The daily gazette., 1881-02-11
PArDAY. FEBRUARY N. lssl.
THE ErpEcr OF MoNoporrrs.


Who can know the effect of monopo
lies upon any State, county or city;
In a new country like this there has
not been sufficient time to develope the
effects OF preventing the improve nent
oil locality when opportunity offers;
or, In the haste with which the Aneri.
can character pursues every business,
there is not TINA to make observation
necessary to perceive the effect of pre-
venting improvements when they
might be made with success. It is
only once in a generation that the
men, the capital and Tie cieUmstances
are found in combination to erect a
great work. This is fact which
every man Of experience and intellect
knows. Well then suppose you find
all these things combined ready
to build railroad as we now fiLd in
the case of the Delaware Western, the
Baltimore and Ohio and the New Jer.
sey Central railroads, to build q new
through line over our State, and you
allow the bill necessary to its legal
construction, to be defeated, the op-
Portuntty il thus lost, and may not
occur again for generation or two;
or perhaps never. For it is asserted
with great positiveness that if the
corporations that propose to build
this road are not permitted to 60
through our State aud approach our
city, they will build it through Penn
sylvania just beyond the borders of
Delaware. Now, then, what will be lhe
effect Of permitting monopoly" to
drive this enterprise from our State
from our very doors? Does 1T not
follow that the IN 1nopoly that has
been permitted to drive the new enter
prise away becomes master OF tile
situation? Such is undoubtedly the |
effect and the community that might
have been enlarged by the activity
and enterprise which competition be
gets dwindles down into slugsishness,
inactivity. Not unfrequently tn
very men dependent upon such
monopoly are thems lives injured
directly in their own personal pros
poets, and more indirectly in the
prospects of their children who in
stead of partaking Of the activity and
energy which great enterprises pro-
duce, finding around them inactivity
and want of employment sink into
idle habits from which they never re-
cover. Aud this Stale of affairs is to
exist until another opportunity for a
great enterpris, offers. When win
that occur? Echo answers, when?
But the m liter is not local. What
does this monopoly demand of the
people Of the State? Does it no. de-
maud that the State Treasury sh al be
depleted just to that extent that the
new enterprise would yield. Cel-
tainly and to that extent every tax
payer is compelled to pay to monopoly;
while he also is compelled to bear lust
such drains upon his purse as it NAV
demand for the ordinary service it per-
forms. This is the result of all
monopolies. Let our legislators rem
der even handed justice to our people. !
That is all that is demanded. Let
them NOT allow US, and our State, out
county or city TO become subseryiel
to the mere money power of absentees,
This is the opportunity, lei it not pass.
If it does then the Peninsula nav
suffer for half century, and its lands
dwindle in price, while the products
of other lands usurp the place which
the products of its lands, its bays and
ats rivers should have in the markets
OF the North, the East and the West.