Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-01-20
Corporate Power.

done much to challenge intelligent
consideration of the great danger
which threatens the safety of our in
stitutions from the increasing power
and greatly augmented wealth of the
railroad monopolics of the country.
These two documents emenated from
widely different sources but they reach
the same disheartening conclusions. 1t
is clearly demonstrated that We are
to-day dominated in every branch of
the Government by the incorporated
capital of the land. The Goulds,
Vanderbilts and Huntingdons are the
real fountains of political power, ana
their abject dependents are found in
every station, from the judge upon the
bench to the Insignificant member of
the State legislature. Popular cleo
tions are popular farces and the will
of the people is subverted at the
bidding of the cooperative interests of
the country. The constitutions of
States are ignored and their provisions
ruthlessly disregarded. Subservient
legislatures, by cunningly devised stat.
utes, render the organic law abor-
tive and powerless. incorporated cap
ital invades the Congress of the ma
tion and endeavors to defeat legisla-
tion which may affect its interests.
II lays its hand upon State legisla-
lures and bids them reject men of
known capacity and ability for United
States Senators, and accept those
whose only claim to such distinction
is in the possession of great wealth.
Thus while the people slept has u
plutocracy arisen in their midst more
powerful and despotic than kings or
emperors. The Republican party is
responsible for this It's leaders first
resortcd to the use of money in carry
ing elections, in dcbauching courts and
bribing legislators. The lobby was
unknown in the days of Democratic
ascendency, but under the sway of the
Republican party it was more power
full than the two Houses of Congress
themselves. The great railroad mag
mates had sumptous apartments in the
capitol of the nation, and here came
the unfaithful representatives of the
people to bow before the god of gold.
Subsidies, gifts and gigantic land
grants burdencd the statute books.
while the people groaned beneath a
constantly increasing load of indiscrim-
mate taxation. The great banking
institutions had but to command and
they were obeyed This was the state
of affairs when the Democratic party
came into power and place in the Con.
gress of the United States. The lob
by-that standing disgrace of national
legislation-was routed horse and
foot. Allen G. Thurman, the fearless
Democratic Senator from Ohio, forced
an arrogant and powerful railway
company to disgorge a part of the
money it owed the government. The
era of subsidies was past, thanks to the
benign influence of Democratic states.
manship. But incorporated capital
bided its time. Every Senator and
member of Congress who had the
courage to place himself upon the side
of the people against organized mo-
nopoly was marked, and one by one
they have fallen. Thurman, MELON
aid, Eaton and Wallace with a score
of members of the House have gone
down before the onslaughts of wealth.
Hancock, the peerless representative
of all that was best and purest in our
hopes of the future, fell transfxed by a
lance from the hands of incorporated
capital. The lower branch of Con.
gress has been wrested from Democrat.
ic control and at once we hear that 9
powerful lobby is in Washington to
prevent, If possible, the passage Of
Representative Reagan's interstate
commerce bill this session. The Re
publican members are to act a. OBJ
structionists to the end that the bill
may On ovpr IN tho nexl House whera