, 1872-03-21

ror and fault and dispense us for ever
more from the use of our own foresight,
sagacity, experience, sef-control and ac-
tivity." But as these needs, in their
multiplicity and antagonism, cannot all
be gratified. the contest of parties be-
comes contest as to which of them
shall gain the supremacy and rule the
rest. Every interest and every conceiv-
able shadow of an interest, enters into
the struggle f; each combats and jostles
the other ;and in the desperation of the
tight the worst men conspire and col
lude, and form those "rings" of vulgar.
venal, rapacious tricksters and thieves
hich are as disgraceful as they are mis-
chievous to our civilization.
Once admit the principle that govern
ment is authorized to step outside of its
general function IS the defence of uni
versal common right, to grant special
privileges or to foster special interests;
that it may use its tremendous and aw-
full power to tax its citizens in order to
build up private fortunes or to encour-
age specific industries, and you have
adopted policy which logically covers
all sorts of flagrant abuses, and even JUS
titles the worst schemes of plunder. If,
under the specious name of protection,
subvention, bounties, and what not, this
state may eonfiscate the properties of in
dividuals, and trample upon their per-
sonal rights of freedom to labor where,
and to exchange the results of that la
Dor with whom they choose, there
is no practical limit to the pervefsions
of power of which the state is not sus-
ceptible. If the Congress may lay its
tribute upon the whole country to aid
the enterprise of the iron-master, the
Common Council may assess ad Hbitum
to fill the pockets of the street contract
ors. If the honorable gentleman from
Bunkum may legislate money into the
pockets of his friends, the other gentle
man who is not so honorable may legis-
late it, in another way, into the pockets
of his friends. The making of laws be-
c. mes disguise for the simple making
of fortunes and the rabid selfshness
which, under other circumstances, takes
your purse at the end of blunderbuss,
now takes it with "Be it enacted. -
The result is the same, though the meth
ods differ. In the one case you are rob.
bed with decorous and hypocritical for-
mality in the other without the forms.
When, in fine, the government itself
abandons its only legitimate functions
to become an instrument of spoilation
when the lawmakers themselves regard
the law, not as q general balance-wheel
amid the conflicting claims of individu-
ais, intended to secure the harmonious
cooperation of all, and to defend the
rights of the least as well as of the great
tSt HAcA tAC otoeCS ShoAS, AAnPn6
and benefcent as its real uses are, is
made an enormous goose, which every
body is invited to pluck-need we won
der that so many of the subordinate
agents of the public catch the tone and
spirit of their superiors, and set to work
filling their purses Shall Terwilliger
and Leet cause us surprise, when there
are dozens of Congressman and scores
of members of the Assembly, to say no
thing of thousands among their consti-
tuents, who actually believe that the sim
gle object for which governments are in
stituted, is to furnish the smarter fell
lows of the community ready means OF
living at the expense of the rest t?