The Portland daily press., 1872-02-20
THE PRESS.
TUESDAY MORNING, FEB. 20, 1872.
A Reasonable Cause for Alarm.

A Reasonable Cause for Alarm.
1t is the fashion in Maine just now to de-
ride the notion that monopolies are danger |
Gus. 1t is fashion growing out of the COM
plete. shameful and most astounding prostra-
ton of the present Legislature before the
money-power of the State. Men like Wilson
of Thomaston, Lebroke of Foxcroft and
Carleton of Whitefeld, who have sprung to
their feet whenever the words ''Maine Cen
traP' have been mentioned, and who, re-
gardless of any general principle or even
of consistency, have advocated or opposed
whatever that corporation advocated or OPP
posed, showing degree OF sensitiveness in
regard to its interests that most men reserve
for matters touching their own honor or hap
niness, must assume this tone of philosophic-
al optimism or be utterly without the means
of excusing themselves. They and the men
who act with them talk in this way: "All
these matters must be in the nature OF things.
Railroads are bound to consolidate-must con-
solidate 1t is law of their existence. 1t
is best they should. This talk about monop-
DIV is nonsense. The men who are engaged
in these enterprises are men of honorable
purposes, and we are safe in their hands.
Their prosperity means that of the laboring
man. The masses get propertionate share
of the advantages arising from the compile
ton and prosperity Of great works of public
utility" One enthusiastic Maine Central and
European & North American editor went so
far as to celebrate consolidation in prose
dithyramb which he called ''The Poor Mans
Triumph" So tremendous has been the
effect of the unfaithfulness of one legislative
body in corrupting public sentiment and
causing the natural conservators of public
morality to desert their post! To large bodies
wrong, and the wrong right, by the multi
tudes of paid attorneys who have uttered
their plausible arguments in the ears of dull
or too yielding legislators.
Monopoly is dangerous nevertheless. Com
binations of capitalists are seriously threaten
ing the purity and even the existence of dem
ocratic government. Their arrogance and
the scope of their enterprises increase in ge-
ometric ratio. 1t was sorrowful destiny to
be poor when the claim of capitalists was
merely that they should have the right to
avail themselves of their vantage ground to
secure in the way of commerce, manufactur-
ing, building and operating railroads and the
other ordinary channels of business, the
greater part Of the means of security, comfort
and happiness which labor provides. But
now our American barons have sought out
still an easier path for themselves. When
disinclined from any reason to risk their own
ample means in any sort of business enter
prise, they lay tax directly on the people
and thus raise the money which is to be in
vested for their benefit. Government, State
and municipal aid is asked and granted for
almost everything that capitalists desire to eff
of poor mems offerings ask with unblushing
foreheads for exemption from taxation!
Only Heaven with its perfect knowledge of
the passions, motives and actions of men can
understand the inscrutable mystery of the
yielding of the American people to the enor-
nous demands of capitalists. The whole
matter of State and municipal aid, supple
mented by immunity to the rich from contrib
uting to the public funds, is SO clearly de-
vice for destroying that condition of approx
mate pecuniary equality which is one of the
chief safeguards of the Republic, that only
omniscience can conceive why the people
should allow themselves to be persuaded to
permit such an outrage. The benefits arising
from taxation to prosecute the private busi-
ness of capitalists are SO partial, SO unequal
and so uncertain, that the most skilful attor-
ney is unable to defend the system on equita-
BILE grounds. All such appropriations are
principally for the purpose of ensuring capi-
talists large return from their investments.
Some of the people get some of the crumbs
that fall from some of the tables that they are
persuaded to set SO richly forth for their rich
neighbors.
This system is piling up wealth mountain
high in our American States. If continued
but twenty years more, democracy will be on
ly name The rich are causing it to be an
accepted doctrine that right and justice are
on the side of their wonderful pretensions,
and that only a few absurd or insincere persons
oppose themselves to the inevitable. The dam
ger to the masses from this system is infinite
ly increased by the too successful efforts of
one of our political parties to prevent the ed
ucation of the people. In Congress and in
the State legislatures this party arrays itself
against the common school system. By this
means the people are to be deprived of the in
telligence that would enable them to meet
combined capitalists with more formidable
combinations of their own. Unless the edu-
cation of the masses is greatly improved there
can be no concert of action among laborers,
and no cooperation of workingmen, stable
enough to withstand this new and most for
midable assault on democratic liberty. A just
apprehension of this danger would cause the
immediate adoption in this State, for in
stance, of constitutional amendment for
bidding gifts or loans or assistance of any
kind to private business from the public treas
ury.
The Trustees of the Agricultural College
have become so interested in the success of the
institution that they have advanced $4,000 to
carry cut their plans and ask for $12,0 more
1t is only just to add that the trustees, most of
whom are practical and successful business
men, are deeply interested in the welfare of
the institution and have the most sanguine
faith in its success. The Cornell University in
New York, the similar created institution of
that State, was munifcently endowed by Mr..
Cornell whose name it bears. Is there no
member of the present board of Trustees who
will similarly endow the Orono college? We
think we could mention one who has never
been backward in liberal deeds whose name
would sound pleasantly in connection with the
industrial school.
Washington Matters.
Col. Forney dined with the President Satur-
day evening. The new collector at Philadel-
phia has not yet been selected, but it is pretty
well understood among the inner circles that