The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-09-13
C Re S A r I S vi

1eSsOr sBs H. fha1nlltOn WhcOXs
At meeting Of the Liberal Club, held last
evening at their rooms In Plimpton Building,
Professor J. K Hamilton Wilcox read very inter
estinR paper on 'C9sarism."
He said that some four years ago. in the hearing
Of many OF those present. he had declared that this
country was rapidly drifting into despotism and
that there was no remedy by which the impending
evil could be avoided, except by widespread dis
cpssion, that the people might be enlightened as to
their danger. Eleven years ago Wendell Phillips
prophesied that would end in the overthrow Of
the rebellion, and that slavery would be
abolished, but he also foresaw that there
would then arise another war, OF different
kind, against the growing despotism Of the
military leaders. Professor Draper was also
among the great minds that foresaw the tendency
inherent in the laws Of the United States toward
concentration Of power. But the question now
was whether our future was to be worked out
under liberty or under despotism, under the wisest
and best men or under the intriguer and the thief.
Every land that had heretofore run Its course had
chosen to be ruled by despotlsm. Our young ma
ton had now to choose between liberty or thral-
dom, and in arriving at decision the rising lener
alton had large part to play. He rejOiced that so
able and powerful q journal as the NEW YORK
HERALD had spread open its columns to the dis
cussion Of this momentOus question. Great as had
been the achievements OF that journal in the past.
its present exposition ofthe peoples rights and its
championship Of the peoples liberties, in
the manner in which 1t has unfolded
this subject before the country was the
risen above being the recorder ofevents happening
In every quarter OF the globe, and at once became
e h fSe 1T
can citizen. But there was an error In the minds
OF some in regard to the character Of julius Cesar
cvNip 1lv oftn
He was q man in whom the people believed. 1t
was from those who succeeded Cesar that Rome
n t H than ring
together political factions and by cunning artiace
of mean talent to seize upon the government OF
100, ZOO OF people. Shall the power which the
people of this country voluntarily placed In
the hands or Abraham Lincoln ever descend
ago one Of the ablest thinkers Of America declared
in his (the speaker's) hearing that q monarchy was
inevitable IN this country. Some few years ago
that We here were drifting into monarchy. Last
election, when 80 600 voters refused to 60 to the
ea in 6e the
speaker) had based his plea for woman's suffrage
on this very idea that despotlsm was impending
over us; aud from that time to the present he had
been seeking to ventilate the subject There were
certain subjects which social science had demon
strated, and one of them was this, that improper
powers lodged in the hands of rulers tended to
concentrate power into the hands OF the few
to be- oun msS IN tho a was
Credit Mobiiier, take years to bring 1t to light.
Hence it was the duty Of all who knew OF these
things to expose them whenever willing audience
could be found to hear them. They were no mere
fantasies; they were stern facts, which could not
ana ought Ta there In
hidden In secret places, wise men knew; that they
were waiting only for an 10 NC aa,d
a Should TSr % his %ss atS HSsa comp
and by persistence, to expose each and every little
OF evidence that could help In protecting the
hundred years ago we dropped away
cr6m Britain. We took everything with us except
the King. the elements renamed with Wit US which
centration OF power under discussion. Elements
were still growing up about us, aiding in the hostile
lege himself always absolutely unfit to rule, was
an adherent Of the despetic cause-fOr they were
ell IS Gr sS 8 a h EsT ena
for they had never got rid OF the ignorant preiu-
dices OF their early liie But, more Important than
ignored as not belonging to the present age.
Young men, deeply learned, OF course, in the lore
Of 1000 wears ago, believed That they understood
only knew what they had learned at school. Again,
our church system, as we found 1t now
had strong influence toward cOncentra-
ton Even the very management OF our household
SD far from checking IL, presupposed that concen
traton was cardinal virtue. But, perhaps, most
jorities. Every one Of US knew about this, and felt
how perfectly pOwerless were the minority IN
presence OF theedct OF the majority But 1t should
be proclaimed and demanded that there were some
things too sacred even for the majority to spOiate;
there were some things which, even TO the ma
jority, it was an outrage to think of furnishing
with their political touch.
The speaker then proceeded, in o very clear and
able manner, to point out how, in almost every de-
partment Of government, there was tendency
toward concentration, touching upon the practices
OF oice-holders, the system OF patronage In vogue
the evils that resulted from the legislative corrup
ton relative to street railroads. the patent system
"gerrymandering,n the canal system, the public
school system, the Post once Department., the
Indians the late war, and then reviewing briefly
the result OF all these efforts al concentration and
showing that despotism should necessarily be
their elimination Finally, he said that nothing
was to be feared from President Grant, hut that
the peoples voice should most Enthusiastically be
heard as to the term and the position OF mis- sue
Cessor.
An interesting discussion followed Professor
wilcox's lecture, in which several members Of the