“We want money, land, and transportation. We want the abolition of the national banks, and we want the power to make loans direct from the government. We want the accursed foreclosure system wipe out…(For the Record Chapter21 pg.87).”

Mary E. Lease was a populist woman who provided many speeches that aroused farmers stood up for themselves. On the end of 19 century, the farmers worked so hard to raise the big crop that the parties told them to do. The money rule, parties and political cheated famers to worked triple times but paid back little money to only let farmers able to survive. They were forced to sell the corn, beef in very low prices and eggs and butter for free. The excuse that politicians made was overproduction. In fact, children were dead because of lack of food supply. Over 1000 shop girls had to sell their virtue in order to support themselves. In addition, the main question is that Santa Fe Railroad and the loan companies plundered almost everything from farmers. They worked so hard to supply the government, but they got poor and poor even dead from their low wage jobs. Mary E. Lease was very indignant about this situation. She appealed farmers to get up for their benefits. She appealed farmers to get back what they should have and what belong to them which were the money, ability and power. The aggrieved inside of farmers finally awaken by Mary E. Lease.

Mary E. Lease, The Money Question (1892)

The end of the 19th century introduced many struggles for U.S farmers. Farming became more industrialized, and unlike the larger, wealthier farms, small farmers could not afford these new machines and were forced to shut down. In order to pay off debts and high interest rates, small farmers had to double or triple their production of crops. This not only overworked the soil, but this also drove down the price of their crop, producing very minimal profit. Farmers were forced to pay both local and federal taxes. Monopolies, such as the railroads, took advantage of them by charging high rates for shipping and storing costs. All these factors ultimately forced many farmers into foreclosure and, for the first time, to look for jobs outside of the agricultural sphere. Mary E. Lease, one of the main female proponents in the Populist Party, describes the nation at this time as a hypocrisy. Everything this country was founded on has been completely reversed; the country no longer belongs to the people, instead, it now belongs to Wall Street. Lease argues that the common people have been lied to, mislead and “motivated” to work hard by the political parties, yet received nothing in return and essentially “The common people are robbed to enrich their masters…”. Her passionate speeches were written to inspire courage into the wronged farmers to stand up against the big businesses of the time. This speech especially warned the railroads, the loan companies and even the government that the farmers were no longer going to suffer under their control, but rather they wanted “money, land, and transportation” and would use any means to do so.

Mary E. Lease, The Money Question, (1892)

Mary E. Lease was an activist who often made speeches in support of Populism. Living at a time when men, for the most part, dominated, put Lease fairly low on the totem pole of power in society. Thus, with the emergence of the Populist movement, she jumped at the opportunity to fight for change as well as for rights that she believed she deserved. In her speech, “The Money Question,” she criticized the nation as being inconsistent. More importantly, she provided an insight into how the economy during the industrial 1890’s was operating and what it meant to the more agricultural parts of the country. It was a speech meant to motivate farmers, and other Populist movement supporters, and open their eyes to the fact that change must be sought with the way the nation was functioning at the time. In it she said, “The great common people of this country are slaves, and monopoly is the master. The West and South are bound and prostrate before the manufacturing East.” With statements like these, she argued that money had taken control of the country, which put the common people, like farmers, on the back burner. The nation was beginning to revolve around monopolies and Wall Street, which led to “the people” being mistreated, and a faulty society of the overly rich and the desperately poor. She likens farmers, who worked strenuously to grow crops, to slaves because they were cheated out of the money they deserved by a system where they had relatively no say on how much they could sell their crops for. Ultimately, it seems as though the Gilded Age and industrialization brought much growth to parts of the East, but left the agriculture-based South struggling and underrepresented, thus the development of the Populist movement.

 “This a nation of inconsistencies. The Puritans fleeing from oppression [in England] become oppressors [in New England]. We fought England for our liberty and put chains on four million of blacks. We wiped out slavery and by our tariff laws and national banks began a system of white wage slavery worse than the first… Money rules… The parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us. (For the Record  pg. 86)”

This quote is a perfect example of how unfair our oppression towards African Americans truly was. Mary E. Lease was a woman who was clearly having issues coming to terms with the fact that the pilgrims took it upon themselves to flee England because they were being prosecuted to start a new life, are now becoming violent and brutal slave owners. She is appalled by how the primary political parties are able to manipulate normal common folk into working like slaves and receiving nothing in return. This still relates in modern times as the 2%’ers only get richer and richer while everyone else gets poorer and poorer. Alas, that is the way of life. Lease was a very vocal member of the populous party. This was a radical party which even allowed black women to join, and at the time, you couldn’t be much lower in social class than a black woman. Being a vocal member, Lease was able to bring awareness to farmers and help them stand up for themselves for better wages. They realized that if they are so important in feeding our country, shouldn’t they be getting paid much better too?

