The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-05-23

100 plainly proven susceptibility to bribery
by the men whose supposed purity had
made them our petted idols. "Monfy an
swereth all things" said Solomon. kcan,
at least, shape legislation, as we krrg to
our cost. Oakes Ames knew this, or he
would not have used it, as he did
That some of the great railroads Of the
country-creatures of legislation--a are be-
coming so powerful as to largely and cor
ruptly influence legislation, is therefore, we
consider, well known. 1t is believed too.
that their bride money and patronage have,
in some instances-we hope but few-soil-
cd The ermlne of judicial integrity. And
should these fountains of law and irs,ice
become widely corrupted, the condition of
our country will be doplorable. bcvond u,o
power of language to tell Great, irrospon.
siblc corporations, will rule lis and become
our ruin. Combining and acting in con-
cert, they will hold the price of every
mans farm and shop as well as food and
fuel, in their exclusive control. And it is
because of their eXtortions now, that corn
needed for food for man and beast in the
| Atlantic States is burned for fuel in Iowa
and Illinois. This crushing monopoly can
only be prevented by honest and intell-
gent legislative supervision over freight and
passenger rates, and by opening up new
and efficient competing lines from east to
west.
To come directly home, Vermont, and
especially Rntland county, need to-day,
and will need for all time, cheap freights.
| We have immense quantities of marble and
slate to sell, and we have very considera-
bic portion of our food and fuel, as well as
many other things to buy. And we should
not be placed at the mercy of one or two
railroads, nor be confined to one mode of
transportation, TO take to distant markets
what we are glad to sell, and bring to our
selves what we are compelled to buy. IN
stead of one road going to or passing near
our principal Quarries, we should have sew
eral, and instead of depending alone on
iron rails and wheels, we should have our
canal and canal boats to aid us in our great
industries.
Monopolies are dangerous power, even
when welded by men who, as individuals,
would wish to do right For the men who
pull the wires of corporations as presi
dents, directors and superintendent, will
often find excuse to do acts of injustice
which as individuals they would shudder tC
contemplate They somehow divest them
selves of the idea of personal and indiyid
: ual accountability, and so the saying tina
corporations have no bodies to be kicket
or souls to be damned" has passed into
proverb. All power in human hands i
liable to be abused, especially when the in
dividual is ignored, and might hides safel
/ rights" Though created, indeed, ostcns
j bly, for the public good, monopolies b
come not unfrequently public evi
Il Created to develop and diffuse wealth, y
u under the workings of " the ring" they o
ten paralyze industry, and draw the har
o earned money of those who do the worlt
C work into the Golfers of the Fisks, Drew
e Goulds, Scots and Vanderbilts of the tim
II Labor tolls and swcats- trade buys al
VI sclls-the furnace fires glow and melt-tl
l. ouarryman drills and blasts-the miner fl
down in the bowels of the earth, picks an
$ shovcls-the farmer plows and hoes, an
" wealth is the result; and yet the lion
p share of the profits of all this toll goes int
8 the pockets of the few.
= Would it be good plan Oet us ask
l. conclusion) to have only one man to sell
L Lis own price all the butchers meat f,
k Rutland? One man to sell us at his ow
d figures all our groceries? One man to sc
g all the shoes we need on his own term
= and another to furnish at his own price a
h the cotton cloth we want ? And yet sue
/ monopoles are just as right in principl
n and far less evil in practice than man
u others established ostensibly for the publ
y good, but really for private benefit, at Il
e expense of that people by whose authori
/ they exist, and who have only to speak Il
word and they perish forever.
u Our conclusion is that monopolies a
= anti-democratic in principle, dangerous
the rights of the people, and should
IL sparingly authorized by law, and VIII
so authorized, should be subject to perre
/ ual oversight or unconditional overthrow
IL as the public good requires.
COMMERCE.