The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-01-13
THE SIGNS OF REVOL UTION-
FOREWARNED FOREIRMED.

That the tendency OF things is toward
a terrible revolution in this country at
no distant day should be evident to every
thinking mind. Forewarned is some
times forearmed. II the student of his
tory will permit his learning to influence
his opinions and not permit seltishness
to destroy his candor, he will see clearly
to what we are tending.
Among the causes that are inevitably
leading to the revolution we may men,
tion the following:
/. Increase in the proportional number
OF the ignorant, vicious and debased,
2. Diminution Of the relative strength
of the middle class.
8, Increase of the wealth, avarice and
power of the few.
If this is the tendency of things no one
can hope for very long lite to our institu-
tions with all the liberties they now Sc
cure to the people. That such is the ten
dency no one can deny. Are not the
rich ten-fold richer than they were twen-
ty years ago? Are not millionaires now
thousand two decades ago? Are not the
rich growing richer at far greater ratio
than the increase ofpopulation?
On the other hand, are not the poor
relatively poorer than they were twenty
years ago? Is there not lower'drop of
ignorance and baseness than there was
then? Ale we not having fourth-class
more and more distinctly marked? Fifty
years ago there was not enough of the
F.. "upper'' class to be considered in the
count. All were so nearly equal that,
as compared with the present,
they were scarcely distinguishable into
rich and poor. Then no one could raise
the question of the permancy OF our lib
critics. The only source of apprehension
was Southern slavery. In the South
there never was middle class. The
three classes were the slayeholders, the
poor whites, and the black slaves. How
dangerous such division of the people
was every one knows from the terrible
crisis of the rebellion.
At present we have four classes dis
tinctly marked:
/. The aristocracy.
2. The middle class.
3. The virtuous poor.
4. The ignorant, vicious and debased.
The fourth class has been fully estab-
lished during the past twenty-five years.
1t has received the following accessions:
l. Too large proportion of the lowest
class of foreigners that have come from
Europe.
2. One-half OF the four millions Of me-
groes who were formerly slaves.
8. The importation Of Coolies from
China. Z.
A. A class of Americans pressed to the
very bottom of baseness by the influence
and competition OF the mass of imported
and emancipated ignorance and base
ness.
This fourth class will inevitably in
crease at a far greater ratio than the
population if all the present causes shall
be continued in their existing force. Or
the other hand, the wealth and power o
the Aristocracy will correspondingly in
crease. The middle class and the class
> of intelligent and virtuous poor are
growing comparatively weaker and less
influential in our society and politics.
Great questions will inevitably arise
between the producing classes and the
aristocracy. On which side will be ar
rayed the fourth class? They will sup
port those who viii give them the mos
money and afford them themeans Of de
baucbery.
The effect of princely liberality upor
the rabble is illustrated in Antony's ora
tion over the assassinated Cesar: