Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-08-01

red republicanism, socialism,
Fourierism nor yet the American
Owenism. 1t was the natural out
growth of manhood despairing of re-
dress of grievances except by force,
possibly violence. Naturally, reason
ably they struck at the hand that OPP
pressed; and when they struck the
railroads they made no mistake. Gov
eminent is to blame for the condition of
trade and commerce. Our government
has been run by rings and syndicates
until we are no less an oligarchy than
was England at the advent of the Nor
man Conqueror. More than one thous-
and millions Of actual currency has been
withdrawn from circulation within
few years to be substituted by interest
bearing bonds, the effect being to para
lie every industry and increase taxa
ton. This is the work of the syndicates,
the men who organize to control the
stocks and live luxuriously upon inter-
est without making investments for
production. Such a system Of conduct
ing the monetary affairs of a govern
ment and people is in direct violation of
the laws of God, every principle ofrght
and all public policy. The same class
Of men who have thus perverted our
government are the owners and control
ers of the so-called trunk lines of rail-
way. Today the power Of these cor
poratiOns eXcels thai Of government.
They dictate to congress and direct the
executive. They have robbed the peo-
pie Of thousands Of millions of acres of
public lands Heretofore held sacred for
free education, have drawn money sub
sides from the treasury to the amount
of hundreds ofmillions and swallowed
up state lines without stint. Yet these
railroads thus built by the public are
held to be private property, owned by
the men who hold the government
stocks and force the policy of currency
contraction to enlarge the bond volume
to meet the demands of their increas-
ing wealth, and give them a monopoly
mastery over the liberty, labor and
lives Of the people. When these stri.
kers struck the railroads. they struck
the government, and if they had or
should yet carry the war into the capi-
tai city, garnish It's lamp posts with
cabinet officers, ornament its shade
trees with the numerous other impos-
lures who infest It, and guilletine the
Bulls and Bears of New York and other
cities North, they will have done for
America under very similar circumstan-'
ces what the reconcilers OF those dis
turbing elements, Wealth, Labor and
Liberty, did for England centuries ago.
The simple strike Of the tiremen
would have been OF 10 consequence. 1t
was their llindling Of the fame that
burst forth in all its fury il Pittsburgh
and spread across the ten states that is
to have its effect. The millions that
vacate tenement houses every night to
pillow their heads on curb-stones and
feel the cravings of hunger can get the
attention Of government and make
themselves felt by the bond pillagers
when they try. It is observed now that
all they want is start. Those who
have been expressing labor and produc-
ton may profit from this or they may
not. Certain it is, that the ball thus
set in motion will roll on till relief is
afforded. 1t may be impeded IN its
progress for brief season, waiting to
see the effects to follow the first move
ment, but when it shall be set in full
motion again it will be found to have
grown in size all the time. This is not
of that commune element which will
burn residence because its owner is
rich, but it is the beginning of a very
emphatic demand by the people who
labor and produce to have government
for some other and nohler end than the
positive good Of a elect few. 1t requir-
ed many such, according to Macauly,
to properly fix the functions Of govern
ment in England, and we have hope that
our government may become what it
was before the Generalization and cor.
ruptlon engendered by the civil war.
Properly viewed, this is strike against
the centralizing tendency Of our affairs,
and when it shall come to its logical
end the states will be the benefciaries.
albeit we have too many chicken heart
ed governors to rush to the president
for troops.