Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-26
MoNoPoLISTS AND SCRIP
SHARKS.

.leritance, to constitute the latter. And
he monopolists could be endured without
much complaint, if their attendants or
the scrip sharks, did not in
communities and bear the relation we
have indicated. It not unfrequently hap
pens that the shark rises to the dignity Of
a %monopolist but the naturally born
monopolist never, or rarely. descends to
the level and business Of scrippy. OF
We are using the terms in their
descriptive force; as distinctly de-
fn,ng different orders Of men,. A monop-
olist is a dealer in scrip, sometimes, as an
incident in his business conduct; and
scrippies are, in their very contemplate
sphere. necessarily monopolists.
Blu, it is what these two fra,ernities, in
business circles, actually and everywhere
do TO retard the progress Of communities
that we desire now to proclaim.
The monopoly company is not only an
organization for obvious and undispu'ed
extor,ion to-day; but it is an association
always acting under this resolution:
Re,olred, That there shall never be any
competing company in u line Of business.
The Dutch Flat Railroad Company is
an instance. Every one knows that with
out competition to their road across the
mountains they will have all the freight
and passenger traffic they can attend to ;
that their profits will be truly enormous.
And it is equally well known that the
building Of another trans-mountain road,
from Placerville TO Carson, will not affect
the amount Of the Dutch Flats business
for there will be q pressing demand on
the capacities of each; but the former will
serve to place the tariff for men and goods
and ore transportation at q reasonable
figure. Still the net earnings must be
prodigious. But monopoly says: mo
road but ours ; and any nan who says
two roads is opposed to the great Ma
tional work ="
Monopoly buys up venal press to howl
abou, its poverty what good to the dear
people i, will do: though their W re-
ports stare them in the face, with boasts
Of superfuity Of means for the construc-
ton Of their road. But monopoly-and
here is the point we wish to draw marked
attention to-is a bar to all kindred in
ternal improvements. II gets millions"
Of benefits from the General Government,
States and counties, and then it says " No
such advantage to a rival plan, "-conced-
ed to be more practicable, and requiring
one-half the aid the original sought and
secured.
4 State, as such, can have no practical
monopolies. The Republic does not en-
joy q " monopoly when it reserves the
mail system to its conduct. Because
the people are the Republic, the State.
1t is ~manifes,ly against the policy Of any
State, particularly o new State. to permi,
monopolies to be established in its boun-
daries. It is a crime on the part Of citizens
who could prevent it, to allow Of the
permanent. vested right establishment Of
extor,ion companies in their Common
wealth. The only thing that actually as
sumes the form Of a tyrant in such a
Government as ours, is the kind Of asso-
citation we deprecate.
Scrip sharks are among the pioneers"
Of every State. Every new community
runs into debt, more or less; generally
with q reckless disposition. Then, as
times become what are termed settled"
the people who become permanent resi-
dents of q given, pioneer locality, find
that a few hundred thousand of debt is
hanging over their heads, in the shape Of
city or county obligations, purchased by
present owners at from 20 to 80 cents on
the dollar. As times become settled"
there is great need Of internal improve
ments, in city or county-streets are de-
manded to be placed in comfortable order;
county and city buildings are required.
Up jumps Scrippy and hurrahs, Justice
first; generosity afterwards :" his literal
application Of the paraphrased motto
being-pay me at once, though the wheels
of Government are stopped for the pur-
poses Of making the liquidation. We
have noticed this very proceeding, and
that not Il thousand miles from here.
Every thing, every thing Of general, public
requirement, must bend, in the name Of
Justice" to the forthrih par payment Of
Scrippy. This we object to. The mar
who pays 20 cents on a dollar for his
scrip, purchasing it as a speculation. can
well, reasonably, equitably wait for at
least Eve years before he has anal pay
ment, the par liquidation Of his last piece
of evidence Of city or county indebted
The fact that he made the pur-
ehases of scrip, expecting to make from
so to 80 per cent on the game, and all
that within a few months, does not consti.
tute any ground Of Justice" in his call
for a peremptory settlement.
What better. after all. is the usurer
upon the city and county than the private
Insurer Characters usually identical in &C.
cupation): And see what a queer intro
version there is here: A single individual
can resist extortion with the almost unani-
nous appreciation Of a civilized and chris
'ianized society /; but the Scrippy claims
the moral scale in his favor when he
shouts for instant discharge of his parch-
ment bond Of city or county. at par! On
the other hand, a monopoly company is
universally considered a "soulless corpo-
ration "-hear,less in its organization ex-
preston, but with no particular individual
for its merciless exactions ;
while the single monopoliss-yanderbil,
for instance--is execrated for what he could