The daily gazette., 1877-08-29

DECEPTIVE DEnIACoaIsM.

The leaders of the Republican party In
Ohio, who have openly advocated the ex-
tremest form Of conceliating the support
OF the laboring men, are seeking to de-
lude them with expectation Of aid from
Congress. John Sherman followed the
footsteps of Stanley Matthews and Judge
West, in his recent speech, when he ex-
press ed himself in these words:
"My hope, then, is that Congress will
pass laws to establish and limit maximum
rates of freight, so that the production of
a farmer may not be in danger of con-
fiscation by exor bitant rates, that it will
limit and restrain the cutting and reduc-
ti0n of freights so as to destroy the ability
OF railroad companies to pay fair prices
for honest labor. and prevent the conf
panies from making paupers of men who
perform essential functions in commerce.
Congress may thus, by wise general laws,
control powerful corporations as the hum
blest citizens" as .A
None of the trunk lines of railroad hold
charters from Congress, and Congress has
no more to do with their business than
with the market bills of their directors.
They are chartered by the State .Legisla
among them hostile to agricultural, or to
the laboring interest, a remedy can easily
be reached by sending representative
men to the Legislatures and by other
methods which are practicable.
When the Granger movement was in
its first vigor, and threatened for time
to break through the lines of party orga-
nzation, this same cry was raised by the
Republican managers. A committee was
appointed, and dreary report ended the
matter. But suppose it were competent
for Congress to legislate on railroad
frrights and fares, how would the case
stand? The House of Representative is
neary balanced, with eight or ten Demo-
cratic majority. The Senate is also close
with Republican majority.
The fact Is notorious that the Senate
is controlled by the great corporations,
and that some of the most distinguished
Republicans are the regularly retained
counsel of the companies which have
made themselves most obnoxious to The
public and have been most oppressive to
their employees. Col. Tom Scott and
his associates would like nothing better
than to get this subject before Congress,
where their money and their influence,
| derived from many sources, would shape
| legislation to suit themselves.
1t will be sad day for the working
men ofthe country if ever their cause is
surrendered from the safe keeping of
their own hands to selfish partisans, dem
agogues, andthe slaves of the great Rings.
Far better to submit the case to a tribun-
al composed of jay Gould, Tom Scott, j
w. Garrett, w. III. Vanderbilt, and 9TH
ers like them, who are the direct and
visible representatives of the mighty COZ
porations, instead Of their creatures, W 20
can skulk behind parliamentary devices
| and poison their arrows in the dark coz
uers Of the lobby.
The Republican leaders who now pro-
pose to postpone the day of settlement,
aud strive to delude the suffering sons OF
toll with treacherous pr misses of relief,
are responsible Tor all the suffering which
now afiliets the couhtry. They encour-
aged the extravaganza and the wild spec
ulalion which have ruined so many
thousands; they practised coruption; they
debased the currency; they plundered the
treasury; they debauched the public
mind; and finally they brought on the
collapse which has spread desolation
throughout the land. They are tie au-
thors of the existing misery. And, to
cap the climax, they stole the Presidency
in order to retain power, to manipulate
the Treasury for personal interests, and
TO prevent the exposure of their transac-
l