Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1872-11-01


the dominion Of numbers-of capital, to
the concentration of power in the hands OF
the few. The reason is obvious Labor
is the interest of the many-capital of the
few. Where labor predominates, numbers
will govern, and the institutions will be
free. Where capital is the controlling in
terest, power will be in the hands of a
small minority. 1t is one of the highest
offices of craftsmanship to harmonic and
preserve the proper balance between these
great interests. Bywise regulation the an
tagonism may be made like that of the op-
posing sides of an arch, an element OF
strength rather than of weakness. But il
either be allwed to gain undue preponder-
ance, mischiefand danger must ensue. Be
fore the war, capital and labor worked to-
gether in harmony. The proper equilibri-
UNI existed. Capital paid fair wages to
labor, and labor rendered a just equivalent
OF service to capital. Not the least disas-
trous of the consequences which have fol-
lowed in the train of the late war was the
disturbance of the balance between labor
and capital in the Northern States The
mushroom accumulation of capital grow
ing out Of government contracts, specula-
lions in bonds and stocks, fluctuations in
the currency and the creation of thous-
ands of national banks, founed on nation
al promises t8 pay" have caused an enor-
nous development ofcapital, and given to
its possessors an undue ascendency over la
Dor This aseendency it has naturally
sought to preserve, consolidate and perpet-
uate The money power has obtained the
control of the Executive and of Congress.
The means employed to accomplish these re-
suits are too well known to require special
enumeration. Splendid gifts have been
made to men in Office. Rings have been
formed in Congress for purposes of plumber
"a gigantic system of United States banks
has been incorporated by which bondhol-
ders have been enabled to receive not on
ly interest on their bonds, but duplicated
interest on bank notes, issued on the faith
of these bonds. The rates of interest have
been greatly increased, and all State banks
have been crushed out of existence, so that
the bondholders may have the monopoly
of money-lending at double interest. Mon
ster railroad corporations have been incu-
bated in Congress, and endowed with mil
lions. of acres of the public domain. Par
tial tariffs have been framed to put money
the many, and other devices have been a.
dopted which it would be tedious to emu
merate, for the purpose Of swelling the
gaines of capital. The laboring popula-
ton have seen and felt these evils. Pro-
badly without understanding the ingeni-
Gus process by which they were oppressed,
they have nevertheless felt the fact that they
were oppressed. Hence the widespread
discomfort thatpervades the laboring class
es. Hence the labor unions and strikes a.
mong tradesmen, that are of almost daily
occurrence. Hence, in a word, the con-
stantly recurring, but turtle efforts of la
Dor, by local combinations, to rid itself of
the exactions ofcapital. 1t is time that the
laboring masses should understand the
true source of the evil, and the only eff
cient means of arresting it. 1t should be
explained to them that capital has got pos
session of the government, and is using its
vast powers the injury of the interests
of labor. It's vain for the unorganized
masses of labor to struggle against the dis
ciplinee hosts of capital aided by all the
machinery of the federal government. Ii is
this great money power which has put into
active motion all the agencies which are IA
pidly concentrating all power in the hands
of the President. It is this power which,
by artful manipulations of the currency,
has oppressed agriculture, commence and
manufactures. 1t is this which has de-
pressed the value of property to enhance
the value ofmoney. 1t is this which has in
creased the rates of interest to the injury of
industry in all its departments. 1t is this
which has subsidized the government it.
self, and now supplies the sinews of war
for the presidential contest 1t is this
which has multiplied the horders ofoffice-
holders, and now seeks, with the peoples
money, to buy up the people themselves.
In all ages capital has been timid. It
breads the Instability of public opinion.
1t fears change. It shrinks from the strug-
giles and commissions of turbulent democ-
racy. 1t delights in the security Of a strong
government. 1t would gladly repose in the
shadow of an imperial throne, rather than
hazard the restoration of a government
founded on the will of the people. These
are the ideas that are daily giving strength
to centralism and causing the ship of State
to drift towards empire fanny one doubts
the soundness of these views, let him go to
the North and converse with the wealthy
men of that section. He will find, in al
most every instance, that they support the
present administration because it is favor
able to their peculiar interests. If [ were
asked what is the remedy for these evils,
I would not hesitate to say to the laboring
men-the farmers and mechanics of the
North and South and West-if it be your
object to uphold the interests Of labor, and
to rescue the country and its institutions
from the danger that threatens them, the
only efectual mode of accomplishing these
ends is, not by forming local combinna-
tions, or labor unions, but by recapturing
the government from the hands of those
who are perverting its powers to the OPP
preston of labor. The fact cannot be dis
guised that, in the present contest, Gen.
Grant is the representative of this grasp
ing, centralizing money power. Mr.. Gree
ley, on the other hand, stands forth as the
champion of the industrial interests of the
country. Born in poverty, educated to la
Dor, himself farmer and mechanic, all his
interests and all his sympathies are in har-
mony with the industrial pursuits Of the
people. The opportunity will soon be at
forded to the intelligent masses to choose
between them.
The Southern Maryland Railroad.
The st. Mary's Beacon states that the two
o. 90 hic