The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-07-10
W. A. MORGAN, Secretary.
MR.. JOHN DAVIS ON THE FOURTH OF
JULY.

Mr.. JOHN DAVIS on THE FOURTH OF
JULY.
We surrender large portion of our
space this week to the address OF Hon.
John Davis ut the Changers celebra-
ton on the 9TH. We do this not on ac-
count of the intrinsic merit OF the ad-
dress, but because Mr.. Davis is in some
sort Il leader of what may be termed
the "new movement in politics-with
many features of which we have al
ways had and expressed warm sympa-
thy-and because we suppose IL to be
statement of one side OF the Issue,
which many persons will accept and
by which they will abide as 10 their
future action.
perusal of Mr.. Davis speech will
show that he has but two planks In his
platform-opposition 10 national banks
and railroads-and that to these two
agencies he attributes all the ills he
pictures to as as now being undergone
by the people. The rule of Queen
Elizabeth or of the plantation overseer
were gentle dealings compared to that
which the great mass of the people now
endure, according to Mr.. Davis. Are
the taxes high? Mr.. Davis eliminates
all the other factors and says the ma
tional banks and the railroads are re-
sponsible for the whole ~ it; and so
of every grievance, social, mate rial,
political; these two agencies are their
source and support. Elections arc a
iarce, and Congress courts and legis-
latures are but the corrupt Instruments
of still more corrupt power, welded
by the national banks and the rail-
roads. Is there labor strike in a
shoe factory of an obscure village
The banks and the railroads are the
direct agencies which rendered it in
evitable; and so everywhere the
American people, rejoicing in IA Re-
publican government and the free ex-
ercise of the elective franchise, are but
puppets In the hands OF these two
monopolies. Freedom exists only in
name, and slavery, CALLING and in
vincible, embraces all within its grasp.
We have had something to say about
national banks and railroads hereto
fore, and our views are well known.
That both are in some sort monopclies
We freely admit, and we have advocat-
ed and still advocate such a regulation
of their functions as shall make them
In accord with the wishes and in
terests of the people. We have earn
estly advocated Tree banking and our
hesitation to taking the additional step
and advocating the abolition of ma
tional bank circulation altogether and
the substitution of greenbacks there
for, has arisen from a fear that it was
but the first step to the concentration |
OF a power in the hands of the govern
ment which would gradually but sure
ly tend to despotism. Our fears in |
this direction have been strengthened |
by the fact that most of the spokesman |
of the "new movement have been |
the l0udest advocates of national rail- !
roads and telegraphs; and Mr.. John
Davis himself, in a speech delivered |
before the Lyon County Agricultural
Society last fall, and which we pub |
lished, advocated at length the build |
ing, by the government, OF railroads, |
and referring to the corruption that |
had characterized the building of the |
two Pacific roads, said, in substance, |
that the stealing of forty millions of |
dollars was mere bagatelle compared |
with the vast benefits that grew ont OF |
the construction OF these roads; and it |
has been perfectly evident that a large |
number of those who have succeeded |
in most fully impreSsing themselves !
upon the Grange party and controll-
ing Its policy, are mere theorists, and |
whose sole remedy for breaking down |
existing monopoiies has been to create
greater ones; and these have been |
supplemented by still more danger
Gus class who are really nothing hut |
Destructives, and who but lily disguise /
their sympathy with the doctrines OF |
the Paris Commune. Mr.. John DaYis,
though ut heart u good man, and capa-
BILE of better things, combines both
these elements. He would concen-
trate all power In the hands OF the
government, oblivious of the fact that
corruption in Congress and all the de-
partnlents has increased in direct ra-
ito with the increase OF government
expenditure; and would also abridge
the natural liberty of the citizen and
destroy the incentive to labor by prac-
tically forbidding any person to have
as his own over twenty thousand dol
lars. The logical sequence OF this
would he to further declare that no
man should ever outshine his fellows
in any department of human effort,
and thus we should have set up for
every man government straight
Jacket and an odious and degrading gov
ernnient surveillance over the private
affairs of every citizen. Taking Mr.. Da-
Wis statement of the ills we now endur-
as being correct aud still they are tame
compared W it'll those he would ask ns
to fly to.
But Mr.. Davis overdraws the pic
ture. 1t is true there Is corruption,
taxes are high, there are derange-
ments of financial matters, and the
millehium is an indefinite distance in
the future. But the disease is not so
bad that remedy cannot easily be
applied, and If the people go about it |
intelllgently and In good bumOr we
shall witness Improvement steady but
gradual without any of the lurid sur
roundings which Mr.. Davis unhappy