“We believe that the power of government– in other words, of the people– should be expanded as rapidly and as far as the good sense of an intelligent people and the teaching of experience shall justify, to the end that oppression, injustice, and poverty shall eventually case in the land…”

 The Populist Party was the first movement to announce prepositions that called for reform. As proved in their Preamble, the common people were denied many rights and were treated inferior to others. They suffered through unfair circumstances. They got very little pay while working for many hours. They had to pay high rent while living in poor housing. For more than a quarter of a century, The Populist party has witnessed turmoil between the two major political parties and they demanded change to occur. They believed that the people in charge of the parties were at fault for allowing this to continue without putting an end to such harsh conditions. The Populist Party consisted mostly of farmers who advocated for change. These farmers didn’t have much money and the business expanding caused them to have to pay more while not having access to jobs or opportunities that would guarantee them an ability to be able to pay off such raised fees and  high income taxes. Some of their proposals included the demand for a graduated income tax, free and unlimited coinage, and a government- owned railroad operating in the interest of the people. Because of rising inflation, free coinage of silver would prevent the farmers from having to worry about paying more. The Populist Party has owned up to the fact that the government is to blame for the corrupted system they have been enduring. This quote reflects how The Populist Party expected their demands to be finally heard and their needs to be met. They expected the government to respond accordingly. They were relieved to finally be able to finally have their voices heard.

Mary E. Lease, The Money Question (1892)

 “This a nation of inconsistencies. The Puritans fleeing from oppression [in England] become oppressors [in New England]. We fought England for our liberty and put chains on four million of blacks. We wiped out slavery and by our tariff laws and national banks began a system of white wage slavery worse than the first… Money rules… The parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us. (For the Record  pg. 86)”

One thing is for sure. Mary E Lease, a passionate speaker for the Populist Party is angry.  She is enraged that a country that was founded on such noble ideals is contradicting them in every way. The political forces that are currently in power at this time known as the Gilded Age are exploiting the common folk. They are having these people toil away farming and in return giving them barely enough money to survive. Institutions such as the Santa Fe Railroad and loan companies are robbing them  blind and taking them for everything they have. The reality of the situation is that the mass of people are being oppressed by those few percent in power. It is also interesting to note that Mary E. Lease is a woman. The Populist movement was able to allow women new opportunities to exercise their political voice who otherwise would not have had the chance to. She is also a minority, so she is in a place of social consciousness to other minorities such as black people.  Lease is undoubtedly using her voice to promote social change. By raising awareness,  she is urging farmers to stand up for themselves in order to get the money and land that is continually being stolen from them.

“some one will at last arise who will champion our cause and compel the world to see that we deserve justice, as other heroes compelled it to see that we deserved freedom.”

While blacks gained freedom in the South, they hardly gained equality. Despite the Radical Republicans’ efforts at Reconstruction, many blacks in the South struggled with poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment. In the entry “racism in the south” by a black woman in 1902, the author talked about her life in the south, how she get racism from the white people Even the amendment abandons the slavery, but the society didn’t set white people and color people equally. Like what the author said in the entry, the park had the sign that no black people can enter except for the servant; and when she walked on the street, she was embarrassed by the stare of white people.

Discrimination in the South further intensified with the passage of Jim Crow laws in the 1880s. Jim Crow laws segregated many public accommodations such as trains, steamboats, streetcars, and schools, and restricted or forbade black access to other facilities, like theaters and restaurants. There are also some supreme court case can related to this situation, like Brown VS Broad of education, and plessy v. ferguson. Both cases happened for the segregation. One case happened before this article publishes and another was happened after fifty years later. During so many years, the society still with the “segregation but equal” by Jim Crow Law which tend to separate the color people and white. Colored people seem to have the same right with the white people, but actually, they still in the lower statue in the society. Colored people are not allowed attending the place which white people attend. If they tried to break the rule, they will get the law punishment. Therefore, during that time area, in every place, there are separate places for different people; even for the bathroom have different place for white people and color people. The Supreme Court upheld such segregation in its Plessy v. Ferguson decision (1896), which declared all “separate but equal” facilities to be constitutional. This decision cleared the way for decades of demoralizing discrimination against blacks.

“Our Government is founded on the equality of human rights — on the idea, the sacred truth . . .Our country is an asylum for the oppressed of all nations — of all races. . .After the abolition of slavery these great truths were not only admitted, but they found expression in our Constitution and laws. Shall we now go back to barbarism? Let us retrace our steps, repeal the law and accomplish what we justly desire by civilized means. Let us treat China as we would England; and, above all, let us respect the rights of Men.”

The second industrialization or the Gilded Age created opportunities called the “American Dream”; leading to the influx of immigrants from Europe and Asia coming to the United States. The influx of foreigners provoked a rising sense of nativism.  That targeted one particular group of immigrants, the Chinese by The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and was even renewed in 1892. This shows how the sociopolitical realities of the time were ruled on racist attitudes,  bias beliefs, the ideal superior race and ethnocentric individuals.  Racial attitudes and prejudicial discrimination on blacks are now aimed towards yellow outsiders by the people and Government.  Although our country is a country created by immigrants founded on human equality. We are taking back our word and going against the foundation of the country supports by subjugating the Chinese just because they are different in culture,  “color” and appearance. But they hold the same values as what the nation and the individual represents, stated by Ingersoll, “they found expression in our Constitution and laws.” It is unnecessary law and shows how corrupt and barbaric the country is to continue with such a measure.  Ingersoll clearly explains his opposition against this law and liberty must be preserved. They are the same as all other foreigners like the English, Irish and Italians who come to the U.S. for human equality, liberty and dream. They are people, too and “above all, let us respect the rights of Men.”