The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-10-12
The -Anti-AGonOpo1iSt.

band of outlaws, proclaimed and prac'
ticed equality. A tract of seven acres
was assigned to each citizen, which he
cultivated himself. HE was not a gooC
citizen" said the crater Curtius. ''tha1
was not to be contented with seven acres
of land" They would have hanged
out friend Dalrymple ia that day. But
in little while the work of agriculture
was handed over to bondmen and The
Roman devoted himself to politics AMI
war.
But the conquests OF the Mortimer and
the establishment of the feudal system
depressed the agriculturists of Europe to
level still lower than that of the Roman
bondmen. In France the fine for kill
ing farmer and killing pheasant was
the same. In England the sert was sold
I with the land. If the estate was sold by
the landlord they not only passed with
it, but they were obliged to give up their
standing crops without compensation.
They were liable for the debts OF the
landlord to the value OF all they had.
The landlord could take the entire crop
| for rent if he choose to do SO. Their
houses were inferior to the novels OF the
cattle; their whole condition was on a
par with that of their oxen Neither
| their poor tools nor their children we're
safe from the exactions OF their masters
the very bride at the alter.could be tax
en- from the arms CT the bridegroom
And it is startling to think that serfs
continued to exist in England down to
the time OF Henry VIII. Nay, more,
the wockmen in some OF the mines OF
Scotland remained practically serfs down
to the date OF our own great revolution,
an their services were sold with the
mine. An act of parliament was passed
May %, 1875. the preamble of which
read.
"Whereas. many Golfers coal bearers
and salters in Scotland are in state OF
slavery or bondage, bound to the collier
les and salt works, where they work for
life, and are sold with the mines." &c. !;
and the act then proceeds to manumit
them.
This was one hundred an0 one years
ago. Still later, the corree, a system of
sert labor, without compensation, cons
tinued to exist among the peasantry OF
France, and it was not until the great
French revolution that it was abolished.
And when 1t was abolished the Prince
de Cont refused to vote for the bill be-
cause lit would remove from the brow
of the plebian the original mark of SER
vitude"
The results of the increase OF the world
in power. luxury and vice will be to-day
what they were in the old Roman day.
The principles OF equality which were
natural enough among the ancient Latin
band OF outlaws and cutthroats. gave way
AS wealth accumulated in the hands OF
the few and the many were reduced to
bondage, and forced to earn bread not
only for themselves, but for their mas
tiers. The principles of equality which
were natural to the poor mechanics as
farmers who tlocked to this country to
found the colonies OF the Atlantic coast.
and which. in great burst of enthusi-
asm, were crystalized into our Declara>
alton of Independence and our national
constitution, ARE now being subjected to a
silent, powerful and increasing strain.
If they break under that strain
the agriculturist of America will soon
repeat the sad experience of their breth>
rem in all ages and all lands.
| It is an anomaly that the. man who
holds the plough should govern. Here
totore the man on horseback has govern
ed, and the hind has fed him while he
fought. Nothing was honorable but
courage and blood and wounds. The
Younger brothers are fair type OF the
men who ruled the world few hundred
years ago. The Youngers have simply
come upon the stage in the wrong age.
1t was just such ruffians as these that
followed William of Normandy into
England and Rollo into France. If the
heroes of Northtield had lived lie W
centuries ago they would have been
barons, and owned whole counties, and
their posterity would to-day rank with
the Percys and the Towards, and flash
in bewildering state upon the vision OF
common men. But now the emancipat-
ed serf hunts the quasi-baron into a
swampand shoots him.
But the only thing that to-day keeps
the man who drives the plough from be :
ing ridden over by the man who rides
the horse. is the ballot. This curious
and ancient device, used in GREECE with
pebbles and beans. and in Rome with
oyster>shells. is symbol of individual
ity. The will. the opinions, the heart oil
the men who votes is in the box with
the ballot. and to count the ballots is to
count the men. 1t is public opinions,
melted down in its own crucible, into 8
white precipitate which is either medi-
cine or poison. life or death for society
4 And whether it shall be life or death
depends upon how wisely the mar
thinks. who votes; and he cannot think
wisely il he does not think intelligently
and he cannot think intelligently without
that broad knowledge of facts which ed
ucaaion alone can give.
i Remeber then, re who held the plough
handles. that as soon as you stop to think
you stop to govern: and as soon IS vo,
stop to govern you are governed; 70,
enter upon descending path that lead
to the profoundest degradation. Tha
way death lies.
A few words. in conclusion, OF loca
character:
We have moved in here to occupy