New-York tribune., 1878-09-30
"vOyOpOLIESp IN MASSACHUSETTS,


Mr.. Choate used to talk OF the gttcring gen.
cralties" of tho Declaration Of Independence;
Democratic Conventions give Us generalities which
have not even the doubtful merit Of brlliancy, but
are dull aud stale and haokneyed. For instance, we
donbt II ever there was Democratic Convention
in Massachusetts, land hardly anywhere elsel
which did not talk of "mOuopOlios' and of the
necessity Of putting them down promptly. The
rump in Faneuil Hall had good reason for sticking
10 the traditions Of the party. How else, In this
emergency, was il to be prevented from going over
bodily either 10 Butler or TO the ReDubicansf 7
So their leaders undertook TO Outbid the
great demagogue for the workingmel1s vote; but
whereas he is boldly bad and reckless, the ruling
spirits OF the convention were cowardly. and rs con-
servative as saying almost nothing could make
them. They minced matters, which Butler never
does. They wanted TO be both radical and respect
able-he long ago bade farewell to respectability,
saving only what he suppOses laboung VIII like
20 hear and saying 1t brazenly The Faneuil Hall
folk under the guidance Of two or three mana
GERS were beguiled into affirming that the Demo
cratic party " has ever been the true friend Of the
laboring classes always excepting, OF course,
colOred fellowcitizens at the South Then the plat
form demands the overthrow Of monOpolies." Now
IL il easy 20 see that unless told what mOnOp
oIes are 10 DO overthrown, In Massachusetts, any
where else, such phrases do not amount to 80 much
as the tinlling of cymbal What are the "monopo-
lies Of Massachusetts, A labor agitatOr gets up
on barrel and bawls " MOnopOliesW loudly yocif-
Grating tnat they must be crushed. We do not
expect him TO be definite. or TO give us q list
of the monOpolies ROmindtin. IL answers his pur-
pose 20 appear 10 mean something, and really to
mean nothing. So when his audience moves off in a
procession with a banner bearing the inscription,
mo MonOpoes" We know that it pOrtends mis-
chief, but we cannot tell what particular mischief
it portonds. II may bo the sacbing Of dwelling.
house, the burning of a factory, the flooding of
mine or tho manslaughter of the Chinese III Califor
MIA That must depend upon the particular locality
In which "monOpOes" are denounced But what do
such men az Frank Bird LeveTett SaltOnstall,
Charles l.. Woodbury., Judge Abbott, or William
Aspinwal mean when they lend their most sweet
voices to swell the chorus of No MonOpolies p
DO they mean banks Yet they are well-tO-do men
and probably stockholders. DO they mean fac
tories aud foundres and ralwaysf Why where is
the money which they are undoubtedly
worth invested. except in these : Brother
Bird owns one of the several paper
mills which have something like monopoly
of paper-mal<ing In Massachusetts, yet we have no
doubt that the tears would run from under his spec
tacles if he wer6 charged with being a monopolst.
The truth is the word sounds WELL and is suggestive
of dire oppression and greed. "No MOnopohesp n is
simply good cry, and so it is alternately whined
and rOared whenever Democratic Convention as
sembles. How much il signifies intelligent listeners
must decide for themselves.
Take another point. The Faneuil Hall Demo-
Gratis demanded "t the enactment and execution of
such laws as shall protect the rights of labor as
well as those of capital" What does this amount
TO Why didn't these gentlemen tell us what laws
they wanted, having previously shown what rights
of labor are infringed upon by capitall Until this
shall be definitely determined, a thousand general
resolutions would do no good. For our own part,
we have read much of what has been said or written
for three four years past upon this subject and we
honestly declare that we do not know in what way the
rights of labor" have been violated We know
that workingmen lave demanded higher wages than
capitalists either would or could pay, but we have
never clearly seen how a law could be framed
pelng the employer to do what he has no mind to
do. Generally we have not foundh him unreasonable,
partly perhaps, because IL was not for his interest
10 be So Rustng machinery, and mines shut up