Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-06-04
ANTI.MONOPOLY.
The Real Issue Involved i'm the Farmers
Movement.

1Acai issue lmvOlVe0 IN the FARMERS
| Movement.
[By Charles W. Greene, Editor of the National Crop
| Reporter.l
During the past two years the people of the
| United States have been agitated as never be-
fore. From the st. Lawrence to the Gulf,
] and all the way across the continent, we hear
OF strange commotion, involving all the
humber classes, and commanding the atten-
| ton of those in the higher walks Of life-as
we have become accustomed to rank the pro-
fessionals and the favored ones Of wealth.
The word has gone forth that the people must
| organize, and the command has beeen acceded
to without question as to its origin, 1t would
indeed be difficult, perhaps impossible. to de-
termine how, when, or where this idea pos
sesseS the people, so that they were already,
as by one accord, to join hands and hearts, to
touch shoulder TO shoulder, for the advance
ment of the gene raj welfare. That they were
so possessed is clearly evidenced by the spon-
| taneous response 10 the first calls made for
general conventions. These conventions were
called in the South, in the West, in the East
and in the heart of the country. Who called
them, and the immediate occasion therefor, is
q matter of so little moment that it has hardly
become matter of record. 1t would be diff
cult to establish precedence in this regard for
any locality or for any individual. Nor is it
necessary to do 30. The movement is an ad-
vancing one. The past is left behind, and
1
what? l have said for the advancement of
the general welfare. The term is q vague one,
but it probably conveys definite idea as
it is possible to express now. The work to be
done has not yet been clearly defined.
1t is not the farmers alone who are zeal
ously gathering in the workers, but mechanics
and artisans and laborers are enrolling them
| selves for the contest. The questions are
now pressing for answer, what is to be done ?
Where are our antagonists?
We are here million strong, ready and
waiting what great work are we expected to
perform? The time has arrived when the
answer must by given. Where the movement
first started we already see manifestations of
impotence. Much money and more time has
been devoted to the work of organizing, and
the results are not sufficiently apparent to
satisfy the lukewarm aud doubling ones.
| While, may not present tc you any definite
plans for further action, it will certainly not
be amiss IL review some of the causes which
have contributed to the present conditions.
Perchance slch view will suggest to your
| minds the practical answer to the questions SO
anxiously propounded.
repeat, to give it greater emphasis. that il
may safely be said that the opposition to mo.
nopoly in it's present contracted sense. was
an after-thought and that it had no part as "a :
definite purpose in promoting the earlier &C.
ton. Indeed, the impulse was not an indie.
pendent one, nor of recen. origin. This pres
ent condition of the public mind has been
reached by process of slow development
1t Is one of the successive stages in our ma
tional life in conformity to the arbitrary law Of
evolution.
Mr. Schurz. in his eloquent tribute to the
memory of Charles Sumner, referring to the
character and public services of Webster anG
Clay, says: "Such men filed the stage dur
ing that period of construction and conserva
tive national organization, dev citing the bes
efforts of their craftsmanship the statesman.
snip of the political mind, to the purpose OF
raising their country to greatness in wealth
and power, of making the people proud OF
of their nationality, and of imbedding the
Union in the contentment of prosperity in ell
tightening patriotism, national law. and con
stitutional prosperity. And whenl they drew
near their end they could boast of many
grand achievement, not indeed exclusivel,
their own, for other powerful minds had thei
share in the work. The United States stood
then among the great powers of the earth
strong and respected. The Republic had N,
foreign foe to fear, it's growth in population
and wealth, in popular intelligence ant
progressive civilization, the wonder of tn
world. There was no visible limit to it's de
velopement /; there seems to be no danger II
its integrity" 1t was just as these men step
ped from the public stage that Sumner sp
peared upon it. the embodiment of the mora
: ideas which form the only true basis of ma
tional unity. Through his unfinching int
perseverance in the work which devolved upol
him, after long protracted struggle, ending
in a sanguinary fratricidal conflict, the natio
has been liberated from the blighting incubu
of human slavery.
But we are not yet free. Human govern
ment has not yet attained perfection. Scarcel
have we overcome one stupendous evil err
| hos rod 20 hu1r ~
more threatening aspect than it's predecessor
one which pervades every locality.
The aristocracy OF concentrated wealth
which quietly assumes to usurp the preroga
tives or government, and steadily undermine
the virtue Of the public servants, is more t
J be feared than was the slavocracy of tn
South. 1t is far more threatening to the in
tegrity of our free government. It's deeds ar
of darkness. It's works are secret, and be
cause that they are so, multiplies their powe
for evil hundred-fold.
J In the infancy of the Republic, the wealth
holders, having mostly espoused the Tor
cause in the Revolution, excited no undu
influence in the conduct of public affairs
Neither had the principle of associated capita
been developed; but as the country wake,
strong and vigorous, as it expanded its inhab
tied area and filed its boundaries with tn
people and wealth of other lands, new field
were opened to enterprising wealth-seekers
ana the opportunities were not ulsregarOeO
The desire for wealth has no practical limit il
the human mind. little stimulates the ap
petite for more. 1t increases in q geomet
| rical ratio, aud, after q certain stage of &C
, emulation, the ability to hoard is great
augmented. Persistent money-making an
boarding develops selfshncss which in tur
leads naturally TO INSCRIPTIONS and dishones
dealing.
The very labors Of Clay and Webster, an
their compeers, contributed directly to tn
growth of this money-power. IL their laud
able efforts to strengthen the Republic an
D augment its wealth, they devised measure
which overshot the mark at which the
aimed.
Systems of subsidy privileges were con
ceived and arranged to promote enterprises 0
3 combined public and private character. L
. those who ventured private capital, extraor
D binary grants of special power were extended
and just here was the beginning of our pres
ent woes. That the representatives of tn
people acted in accord with the demand o
8 their constituencies, cannot be questioned
q For many years the corporations were weak
, They were composed of many indivlduals
each holding a comparatively small interest
The grants of privileges were most LIBERAL
construed by the courts, in accordance wit
the demand of public sentiment. The peopl
l themselves are clearly responsible for tn
: wrong as well as for the good features Of sue