The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-04-15
w,sssAs-s LwVrEn.
The We've - the Secretary ~ ths TFeassFy
on the Great oaeslisas 90 the Nay.

Jhs Views % the Secretary 81 ths Trsasary
on the Great oaesaisas 90 the Nay.
My Dear Sir I'll deeply regret
that official duties Of an imperative
character prevent the acceptance
Of your kind Invitation to address the
meeting at Cooper institute eM the
2lst Inst. Until to-day hoped ~
30 able 10 arrange nay business ~ ~
70 attend the meeting, but 6nd II VIII
be impossible.
The. purpose Of your league, ~ |
understand IL, k mot 10 wage war
upen corporations or individuals, but
concedine 10 al their just rights, 10
demand fall projection for The rights
OF the sitlxsa against the Abases and
aggresslons Of corporate pswer, and
70 inslst upon the 'snfOrcemeat oi
those principals Of law and natural
right defined by tho supreme court
Of the United States. Ia this effort
you have my most hearty sympathy
and eooperatlon Your cause IL just,
but in such contest you grapple
with giants. Do not undsrrats the
pswsr or the skill of yeur antagonists.
wise and conservative councils will
alone secure success. You mast be
rs pronpt 10 conceds rights 80 you
are detsrmined In demanding them.
Ne agrarian o. comInuAlstlc spit'
must And plses In ysur proceeding.
The character Of the 9 On whe CON
pose your oreasiEation gives assuf-
ancs against danger es this psiat.
Constitutions natural rights, aud
the spirit Of our institutions are %
your side, intrenched behind these,
and sighting for the right, yeu cannot
FAIL.
Corporate power has doas much 10
develop our countTy. For its good
deeds / freely accord Il full credit.
As an instrement To execute the will
snA serve the Interests Of the public,
it is Of incalculabie value but ~ the
Imperlous ruler Of tho people 10 10 q
most cruel and relentless iyraat.
Kept with In the limits sf proper 70.
straint 10 is m Invaluable servant OF
the pubiIc. Uarestrainsd by the
forces Of law and public 0plnlsn 10
will Prsve q NEST dangerous m AstsF.
The individual citizen Il impolent 10
esntshd with this gigantic aud
rapidly growing power. Govsrinen-
mi authority, state and national,
alone II competent 10 restrain It's
aggressieas and correct It's abuses.
| have lsng fsresssx that the tune
would csms when the people would
bs compelled 10 iRvoke the exercise
Of that aathority for their protection.
I repeat to-day, In substance, weFds
uttered seven years ago, that "there
are In this country four men whO,
In the matter Of taxation, possess and
ffsqaentiy exerclss pswsrs whIeh
neither Coagrees nor aAy Of our State
Legislature would dare exert-Powsr.
which, II exercised In Great Britain,
would shake the throne 10 LIS very
foundation. These aIen may nj any
time and fer any reasou satisfactory
TO themselves, by strske Of the pen
reduce the value Of property In the
United States by hundreds Of millions.
They may at their ewn will and
pleasure dlsarrange and embarrRss
bvslness, depreus one city or locality
and build up asothsr, enrich one
individual and ruin his competitors,
and, when complaint Is made, csolly
rsply "what are you gsiRg to do
about itr'
The nsn who wicld this stupen
doss csrperats power have grows
wiser with the passage OF events.
Hitherto they have been apparently
content 20 absorb aud contrel the
great industrial and material Interest,"
Of the country, by monopoly Of the
channels and implements Of transpor.
tatien, but recently now and alarm.
Ing conditions are presented. They
know full well that II the people can
freely communicate with each other,
they win see the dangerous teAdeAciez
Of this pswer, and organize to re.
strain II. Hence, Ia order 10 lay
deep power, and to defeat the efforts
Of the people to curb Il, they have
now seized upen the channels oil
thought. Leok at 10 y mement.
One man, who csntrels moro mile
Or railread thaa any ether In the
world, and who Is almcst daily ad.
ding new lines 70 his colossal CON
blnati0n. new also controls the
tslsgraphic system Of the Unlted
States and Canada, and ls reaching
under the sea to grasp that OF Europe
Not eentant with all this, and deter.
naiaed that No instrument Of CONNER
cial and political power shall eludt
his grasp, he Is (as I learn) also the
owner Of three cut Of the eeves
newspapers which constitute Oh,
Associated Press, through the agency
81 which the news Is distributed
over the entire country. dc may
at ahy time secure the fourth paper
which Will give him absolute contro
ever the news the people receive
When that takes place what will b
our csndltione What chance vii
the People then have to resis
the %ensroachments Of corporate
power How shall they even com
municate with each other on th,
subject? what opportunity vii
there be for O fair discussion Of thes
queslionsY The daily news, supple,
10 the myriad Of newspapers, mus
Arsr pass undea the supervision q
enc or two men, whs represent -
Associated Press, and who are ~
Poiated by It's ewner. They wi
have full authority, and deubtles
| Will Be required to suppress, add te
or eoler the infermatlen thus ser