The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-01-29
The Political Power Of CorpsratiOus.

iials and official bodies by the corrupt pow
er Of money. Having once corrupted public
officers to serve their own ends, the officers of
course remain corrupt as to all things and
continue to swiudle the people in every pos
sise form. An example in point is the
Pacific Mail Steamship company. 1t paid
seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, as
It, own books show, TO effect the passage ofa
dill through Congress giving to it ten mill
.ons Of dollars from the United States Treas
ury. And to this same system Of systematic
corruption may be traced the bad action of
| our State Legislatures for years past. First
they were corrupted 10 serve Railroad pur-
poses, chief amongst which were the sale Of
| the public works, which in itselfwas perhaps
| L proper measure, but the passage of the bill
in the case was effected by corruption of the
| most glaring and ramihed character. This
vas followed by the repeal Of the tonnage tax,
| oy means Of the boldest and most direct bri-
| oery. This was naturally succeeded by the
corruptions and recklessness incident to war
tines and the advent aud steady lease OF
power of the Republican party, built on that
| foundation AMI maintained by the prchgate
| and illegitimate Use of public and corpora
| tion money. A huge Railroad corporation
speedily came to own the Legislature and
nearly all branches Of the State government.
1t controlled at will, not only Legislatures,
| but nominating conventions, sften of both
| parties; it appointed State Treasurers and used
the money Of the people in the Treasury to
the personal profit of its officers, to carry cleo
tions by the Introduction of an immense sys-
| tenn of fraud at The ballot box it appointed
| u. 5. Senators, who became its representa-
| lives instead OF representatives of the State,
it made the accounting officers for the State
to screen its Treasury officials, and it sought
| to crush, still seeks to crush, and to a great
extent succeeds, every public man and every
| newspaper that attempts exposure or resis-
| tance. 1t aims at exclusive and (practically)
imperial power, by sitting all honest action
by public men, giving bold notice to the
Justly ambitious that they can not succeed
except by yielding to its desires and aband-
| onug all idea Of economical COVER nment. In
fact it looks upon the tax payers as the legit-
innate and most promising objects of plum
der, and it will try to crush every public man
who does not give assent to the sentiment
This powerful corporation largely makes our
Judges, our Senators, our Congressmen, our
Legislators, Governors, State officers and all
officials who have control of important pub
lie siiices-and corrupts them al.
Not only all that but it and like corpora
tisns seek to control the business, the finances
and the general interests of the lan6, as vel
as its politics and its government. They are
as powerful at Washington as at Harrisburg,
and several are there now, headed by the
President of the Pennsylvania railrsad COM
pany, impudently asking millions upon mil
lions from the Federal Trsasury while the
President of the United States is demanding
she addition of millions to the taxes of the
people to save that same Treasury from b ank-
ruptcy!
How long, oh, HOW LONG, will the people
bear this corruption, robbery, dictation and
tyranny? They crushed the Republican
party for yielding to it. Are the Democracy
to be captured in the same way and the
hopes of the people again to be dashed to
the ground? We confess we see terrible
symptoms and fear the result, especially in
our State.
Even our friends, the Grangers, the honest
farmers who control and compose that body,
when they assemble in Convention, as they
did recently at Wiliamsport with repre-
sentation said to number 1900, whose whole
interests are against monopoly control, were
kind as doves AS to any thing that might ef-
feet the great corporation. The fact is every
public body of influence is reached for and
controlled if possible, as is every single in
dividual having material influence, by these
corporations They seek to control every
thing for their own benefit, and unless they
are soon powerfully and successfully resist
ed, the whole country, with all its business
and interests, will soon be in their hands
and under their control.
1t is high time to go back to the patriotic
doctrines of Gov. Shunk-erect corporations
only for such necessary purposes az can not
be reached by individual enterprise, and
allow them only capital enough and land
enough to conduct that special business.
Whenever they undertake to meddle in po-
litical affairs let them be crushed.
As illustrative of the power of the Pen n
sylyania railroad company, we ask, what
chance have the people to resist any thing
it asks at Washington or HarrisburgY The
people have their voice, and it is powerful /;
they may protest and make a representative
tremble in his boots. But the corporation
caa take from its golfers and charge TO "rs =
pair fund, a hundred thousand dollars, or
two, three, four or five hundred thousand
and with this fund give to this Legislator
one thousand, to that five thousand, to anoth-
er ten thousand, &c, according to his i'm
pofEance or influence, and promise him all
the funds he needs TO secure his reelection
The sum is a small one to the corporation
as SIX pence to a farmer. What cares h e
then for protest or voice of people? lie ha
plenty of money and the promise of enough
more to re-elect himself lie can 90 to ever,
election district in his county and by leaving
small sums with men who viii be active il
his behalf easily rally supporters enough tc
= delegate election to secure his re-nomina
tion, and by a similar distribution befor,
election among all parties, get such vot
as to make himself appear the most popula
Of candidates. The result TO the people i
that their Interests are lost while corruption
triumphs. Beware of the "clever fellows
who spend large sums to be elected to Office
as well as of corporations!
Look to your Representatives take you
papers and see what they are dong-and pa
| perI that do not tell Won how your Renre