The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-07-06
Is There Any Danger 7


The following is what few far
seeing, patriotic men have thought
and said la .'".
The following extract from re-
cent letter written by Hon. David
Davis, once Judge of the Supreme
Court, now Senator of the United
States, indicates the serious nature
of the problem before US
'Great corporations and consolidated
monopOlies are fast seizing the avenues
of power that lead to the control of the
Government. II is an open secret that
they rule States through procured Leg
islatures and corrupted Courts; that
they are strong in Congress, and that
they are INSCRIPTIONS in the use of
means to conquer prejudice and acquire
influence. This condition of things is
truly alarming, for unless it be changed
quickly and thoroughly, free institu-
tiOns are doomed to be subverted by an
oligarchy resting upon basis of money
and of corporate power"
The present Secretary Of the
Treasury, Mr.. Window, in a recent
letter to the President of the Anti
Monopoly League, says:
"The channels of thought and the
channels of commerce thus owned and
controlled by one man, or by n few men
what is to retain corpSrate power, or to
fix limit to its exactions upon the peo-
pie ? What is then to hinder these men
from depressing or initiating the value of
all kinds of property to suit their ca
price er avarice, and thereby gathering
into their ewn Golfers the wealth of the
nation Where is the limit TO such a
power as this +! What shall be said OF
the spirit of free people who will sub
mit without a protest to be thus bound
hand and foot ~
Hon. JeremiahS. Elack, ex-Judge-
of the ST. preme CoIrt and ex-At,
torney- -Geleral of the United States
recently stated: R -aef
"All public men must take their side
on this question. There can be no new
trails. He that is not for us is against
us. We must have legal protection
against these abuses. This agitation
once begun, and the magnitude of the
grievance being understood, it will
force our rulers to give US remedy
against it. The monop olies will resist
with all their arts and influence, bui
fifty millions of people, in process Of
time, will learn the important fact thai
they are fifty millions streng," ....
Governor Gray, of Indiana, in {
message to the Legislature of thai
State in January last, said; 1z
''In my judgment the republic cannot
long exist In the atmosphere which now
surrounds the ballOt-box. Moneyed cor
poratiOns, to secure favora BILE legislation
for themselves, are taking anactive par
in elections by furnishing large sums OF
money to corrupt the voter and pur
chase special privileges from the Gov
ernment. If money can control thu
decision at the ballOt-oox it will not b.
longe until IL can control its existence.
This in entire accordance with the
views of Daniel Webster, who said
1.-THE freest government cannot lonl
| endure, where the tendency of the Law
lis to create rapid accumulation o
property in the hands of few, and tC
render the masses. of the people poo
and dependent"
The Press, with the exception o
that portion which is owned .o
subsidized, are with people in thei
fight. The New York Times (Rep. }
under date of May 10, in an articl
regarding the encroachment o
power, says;a- uasu s1fuA4
cit is not only absorbing to itself TIL
| fruits of labor and the gains of trad
and piling up wealth in the hands OF th,
| few, but it is controlling legislation AM
endeavoring TO sway the decisions o
courts in it's own interest. We are nov
at stage IN She contest where the .peQ
4 pie may vindicate their authority an,
place these corporations under the regu
iation of law H sefti
The Brooklyn Daily EagEe Dem
in a recent editorial said:
4 "There is pretty general feeling
that the Continent OF America was no
discovered by Columbus, and civil liber
i ty established by the Fathers of tn
/ Republic, to the end that fifty mil
lions of people might be made tributary
to band of railroad magnates, or tha
farmers, artisans and merchants might
by hard work and keen Competition
raise up dozen Vandefbiits, with eacl
several hundred millions Of dollars
Those who entertain This feeling haV,
become persuaded that the time ha
arrived for the industrious masses o
this country TO protect themselves, /
they ever Intend to do so. 1t wilt Ger
tainlv not be. easier after the adversar,
has grown stronger. In this contes
every delay is TO the DISADVANTAGE o
the people Let the issue be defer
red for few years. and nothing but
/ miracle or revolution as violent as tlla
of France will overthrow the oppression
OF all misleading decisions, there i
none more mischievous than thl
notion that popular suffrag
and popular power are SYNONYMOUS
Given the means OF bribing multitudes
of inlimidating others, of wrecking op
ponents. coupled with actual possessio
OF sthe governmnnt, and adverse sent
ment must be paralyzed. If the saifrag