line of action to more than sixty- 

 three millions. One firm establishes the price for the thousands 

 of millions of pounds of beef and pork produced ; and the board 

 of trade gamblers fix the price on our 500,000,000 bushels of 

 wheat, long before it is harvested. 



The record is not yet complete. The public domain the/ 

 last hope of a free people is being rapidly taken from us. 

 The railroads have been given over 177,000,000 acres. Pri- 

 vate parties and corporations own fully 40,000,000 acres more, 

 and, worst of all, alien syndicates have gained possession of 

 63,000,000 acres of American soil. This wholesale appropria- 

 tion of public lands has continued until there are now remain- 

 ing less than three acres each per capita of population. These* 

 are the economic conditions that confront us at the present 

 time. These are the results of a public policy we are asked to 

 indorse, and are expected to perpetuate. In view of the above, 

 is it necessary to ask if equal rights and privileges have been 

 granted alike to all ? Our prisons are filled ; our almshouses 

 are running over ; our streets are swarming with tramps ; and 

 three millions of our citizens are unable to obtain work. 



Are these the legitimate fruits of over a century of freedom ? 

 If they are, the blood of our Revolutionary fathers was shed in 

 vain, the patriotism of 1776 was ill-timed, and the statesman- 

 ship which followed a cruel farce. That these conditions are 

 with us, no one will have the temerity to deny. The reasons 

 for their being with us are evidently subjects for discussion. 

 Various theories are advanced by way of explanation ; mean- 

 while the work of depletion goes on. One popular theory is 

 over-production ; that our economic laws are too perfect ; that, 

 as a nation, we are suffering from a surplus of success, or are 

 the victims of a reckless and persistent industry. If all our 

 people were comfortably fed, housed, and clothed, there zvould 

 be no over-production. Over-production is that amount of any 

 commodity remaining after every use to which it can be applied 

 has been fully satisfied. A surplus is that which remains 

 unused from any cause whatever. There is no over-production 

 of wheat or meat where people are hungry ; or of boots and 



