Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1878-08-17
1An .AdrerhsemeHt.l
A Seathing Letter.
WAsHIYGros, June 10Th, 1878.

. /.
/ il. 1t is bright, clean. aud spicy, and is
thank God, on the side OF the people. hop'
it will " live long and prosper" aud receive
support worthy Of the sacred cause in which
/ it is engaged, aud never be compelled TO strike
/ its flag and become a suppliant to the Golden
\ God. aud receive its inspiration from som'
national or other bank parlor. While y0t
have it, and you have breath in You, know
this will not happen. \ national paper a
\ Milwaukee and one at Madison are yet needed
and when these wants are supplied, | cannot
see but the press will be ia condition to preach
the sound politcR! gospel with effect to th(
farmers and business men, and laboring peo-
pie Of Wisconsin.
The question before the country is whether
under the lead of John Sherman, the ruinou'
legislation for the past sixteen years TO promote
the interests of capita! at the expense OF la6ol
shall be persevered in, or arrested, and labor
restored to SomeThefe near an equality witt
capital in the race of life In other words, j:
it TO continue to be such that the Scotch
Hebrew. and other miSers and brokers are q
be made very rich, aud the laboTing people &c
be made very poor Is the minority of pet
tifosgers, schemers. shavers aud spectators &c
control aud run this government expressly in
their own Interests, or is the majority oI
farmers, merchants, mechanics, aud other
labofing people, who create the wealth Of the
country, and have the power to protect them
selves from farther robbery and eytortiOH, il
they but will IT, 10 assert their rights
One 5f the most eloquent, energetic, end
truthful writers Of The present century, says
Wien men agree in their theory of govern
meut, they must also agree to Get in concert
or no practical advantage can result from their
accordance"
Burke says. "i-or my part, I find It i'm
possible TO conceive that any one believes in
his own politics, or thinks them TO be Of any
weight, who refuses to adopt the means o!
having them reduced to practice"
The expenses Of the United States ere
enormous, i is estimated they are annually
from $3.50, 100000 TO Si00,00000O. Wis
consiu's share OF this immense sum is more
than its annual wheat end lumber crop. The
banks. railroads and other corporations 90 not
pay taxes on fifty per cent. Of the real value
Of their property. while the farmer pays on
the full value Of his farm, and mechanics and
laboring men DO the same on their homes,esds,
and the merchants and manufacturers 90 their
goods aud machinery Bondholdcrs pay
nothing Add 10 this the state, city, county.
aud town Indebtedness, aud the interest on it
which must be met or have the cry OF re-
pudaiion spruog on them-and Is II any
wonder ve are sold 10 be among the worst
taxed people on the face Of The earth? II we
had not our uuequallcd rich, virgin soil, and
a race OF the most intelligent, energetic, and
hardy people tho world hns ever sccn, this
country would have been banktupted and
brought TO a s,and.years ago 1t is wonderful.
the capacity OF our country 20 endure and
bleed One would have thought the people
would have aroused themselves long ere this,
but Il would seem that the more they toll and
ecouomRe aud save and earn. the greater is
the crevasse made by the authorities to absorb
all they produce over a bare existence.
Our country is all dotted over with banks
There are over seven thousand of them more
by several hundreds than there are barber
shops They are lending money for business
purposes at from three tc five times more than
the animal increase Of the wealth Of the coun-
try They are just as certain to capture what
money their customers have, rs the faro or
roulette is to take the money Of the gambler.
There are twenty y-oue hundred national banks.
They have formed league. aud around Lake
Michigan, rs If 10y way Of sarcasm they call
it the "Honcst Money League!" The secre-
tary Of the national league boasts that the
national banks ne represents control over two
and hen billions OF money
Then there are the railroads, which are
largely owned and represented by the banks,
aud mainly owned aud represented in Wall
street. The only capital they had to start
with was city, town, and county bonds, aud
mortgages on farms. The stock aud securities
taken aud paid for by the people and the
have been wiped out by the
foreclosures Of mortgages--ihe companies
re-orgauizcI, aud stock and bonds issued for
from two 10 three times the actual cost of the
roads to The present propTiGors, or what they
could have been built for-aod freight aud
RITES are charged that will insure at
least a sixteen per cent. dividend on the uomi-
nal captal-s;Ock.
Then take yocr courts. u is estimated that
in yocr neghborug state of Illinois, the cost
oi It's courts. over and above what IS realized
on judgments, is enough annually TO pay all
state expenses, educate every child in the state
ages Of FIVE and fifteen, and build
and eauip three hundred miles Of single-track
railroad.
Take your own state. It Is calculated that
there are in Wisconsin from twelve hundred
10 fifteen hundred practising lawyers. 1t costs
more Of them over s. 600 per year to live
than 4 does under that sum Take the lowest
number and il makes So coo 900 the people
.l.s 3, .F.rG flTrr kI0 0nk
well-clhd, full-fed gentry who prance about
your county-seats like stations in June, pre-
tending to act as the peoples agents aud
peLdling chin-mGsc-or, as friend Storrs, OF
Chicago, calls il. "fauuing-mill eloqueuce -
1t costs at least $4,000 600 more 10 cash and
lost time 10 witnesses, suitors, and jurors, TO
defray the expenses OF your federal and state
courts. 10 say nothing Of the perjuries and
frauds they engender You can safely wager
oil the strawberry shortcake and cream bis
cults 10 which You ellude in your first number
that you ever expect to enjoy, aud add the
balance Of your euthly substance TO It, that
there is no. ten pc! cent on the judgments
realized il any cocnty IN TIE state.
All Of these lawyers which the banks.
aud other corporations desire 10 buy
they "retaiu." These retained gentlemen
are sent 10 the state and national legislatures,
or If By accident one is sent who is not " re-
lained before sending, he is sure TO be 4" re-
toined" 7cry soon after his election. Whom do
these "Hon." gentlemen represent after they
are elected Why, not the three-four,hs Of
tSei. constituents. who form the great indus
trial classes Of their districts, bit the great
corporations or interests by which they are
retained" 10 tbelesisla,u'es, the retained"
"a nurn,s mt the;r heads toce,her. gain control