The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-02-12
Cooperation may become Monopoly.

ments, advanced civilization, elevated the
masses, and christianized the world. 1t has
populated the wilderness, built cities, con-
structed railroads, and erected telegraphs. In
its proper sense, it is the grand lever with
which all the magnificent enterprises of mod
ern times have been set in motion, by which
this century is marked ab0Ye all that have
preceded it; and it is to be the most potent OF
all the invisible moral forces for the regenera-
physical agencies around us, which, while to q
certain extent the most useful and obedient of
our servants, do sometimes become our very
masters in their mighty omnipotence, so this
same subtle principle of cooperation iscapable
of the most fatal peryersion, and from the gen.
tie handmaiden Of science and art and COM
merce may become the mad monster of mo-
nopoly and the red devil of communism.
Already we see the beginning of the end of
this sad misapplication of q true principle
amongst US. On one hand, the giant of capi-
talized corporations, whose bloated body stands
with upIifted club at the very door of the halls
of our, national legislature to strike down any
opposing victim on the other, the red flag of
reppublicanism haunted in our very faces with
the hoarse cry of 9E'bread or blood" This is
corporation run mad, the burning sun full
glare upon the uplifted eye, the lurid lightning
rifting the proud monarch of the, forest, the
treacherous ro-glycerine rending the noun
tain side So powerful for evil may become
the most useful of principles. ........ ....:
Society is constructed and maintained upon
this same principle of cooperation. Rightly
constructed, it means that harmonious diversity
of interests which permits the growth and
culture of the people in all that is good and
beautiful and true. 1t recognizes the plain
fact that nature everywhere teaches of the in
Vulnerable multiplicity of different processes,
all orderly working together for the accom-
plishment of the same grand end. And so long
as this fact is put into practical operation in the
conduct of all our temporal affairs, so long is
society harmoniously and properly co-opera-
ting to its own upbuilding and advancement
These views we believe to be incentroyertible,
and may be taken as a proper basis upon which
to settle all the difficulties which, from time to
time, have arisen in the different classes OF So
question which has come before us for consider
alton. The experience of centuries has taught
US that no civilized man, or set of men, can
undertake successfully to monopolize the cul-
tivation of the soil, the movement of its pro-
ducts, the manufacture of raw materials, or the
trade and traffic of the country. The most
noted attempts at such monopolies the world
has ever seen, those of the British and Dutch
Governments in the East Indies, sustained by
the power and prestige of their respective
nationalities, are fast failing before the accu-
mulating enlightenment and knowledge of the
age, and never could have had any success
except amongst civilized communities. But
this is exactly, on small scale, what is being
attempted in this country, with greater or less
success. Railroads have combined to main
tain high freight rates, and with the power of
vested rights and unlimited monetary resources,
are making desperate effort to, sustain their
monopoly. It must ultimately fail, because it
is not in harmony with the greatest good, and
the railroads be again brought down to their
legitimate and proper position in the grand
scheme Of the worlds progress. Farmers,
feeling the effects of inharmopious; action OF
the railroads, and perhaps of other disjointed
machinery, organize to bring back healthy
and normal condition of things, and in doing
that they will be successful, and we wish them
God speed. They shall have our earnest co.
attempt to do towards another class of men
that of which they complain against the rail-
roads they too become a monopoly, and we
condelen them as earnestly and frankly as we
do the railroads. The grangers have made a
mistake in this matter. They forget that. q
true corporation is that which recognizes the
proper correlation of the four great fnndament-
al classes that compose the whole body of pro-
ducers, namely, the agricultural, manufacturing,
mining and commercial, and that whatever
effort they make beyond the preservation of
this proper relationship itself becomes oppres-
sion. When, therefore, they leave their own
chosen sphere and organize forces to, monopo-
lie the proper functions of either of the other
classes they become nlonopolists themselves to
all intents and purposes: Whenever they
encourage the formation of ring or syndicate
Of merchants in Chicago or elsewhere to supply
the grangers with goods Of all kinds, they place
themselves in direct opposition to the best
interests of the commercial community at
large, and it will most certainly react to their
own injury. To bring the matter more directly
to an example, whenever community organ
ICES itself into corporation for the establish
ment of one single mammoth joint stock con-
cern call it q Civil Service store, as IN London,
or so-called Cooperative store as in Kent,
Ohio, it as much as says, we intend to monopo-
lize the entire business of this town and to
drive every other business house out of it. 1t
is utterly wrong in principle and must ultl-
mately fail in practice. The inevitable result
of such policy is to destroy all proper har-
m0nlOuS cO-OpelaGlon Gnu W eotaoAion VIZ uio's
odious monopoly, for, like most such joint
stock concerns founded upon soclalistic idea
of a common pecuniary advantage, few lead
ing spirits reap all the cash and leave to their
miserable dupes lot of worthless STOCK certtf-
Gates: they take the wheat and leave the straw
and stubble to their unwilling victims. Such
has been the result of effort after effort of this
kind in England aad in this country, and will
continue to be as long as poor human nature is
as it is. awe are all poor critters at best"
And after all, the advantages thought to be-
gained by such enterprises are more imaginary
than real, and are more than counterbalanced
by the evil produced: That healthy competi-
ton which is the very antidote to monopoly,
that local pride and love of town which is the
strongest incentive to growth and improve
ment, are all crushed out by the terrible car of
this terrible Juggernaut.