Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-11-11
eovERNMENr.
Wealth Arrayed Against Industry and
Agriculture.

4u0 QaSpO0SCAOuS CA0AuIs SOU w W
Senator Conkling that the largest
owners and most extensive users of
money must control legislation, has
been fully endorsed by the Republic
a party; and there a be no mis-
taking the tendency of maintaining
such an Issue. Carried into effect it
will be class government in It's most
offensive and dangerous form, in
which not only will the bosses control
their workmen, but the representa-
tives Of the richest congressional dis
trictG, Hhich are all located in cities,
will oyer-ride those of the poorer
agricnIturalists.
Heretofore the rich in their con-
tests with labor have claimed to have
acted On the defensive ; but now, they
have openly and defiantly assumed
the aggressive. What is demanded
means exclusion of workmen, farmers,
mechanics and professionals from
participation in government. If such
exclusion related to tariffs and sched-
ules only, if congress had no other
powers than to levy taxes, establish
imposts end adjust freights and
wages, submission to such disfran-
chisement would be intolerable. 1t
could never be expedient to commit
the exercise of such authority ex-
clusively to capitalits, corporations
and employers. 1t could eve adj
vance the interests of producers and
consumers to permit manufacturers
and carriers to say what imposts and
rates were necessary to their protec-
tion and success. But government
has higher powers and may deprive
its subjects of their privileges, prop
critics, liberties, and even lives, and
to surrender such interests to the
keeping of capitalists and corpora
tons would be as monstrous as it
would be suicidal.
Is money to outweigh manhood?
Is our union to be simply a union of
commercial and financial corpora
tons? Are our laboring poor and
our young men, who have for the
first time just exercised their right to
vote, to be deprived of their fran
chises and made to wait, before again
taking part in elections, until they
have gained vast estates IS property
qualifications and as guarantees of
support to be given to the demands
of wealth? Is the West, through her
sons to be made the tributary and
appendage of the East? Must Mis-
souri, support Garfield and Republic
can measures because richer states
demand it? Time alone can furnish
an answer The result Of the late
election seems to indicate something
of that sort. Never before was the
onslaught On manhood, suffrage, so
distinctly and successfully made.
Never before, after desertion on the
part of leaders, did workingmen make
an easier or more complete surrender
to their bosses and oppressors.
Class government such as is now
proposed for the country is of very
early origin and very many of the ills
that have afflicted mankind are clear
ly traceable to it. There Is some
thing more in the demand for it than
the assumption that wisdom is con-
ired to the few and in this country |
it is so opposed to constitutional pro-
vision that its advocacy has been ex.
citing and even incendlary. The
general issue presented everywhere
by class government is the array of
society against itself. Wherever the
poor have been aroused and CONSOLE
dated against the Itch and whenever
capital has combined to rob industry
Of its just remuneration there have
dangerous civil connections.