The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-06-17
fTHe ALsIIsurY DOsEAn.


the deep foupdations Of new State in the
New World, they sought 10 avoid the three
fold curse under which outEDrn Europe
groaned-theocracy, aristocracy and mon
archy. They brought the sword, but they
loved better the axe and the pIoE-tyPes
OF toll and co operative freedom. For the
mass book they had the Bible, and for the
inqufntion the printing press. The freight
with which they sailed was more preeiOus
than they knew, for humanity came in the
same ship. They had the love of personal
INSTRUMENTATION fenced sll round with
law, native in all Teutonic veins, and the
Unborn skill 10 organize rivers to mills, men
70 community, tribes to federated State
They had the habit of local self-govern-
ment, of legislation by the people, and Of
congregational Protestantism--the democ-
racy Of Christianity. They did not rever-
ence the old traditions of Europe-the rule
Of the noble, the priest and the king, with
the right, thence derived, to govern men
against their viii in church and State.
They wanted no monarch ruling by Divine
right, but only a Governor chosen by
themselves at their yearly meeting; no no
bles privileged by the accident of birth,
but the same law serving for alli no priest
belonging to a separate and sacred caste,
but only minister chosen by the laymen's
votes, paid By their ffee-will offerings, and
removable at their will All are men, and
manhood carries with it all human rights,
as land the crops. Few men of the ruling
classes sailed with the colonists. Mon
archy, nobility, prelacy, did not emigrate
it was the epoopIe who came over. Thus the
three bad institutions of Europe failed to
take root in the American State. The old
tbeocracy has gone out of the church !;
monarchy has no hold upon the conscious
ness of the people; aristocracy has had her
heart pierced through end through by the
gigantic spear of American industry,
mounted on the steam engine. The New
World broke with the Old, once and for
ever.
But power, like the fabled chain of Apos-
tolic succession, is never left without pos
SCISSOR. When it fell from the hands of the
priest, the noble and the king, it passed to
the hands of the capitalists. Money has
taken the place Of all three. 1t wields the
triple power of those three old masters.
1t is the almighty dollar. In America
money Is power, the only permanent and
ransmissable power. It has become an in
stItution- master of all the rest. In the
church the millionaire is always a saint; in
society he is always genteel. Productive
Nctivity is deemed glory, and riches its
,esult, the greatest Of all mere personal dis
tinctions The tools are for those who can
handle them. No country ever grew rich
so fast; in none had wealth. ever such pow
sr, or was so esteemed. The majority fol-
low the dollar wherever it rolls. It's clnk
is the reueille, the morning drum-beat for
the masses. In one thing, at least, the
church is like the New Jerusalem, its pave
ment is ''of fine gold. . ''To be rich is the
kingdom of heaven, poverty is damnation, ("
is the popular creed Were the "Son of
Man" to appear in America, his followers
would subscribe for him a pecuniary testi-
monial, that he might become rich and re-
spectacle. Once man cnt his fms ers with
iros, l.o now bruises them with gold. This
exceeding desire for riches makes money
master, and human nature its servant and
tool. M r5
Yet we do not regret this tendency. It
comes uuavoidably from our position, and
our free institutions. 1t belongs to, the pc
riod of transition from the old forms of
European rule, to the self-government of
an industrial State. It is the first CONNER
cial result of the rapid Development Of free
dom and education on grand scale. The
aequisitive faculties feel the novel stimulus
and goad the energies of the people to the
conquest of outward nature. An alb
sorbing materialism is the first result.
One day this win be outgrown, and Amer
lea will be eminent for the noblest and
highest virtues as she now is for money
getting. The first tangible result of uni
versal education and freedom is that the
head briefly performs the else long pro
tracted labor of the hand. Wind, water,
fire, steam, lightning become the plant
forces of its will, and thus double a hun
dred-told our pecuniary momentum. One
of the great things which maUkind most
needs is power over che material world as
the basis for the development of the higher
faculties Wealth is indispensable; it is
the material pulp around the spiritual seed.
No nation was ever too rich. The great
foe to .humaa progress is poverty, Wealth
is the ladder whereby we can scale the
heavens Of manhood; under its Invitations
we have made such rapid advance as no
nation ever made. No people was ever so
well clothed and fed, housed and COM
forted. Such a homestead never lay out
OF doors before. We can plan, control.
administer material means Tor material ends
as no nation has ever done. We can organ
ize things into machines, ships, mills, and
men into States and Unions. when this
work Of the conquest Of nature to the
service Of man is well advanced, we shall
rise TO higher aims. and begin to understand
tnat the-s ss-s. lA.s iaf God which directs the
cIink Of every coin; il cannot ron except
by the Eternal Laws Thenlshs almighty
dollar Wlll bow before the behests of those
higher potentates the conscience, the SEN
timents Of justice and brotherhood, and
che spiritual nature Of man; and to the
power Of numbers and gold, the nation win
add the power Of fesson and Of righteous.
ness: which IS the power Of God.
rnk D0OG o. AUsTIN.
The sEArEsitAx has persistsnsly de