The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1873-05-01
NJ Tarners' Nsyenest.
BIZ A SALINE COUNTY YARMH9.

greatest problem of modern times. To
its calculation will, of necessity, be
brought the highest talent in the nation.
The profoundest intellect and the most
matared wisdom Of our political ccono-
mists will, per force. be called into the
controversy. The great question 1t is
sue will not "down" II the bidding of
any man, or set of men, but-hke the
old slavery question-will continually
press itself upon the country and the
government until it is settled, and set
tied Justly. The main question is, "shall
confederated capital, or the people con-
troll this nation p All othcr questions,
oil other topics. all other objects are but
side issues which surround this great
vital question.
Elihu Barritt, in series of we'll con-
sidered articles published IN the N. Y.
Isdepesdest, three years ago, says OF one
of the parties in this great controversy !:
"These allied powers of capital threat
en- to get the mastery of our national
government. They threaten to turn
our republic into ring-public. I"
Little by little these great railway
rings are COMPRISING our national and
state legislatures with their almost re-
sistless political and money power,
squcezing out of them grant after grant
Of the public domain,o or the endorsement
of their bonds. They can outbid our
national government in the command
of talent 10 advance their wealth and
power. With the fertile pasturage of
the public domain and public securities
for their interests to feed upon, they can
we'll afford to pay an astute man larg-
or salary than the President Of the
United States receives. They can draw
into their services out of the most hon
orable positions in the nations gilt
statesmen, ministers ut foreign courts
and lawyers of tho highest distinction.
They can throw their lasso Of gilded silk
around judges on the bench-even, it
10 said or feared, around some of the
grave and reverend seigniory Of the Su-
prone Court at Washington. They can
subsidizc public journals by hundreds in
their behalf. They can and do organize
and employ lobby for,e in the antc-
room Of Congress, and of every state
Legislature in the union, the like Of
which, for demoralizing influence, was
never seen in any civilized country"
Thus is described one of the contend
ing forces in the struggle which is just
commencing, by one of the ablest of
writcrs. Concentrated capital: sOulless,
Invested of every spark of humanity,
personality, feelins-grasping and mer.
ciless-and yet by the mere force of
gold, and gold alone, enlisting in its be-
half the kecnest intellects and subtlest
talent of the nation, on one side; and
on the other millions of human beings
with souls and bodies, sensibilities, feel.
ings, bones, sinews, muscles, blood,
hearts that throb with joy or sorrow,
and are keenly alive to every demand
of humanity: capital, but diffused and
invested in homes for families, cattle,
sheep, horses, plows, reapers and thresh-
ers and such appliances as, aided BY
brains and muscle, make q nations liv-
ing-not concentrated and available in
an emergency, but always taxable, al
ways ut the mercy of the assessor and
collector, who annually draw from him
tho revenue that supports tho very men
who legislate against it.
This is the status of the two great con-
tending forces in the impending conflict.
The ono powerful in gold, concentrated
and available, intrenched in special leg
islation, and Differed by the best talent
money can procure. The other power
full in numbers and in the business OF
their cause, but without concentrated
and available capital, without organize
ton or single well-defined purpose or
. well-known trusted leader. Does it
need any gift of prophecy to forsee that
ono or two Bull Run disasters will be
likely to follow in the first clash Of arms!
Illinois has met with most signal de-
feat In her first brush with the enemy,
but such defeats are necessary to awaken
the people to sense Of the situation. ]
expect to see the monopolies victorious
IN nearly every engagement during the
first year of this war. l expect to sec
the farmers routed "horse, foot and
dragon" at every turn in the fight until
they como to know and understand the
nature and power of their foe; and that
only by . concentration of their full
force in q single, well-defned plan of
action can they hope to succeed. Near
~ all of our farmers conventions As yet
seem inclined to dodge the great main
question, As if afraid to grapple with the
enemy, or blindly hoping some way
may be devised to remedy existing evils
bat the right way.
When We sought to put down tho
great rebellion, We went into the war
not to kill slavery, but to whip our
brothers back into the union with the |
great cause intact, with all its powers tor |
evil unharmed, and We were whipped at
overy turn, until We concluded TO kill
tho demon himself, and then We succeed
cd. And it appears to me that We ought |
now to kill the demon at the outset |
which has caused all this trouble, for
sooner or later We shall have to do it or
utterly fail in our efforts. have care
fully read and considered every argu.
mont every suggestion, every hint
pointing toward any remedy for exist.
ing evils which have been able to find
for the past four years, and have failed
to find any way pointed out by which
Ne can hope to succeed, except in Crap
ping with the arch enemy himself and |
claiming him with such legislation as |