264 HISTORY OF THE WHEEL AND AIJJANCE. 



class-legislation that is filling the country with want, pov- 

 erty and crime, who will take the responsibility to say no ? 

 Shy lock and his tools. There are only two sides to the 

 question. On which side are you, my kind reader? With 

 Shylock or the people? "True," says one "but how is 

 this to be accomplished? You can not get Republicans to 

 vote the Democratic ticket, nor is it possible to induce 

 Democrats to vote the Republican ticket, These men 

 must be allowed to vote as they always have done in order 

 to preserve peace and harmony in the Order." We must 

 admit, with the existing prejudices, ignorance of better 

 methods of government, selfish ambition and the power of 

 the party lash, that this objection is not without foundation; 

 and unless we can instruct our members that the success 

 of the Order and the accomplishment of its objects are 

 above all other considerations and paramount to all other 

 things, it would be impossible to unite them in this direc- 

 tion. But give us men who can say: "I am a free born 

 American citizen, with guaranteed constitutional rights, 

 breathing the inspiration of liberty from the Declaration 

 of Independence of my fathers; I belong to no party, wor- 

 ship at the shrine of no man's ambition, and fear no party 

 lash. I owe allegiance only to God, patriotism to my 

 country, devotion to my family and duty to my fellow 

 man." Breathing, living, acting these sentiments, men 

 will be able to lift themselves above the low, cringing, and 

 deplorable condition of serfs. They will loathe corrup- 

 tion, despise hypocrisy, and ignore the efforts of the poli- 

 ticians to engender strife and spread dissension. With 

 such men it would be an easy task to accomplish the 

 objects in view. "Then" says one "the logical result of 

 this is the formation of a new party and the disorganiza- 

 tion of the old. We can never consent to that. What ! 

 The party of Jefferson and Jackson; of Lincoln and Ste- 

 vens to be scattered to the four winds, after all they have 



