The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-03-20
OUR PRIVILEGED CLASS.
[sew York Christian Advocated

+
men over ali others. Under tn
mistaken idea OF regulating a pal
pable evil, legislation puts into tn
hands of the few the privilege 0
traffic in q single commodit,
which perhaps, surpasses any 9th
er branch Of trade or commerce
We have really an oligarchy. I
is . money power. It is compos
ed of some three or four hundred
Thousand men. The business il
represented by thousands of mil
lions OF dollars and yields q prof
Of some hundreds Of millions an
nually to a limited number o
men, who claim protection from
unlicensed competition.
A recent writer has estimated
the liquor business OF the United
States to represent more capita
than all the railroads, wooden, cot
ton, iron and steel manufactures
all the books and newspaper estab
lishments and sugar refneries, o.
the country together. If this bC
true, we can readily perceive the
immense monetary power of the
business. An oligArchy built OF
such . money basis as this is fal
more to be dreaded than any arts
tOcracy OF kingly lands. We
have no patents Of nobility here
we give no titles OF dukes, OIL
counts, or earls; yet we have
made . privileged class.
Every other branch of trade
regulates itself. The liquor traffic
with the largest capital, claims
and holds peculiar privileges by
law. So to speak, it is the pet
trade of the country. The recent
panic has gone among the railroad
kings. Their thrones have tremb
led. Some Of them have fallen
How with the liquor lords? Does
the panic rock the foundations OF
our richest monopoly? Quick sales
immense profits, no credit; the
business knows no panic. Jay
Cooke may dismiss his servants
and retrench his magnificent do.
mestic establishment; but We
have not heard of the princess Of
the rum trade doing this yet.
1t is said of the Grand Union
Hotel Of Saratoga that its fashion
able drink trade lie two hundred
thousand dollars annually. The
profit OF this trade is perhaps not
less than one hundred per cent
This is a privileged trade. 1t is
made far more lucrative because
the law limits the number of those
who shall share the gains of the
trade. In Saratoga the authOri-
ties do not say how many men
shall sell hats, or shoes, or silks
or gloves. In any town one mar
may have the -four trade, or it may
be shared by q dozen. A village
may have one or ten physicians
the hygienic wants of the place
must determine that. 1t would
be absurd for Government to pro
vide for US our bakers, our black
smiths, our teachers and our min
listers. We think we know enough
to adjust our own business mat
tiers without the help Of the State
It would be just as reasonable fol
the State to dedicate the number
of lawyers necessary for the 10
cal wants of the country as TO
the authorities to decide as to the
number of men who shall attend
to the drinking wants of a com
munity. These men pay for theil
privileges. 1t is but q paltry
1.-THE. What they pay in pence
comes to their Golfers in pounds
The better their pay the poorel
are the profits of the butcher an(
the grocer. This is the pirate o
trades. The rum palaces with teS
selate floors and stucco ceiling
means q hundred squalid home
with bare floors and dingy walls
The gorgeous liquor saloon mean
the wasting energies and declin
ing business of the merchants
professional men, and citizens VIII,
sit boisterously around their ia
bles at midnight.
Our privileged class keeps u
awake at night by the riots i
causes in the streets. It send
loathsome and drooling victim
into the cars where we sit, TO Of
fend our ears and sicken our heart
with q nuisance more intolerabl
than che garbage of the street:
We have all repeatedly seen a ca
full OF ladies and gentlemen CON
PEELED TO see and hear the mos
disguting exhibitions OF BARRON
work. Our privileged class aim
r to become the dominant class. ]
has already millions OF its unhol
gains consecrated to base politics
purposes. The cancels nose is q
ready in our tent; yea, the an
mails body is more than half il
! We are allowing this class to Fl
? its Golfers to imperil our future
! and to contest our republica
D rights. This traffic in its emolr
> ments and privileges is anti-Amel
lican. and the time is near at han
when it is TO assert itself in res
ing the moral convictions and sen
timents OF the good men Of tn
. country. Our danger from th
. traffic is much Of it political. A
:. ready We see the marshaling {
. the rum power to repeal some {
the good laws We have. We haV
strong indications Of q liquor pa
y ty in this country. The late elet
h ton has shown US that the daI
: Igers Of the traffic will call me
: by the hundreds from the bosO
a Of the old parties to the rescue
!, the trade.
. Our privileged class is to be
!, political power. The despOtis
: Of this new oligarchy is not less
). be feared than its giant predece
q sor, slavery. It is equally ami
n tious. 1t is altogether unscrup
o Ious. Some Of the slaxeholde
IF did pretend to religion. II
drink lords are no Worshipers
. the true and living God. Tn
e are not patrons Of churches. Th'
y are irreligious, of necessity. The
y business is the great bar
Of Christ's kingdom among me
J. The question rises; the agitati'
be assumes an exciting form. Fro
~ the Preside to the synod and {
A. conference it has become an 4
ae sorbing topic.
Us We would not be at variau
- with the drinksellers as me
n They now have the advantage
~ US. Privileges have been conferr
on upon them that sndanger q
all weaken other classes. As Ii
he grow rich they will grow tyran
On cal and proud. Their monept
m cannot always live on republic
,E- soil. It is at war with our citiz