The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-09-01


feudalism. So, the Invention, was to
seem to yield; but to substitute the office
holding aristocraey for the feudal. This
looks probable.
At any rate, two things are obvious.
One Is; that the system is terribly beau
tlful, or beautifully terrible despotism.
1t brushes the producing classes, keeps
taxation up to- the greatest endurable
m'ttclmuna, and reduces the comforts of
the people who really produce, to the
poorest minimum which will sustain life
and the ability to toll. The art of reduc-
ing people to the least that will sustain
existence is brought, by the office holders
to an elegant completeness EVERYTHING
is beautifully economical so that the Of
tice-holders may get the most possible in
taxes; and the workers may have the
garbage to eat.
The other point is: that the system
will be probably permanent; or at least,
very hard to overthrow, or to amend.
For, in the first place, the office-holding
class is the intelligent class; the govern
ment takes care of that by requiring
pretty good collegiate education as pre-
requisite. Next, it is thoroughly dis
ciplined class, united to the government
with all the system and subordination of
standing army. Last, it has an active.
personal, selfish motive to sustain the
existing regime; because it derives its
bread and butter" from it. 1t NAV be
said, the butter is not spread very thick;
salaries are usually small-beneath the
first grades. True, but money goes far
in this country of cheap labor, and the
otice-holders see that they are a great
deal better off than the people. On the
other hand, the tax-paying class are help
less. A man with his nose held close to
the grindstone, has no chance to look up
and around to see how the machine
moves, and how it may be regulated.
This great toiling mass has to toll so con-
stantly in order to pay the taxes and not
starve; it is so hopeless and listless; it
has so little in its stomach; that it does
not have the heart to read, to study com
binations for its own relief There is no
rallying point for them. 1t is the office
holder class which writes all the books,
publishes all the newspapers. Hence,
Bismark can very safely give the people
nominal universal suffrage What do
these stolid 6aaters know or care about
voting? Precisely as much as the oxen
with which they work, Eyes, and sleep
too, for the serf's bed is not seldom in
the cow-stable), unless the "pfaner,"
who is the administration tool tells
them to come and vote for what he die
tates. 1t is true that the producing
classes in the towns, do include certain
grades of intelligent men who are not of
the ofice-holding class. These are some
professional men, as physicians, and man
ufacturers, and merchants. 1t is in these
classes that we may expect to see an in
telligent knowledge of the despotism, and
desire OF amendment, grow up. But they
cannot organize the great, crushed, pro
ducing body into successful resistance
That mass is too unenlightened, too stolid
and too disunited, to constitute an effec-
tive opposition.
1t is, I apprehend, the consciousness of
this ofice-holding despotism, which ex-
presses its discomfort in the form of Ger
man communism. Men see the injustice
and inequality. They feel for the toiling
millions They cry out for a remedy.
But having no knowledge, and no con-
ception of the true nature of free govern
ment as 1t was established In the old con-
stitution of Virginia; where the govern
ment contended itself with governing
and meddled as little as possible with the
rights and interests of the citizens, and
left the most of the functions of social life
that was possible, to the individuality of
the people; these communists think that
the remedy for the present distress must
be founS in making government still
more, to pan, and equalizing everything
before it, las the universal proprietor,
parent, and teacher Should they sue
coed, they would find that they had only
exaggerated all the miseries of the pre-
sent system.
Is not this German ideal precisely the
one towards which the new consolidation.
school of American politicians is tending?
So it seems to me. And the German en-
igrants to the United States, who have
run away from the incubus here, are
precisely the people who are helping
most to transport the same curse to their
adopted home. They have fled from the
juggernauth; and ret they cannot i'm
agine any other fashion, in which the
temple of civil government can be built.
Yes; our children will have it all in the
United States.
Faithfully yours, RI ID.