Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1880-10-30
a'irgiuia FIVE gress.
H. \. e u. ". b. GlLLAHER, Editors.
ChagIesto,rn. Jefferson Coulty, ITesi Va.
October 30. 1850.
VIZ. Garfield Wants a Strong GoreTH-
ment.

Mr.. Gladstone, when he was tory, de-
fined the business Of government as "the
doing OF ell things, of all sorts, for which
associated action Of human beings is requi-
site 80; and Rev. DR.. Dabney, who has re-
Gently been spending sometimein Germany,
saws this ideal is nearly realized there. lie
saws. in letter from Bad Libensticn, Sake
Meiningcn:
"This government makes it It's business,
not only 10 govern at home, and regulate
AID defend foreign relations abroad, but to
do everything else. 70 teach everybody,
from the infant school up TO the university ;
10 build and run all the railroads; to police
town and country, even to the rcmotest
mountain valley; to build yand keep the
roads and bridges; to survey every man's
land for him: to drill the whole male pop
ulation into soldiers; to build nearly every
thingof any size: TO teach all the people
religion; 10 furnish them pictures and mu-
sic: to examine all the doctors ana ap"tne-
carries and artizans. and see that they are fit
for their business; to make Their paper
money as well rs the mctalilc-oi cour'e.l J
Everywhere Is the government seeing alter
everything.
What is the consequence? Great method,
of course, and order. But there is another
consequence. that nearly a third Of the whole
male population are oficehOdys, who live
from the treasury. All the post-oiiice and
telegraph men are oliiceholdors; and all the
railroad men. from conductors down to track
bosses. brakemen, and bridge guards; and
"thcir name is legion -; for the evident pol
lev is 10 overrun every function, so as to
multiplv ofiiceholders; allrheteachers, from
the marm in the infant schools, up to the
great Curtiu, and Luthardt; all the judges,
magistrates, mayors and police; all the mil
;fslv. Of course; all the engineers and ar
chit.ct-: all the iorestCrs anu baum-rardt-
cr,rs: all the parsons; all the muSi"'aners
and keepers Of pictures; all the str,et-pa-
vcrs: al, the directors OF colleges and uni
vcr-itics: all the modcrators of Synols; all
OF crcw.hng that can be thought OF; all
oiicoho.dcrs, appointed, uniformed, pald,
inspected by government. Ihls divides the
German nation into two classes: one whlch
pursucs productive industries and earns
taxes the other which holds Office and eats
uD taxes. The one has the enjoying OF
about all the national industry yields; the
other-well-has its nose all the time to the
rrind-.one. The result iorCsecn or uniore-
seen. is: That the nation is organized into
two cas.cs. an aristocracy and asubiect-seri-
dom; not the old aristocracy Of icudal
times. hereditary and ennobled; but an
oaiceholding aristocracy; and aserldom not
bound in hereditary bondage, but in tax
laws. and this beautifully complctcOrganiza-
ton Of dcspotism.'
And this is about what the Republican
party desires to effect here-as Mr.. Garfield
said "to grayitate towards a stronger gov
crnmcnt." Mr.. Farnsworth, the Grecnback
candidate for Congress, in some measure
hopes for the same thing. In his speech
here he advocated the taking possession OF
the railroads of the country by the Govern
ment-to be controlled by it as the mails
are. The American people are hardly ready
vet to give up all control Of everything to
the office holders.