Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-03-26

recently new and alarming conditions
are presented. They know full we'll
that il the people can freely commun-
icats with each other. they will see
the dangerous tendencies of the pow
er, and organize to restrain it. Hence,
in order to lay deep and sure founda-
tions for the maintenance of their
power and to defeat the efforts of the
people to curb it, they have now
seized upon the channels of thought.
Look at it . moment. One man, who
controls more miles of railroad than
any other in the world, and who is
almost daily adding new lines to his
colossal combination, now also controls
the tslegraphic systsm of the United
States and Canada, and 10 reaching
under the sea to grasp that of Europe.
Not content with all this. and deter
mined that no instrument of CONNER
cial and political power shall elude
his grasp, he is Gas I learn,) also the
owner Of three out OF the seven news
papers which constitute the Associ-
ated Press, through the agency of
which the news is distributed over the
entire country. BE may at any time
secure the fourth paper, which will
give him absolute control over the
news which the people shall receive.
When that takes place what will be
our condition ? What chance will he
people then have to resist the en-
croachments of corporate power ?
How shall they even communicate
with each other on the subject? What
opportunity will there be for fair
disc dsaion Of. these questions The
daily news, supplied to the myriad Of
newspapers, must first pass under the
supervision of one or two men, who
represent the Associated Press, and
who are appointed by the owner.
They will have full authority, and
doubtless will be required to suppress,
add to or color the information thus
sent out as may best serve the inter.
est, the ambition, or. the malice of the
man to whom they owe their places
Hence, the twenty millions Of people
who read their morning papers al
their breakfast tables will daily re.
ceive just such impressions as this one
man shall choose to give them. Pub.
| lie men and affairs. and business in.
terests and movem ents, will be seer
in the coloring which shall best serve
his interests, The legislator who
shall then be bold enough to raise hi
voice in behalf of the people, or te
strike q blow in their defence, will b.
misrepresented or denied hearing
before his own constituents. The
business man who shall venture tt
question the Divine right of corporate
rule will be crushed, and no telegraph
wire or associated press will voice hi
woe or demand redress from his per-
secutors. The people will find them
selves unable to communicate will
each other except by the gracious vii
and pleasure Of the autocrat of thu
wires. Should special correspondents
undertake to supply information MOI
| deemed expedient to be sent by thu
Associated Press, they will find thai
the owner of the wires can supply {
ready remedy for such presumption.
The channels of thought and the
channels of commerce thus owned
| and controlled by one man, or by 9
few men, what is to refrain corporate
power, or to fix limit to it's exactioni
/ upon the people? What is then tt
hinder these men from depressing Of
initiating the value Of all kinds ofprop
erty to suit their caprice or avarice
and thereby gathering into their OWL
Golfers the wealth Of the nation
Where il the limit to such power al
this? What shall be said of the spir
it of a few people who will submit
| without protest to be thus boune
hand and foot? I have limited a
some Of the dangers which menac,
/ our future. fit be to correct thes'
evils, and to avert these dangers you
league has been organized, it will re
ceive the benedictions of the people.
The practical question is, "Wba
are you going to do about it y 7,
my MUD the answer is easy. ThiI
organized gigantic corporate powe,
can only be kept under proper re
straint by the organized power of thu
people, expressed through their stat
and national governments. That sucl
governmental power exists and may
prop erly be exercised 7 have not
particle Of doubt. It is plainly
written ip our constitutions. and la
been unsquivocally declared by TIL
Supreme Court of the United States
The limits of this letter will mo-
permit a discussion of the constitu
tional questions nor detailed state
mant of the practical remedy for ex
istipg evil. I may, however, venture
to gu ggest that, in my judgment, tn
first and most important duty 0
Congress is to emancipate the peopl
from the supervision and control 0
corporate monopoly, by the establish
ment of a system Of postal telegraphy
whereby they shall be afforded safe
sure and cheap method of communi
cation with each ether. There is nj
doubt Of the economy and success Q
such system. It has been tried il