Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-05-30

Newark (Ohio) American.
There is a dangerous element in our
population, mainly cOngregated in large
cities. The reports that come from New
York, Cincinnati, Chicago and San Fran
cisco demonstrate clearly enough that
Communism has found its way to this
country-that its adherents are organic
ing, and that their numbers are such that
they already openly avow themselves in
favor of an equal division of property
and that, if need be, by force. Until
men are equally Industrious, economical
and wise, it is idle to talk about each
holding an equal amount of property.
The equal to-day would be unequal to-
morrow. And then, the loafer who spends
half his days and nights in drinking sa-
loon has no business to have as much as
the man who works fourteen hours day,
and carefully husbands his means. The
question is too absurd to be mooted, much
less seriously considered.
That is one side of this question. The
other is, that no one man has any right
to own and control all the property of the
country. For once we are in accord with
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmadge, in believing
that no man has right to own hundred
millions of dollars; and if we were max
ing the law the burden of taxation would
fall heavily on the incomes that fast grow
into millions.
The fellow who imagines that the world
owes him living, on the one hand, and
the man who revels in luxury and wealth,
on the other, are about equally useless
members of society; and if they interfere
with its peace and order, in any way, de-
serve simply summary punishment. But
when it comes to a point where the man
of iron will and muscle, and who is will
ing to work, is unable to find sufficient
employment to buy bread for his chill
dren, then it is a question that calls for
serious consideration. The law, it is true,
must be maintained-there must be peace
and safety-but, to that end, justice must
be done. 1t is not to be forgotten that
the poor haYe rights as well as the rich.
1t has been well said that, 'absoIute free
dom of contract in the case of an article
indispensable to the community, and of
which there is monopoly, cannot be en-
dured." "If John Smith owned the air,
John Smith would have to sell the air on
terms endurable to the majority, or John
Smith would be hanged-not unjust1y,
for States have rights of existence-on
the nearest lamp post"
The danger is that communists and
agrarians will poison the minds of better
men than themselVes-thatth they will draw
in n fhoip -,
fiuence of those who from stress of cir
cumstances will be led to consent to a
course of action that upon mature con
sideration their own judgments disap-
prove. The leading spirits in nearly all
our labor movements if not agrarians bent
on mischief are men with but little knowl-
edge of the laws of political economy, and
really know no more about what would
be legitimate remedy for evils of which
they complain than they do of the laws of
some undiscovered planet. But it is not
sufficient answer to the complaint of this
latter class to point to prison bars. 1t is
all very well to say that there must be no
forcible division of property; but may
there not come time when it will be ne
cessary to say to the men who control the
money of the country that its use must be
so cheapened that exorbitant interest shall
not blight every legitimate enterprise,
robbing the labOrer of employment, and
thus of his only chance of existence.
"Usury" said Bacon, F'bringeth the treas
ure of realm into few hands," A promi-
nent member of English parliament, not
many years ago said that F'The rapid ac-
cumulation of material wealth is one
great disintegrant-one cause of the seri-
GUS alterations in the structure of modern
society" There are few persons proba-
bly, who have any just conception of the
rapidity with which wealth is accumulat-
ed at the present time as compared with
former periods. Mr.. Gladstone, in a
speech at Liverpool some years ago, said ::
| FFI believe it to be true that more wealth
has, in this little island of ours, been ac-
cumulated since the commencement of
the present century-that is, within the
lifetime of many who are still amongst us
than in all the preceding ages, say from
the time of Julius Csesar.'' And yet the
poor are not benefited. The wealth of
the country is passing from the many to
the few. What will the end be?
The theme is much too large for news
paper article; but the thoughtful reader
will not fail to see that there are two
sides to this question; and, also, that
while it is the duty of the government to
see that the rich are protected in their
possessions, it is equally incumbent upon
the same power to see that the poor are
not despoiled of their rights. But there
must be no olawbreaking, and no sympa-
thy with lawbreakers.