New-York tribune., 1877-08-21
" THE CRIP OF THE MONEY-POFER"

meeting, to be held on the PuDlc Green III
New-H Haven, to protest against John Sher-
"man's contraction and cOnfscation policy"
statements to the effect that there are men some
wherein the Treasury Department we pre-
sumo" who are wrecking the nations INDUS
" tries and pauperizng labor" and that " 1t Is
&" time to cry halt" to them; that some
" thing must be done to unloose the
"grip of the money power" and that
"the Lord only knows what will be-
"come of the country if the people do not
"rise up and grapple with their enemies" " AS
a matter of rhetoric but little exception can
be taken to these utterances. They are warm
and hearty, and considering that no campaign
is in progress, tri1e exuberant. They might
have been calmer and more philosophical per-
haps, but then they would scarcely have an
swered the purpose OF the callers OF the meet
ing who are anxious that the demonstration
shall be what they denOminate "a r0user.
The object being to call together as large
number of citizens as possible. 1t doubtless
seemed the easiest and most natural way to ell
feet 1t to set up war-cry and thrill the COM
mupitv with the annOunc ement that an enemy
was at the door, and they must rise up and
grappe with him.
But we confess we do not see the pressing
necessity for holding such meeting, or Tor
making it "rouser," OF for crying "halt" to
ANYBODY in any such impressive manner as
is proposed. "The grip Of the money power
is something to be deprecated, we pre5u me,
upon grounds of personal comfort as well as
public policy. 1t sounds like something exceed
inglv uncomfortable and severe. The very
phrase conveys the idea of torment, suggesting
shortness of breath and redness In the
face But really we do not know what
"tbe money-pOwer' is gripping at
present that it has not the universally
recognized right to grip. and we cannot
make out how it can be compelled to unloose
its GRID by the action of "a rouser" Of Il pub
lie meeting, or even by any legislation or
other political action which the demonstration
compes. There is, we suppose, what may be
called a "money-power." 1t consists III the
superior force of the larger over the less amount
of money! other things. such as intelligence OF
management and favorable circumstances, being
egual. 1t has more purchasing capacity, more
weight in the market, and more influence III
Affairs. In that sense it has a grip"
So has a majority of voters. So has
the greater over the less always, and
everywhere. 1t is disadvantage TO be in the
grip of the money power. SO 1t Is to be IN
the grip of majority. The poor man and the
man in the minority are at the same dlsad-
vantage. But really we do not see how it can
be helped by political action. What the voter
in the minority wants is to make himself
majority. What the poor man in the grip OF
the money-power wants is to be part of the
money-power and take part in the grip him.
self. Natural laws govern these things and
no political action can change them. Yon can
not by legislation make a minority a majority,
or the less superior to the greater.
The question which the gentlemen who call
this meeting propose to discuss is, or ought to
be. one of pure scence-the science of political
economy. The discussion should be perfectly
calm and passionless. These are hard times;
trade is at a standstill and all our industries
are depressed. Some of us suffer more than
others from this condition; but all suffer i'll
some degree, and none escape. And all are in
terested too. to have business revive, prosperity
return, and pauperism cease, and honest labor
find again a remunerative market No one de-
sires to "wreck the nations industries" or
pauperize labor" That is the talk
either of angry, unreasonable and un-
reasoning men, or of mischievous demagogues
and plotters against the public peace. 1t
ought to be possible for all citizens who are
competent to consider the question at all to
begin with this admission, and put away as
absurd and unreasonable the idea that any
class of men, politicians or others, men in Of
fee or out, would go deliberately to work to
bnr rd. no
cial distress. That notion is so inconsistent
with the instinct OF self-preservatlon,
a. well as with all considerations of
humanity, that common sense rejects 1t
at once. If the labOring men and busi
ness men who are summoned under this call
will give the matter moments serious
thought. they will see that the hot talk about
the grip of the money power, the policy OF
coniscati0n graphing with the peoples enc
mics, and all that means simply that there Is
n difference of opinion between the callers OF
the meeting and the persons who are admins
tering' the Government finances upon the ques-
ton whether it would better promote the gen
eral welfare and relieve the present distress to
go ON with the present plan, and at a fixed
time to redeem our overdue promises, or to
postpone redemption indefinitely.
That is the gist of the whole matter. There
need be, there should be no anger or passion
in the discussion of such an issue Least of
all should there DC such loose denunciatiOn and
n6ammatory appeals as too often characterize
the addresses OF those who style themselves
tie champions of the workingmen. Hard