Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1881-04-21

make these complaints to the reds
and communists Of = hygone day in
Paris" is to force upon t6s people q
the United States . disregard for law
and order which every good citizen
must deprecate. In . recent article
from the "Gnphic," touching upon the
objects and purposes Of the Anti-MoA
nopoly League, we find the following:
II We ever have . conflict bstwsen capital
and labor in this country II will b. bscanse
Of the injustice done the masses by corpor-
ate monopolies. It therefore behoovss all
classes Of citizens and particularly thoss Who
have property. to sustain the efforts now BE-.
ing made by reasonable and intelligent citi.
zens to limit the power Of mon who, to us
the words Of committee OF the United
States Senate, ''recognixe no priuciple Of
action but personal and corporate Aggrans
dixement.
The principles advocated by the
League are az follows:
.'Our principles: Anti.monopoly. .
We advocate and will support and defend
the rights OF the many ~ against privileges
for the few.
NuTkOIOVSOuu, tuo CIC1tIUO OF yQ0 0t8E0
shall be controlled by the State.
Labor and capital, allies not, enemies-
justice for both"
To put such = construction upon
them AZ you do in your editorial Of tho
23d ult., is in the highest degree un.
just believe it also to he unwise,
and only to be explained on the princi-
pie that 'whom the gods would do
stroy they first mako mad" II Msssrs.
Gould, Vanderbilt and their conferres
80 on watering stock oorrupting our
elections and legislatures and descrimi.
mating in their management Of public
highways until the people become des-
perate, they must expect desperate
remedies. II they only knew It, the
men who are now seeking by legal and
constitutional means to limit their
power and prevent these abuses, are
their best friends. and yet they repudi-
ate the idea they should submit to any
control, and through their journals de-
cry and misrepresent all efforts to that
lend.
| The Tribune in the above mention
cd article suggests that 'indcent and
grasping seltishmess underlics the agi-
tation Of the Anti-Monopoly League"
regarding the statement that the league
proposes to advocate laws to prevent
paying dividends on watered stock, tho
Tribune terms it "a piece of demagog-
J ism fit only for persons who are too ig.
norant to know that q five cent. divi.
dcnd on a stock Of twenty millions il
precisely equal to dividend Of ten poi
cint. on q stock Of ten millions, and
, that no laws restrict the merchant, the
1 lawyer or the farmer from getting 20
+ 30 or even SO per cent. profit upon ths
e capital invested ny him in his business
J. The passage is very suggestive. NJ
"A one will dispute that S per cent. OF
J. $40, 10000 is equal to 10 per cent. OF
J. $I0,OO0,O0O; but if the railroads an
o content with this, why increase tn
I stockY No one will find fault with tn,
9 railroad making 10 per cent. upon it
+ actual cost, but the public do object T.
s paying unlimited dividends on unlimi
ted stock, and l do not think it is {
: peace OF 'demagogism" to advocat'
d claws to prevent taxing the public 4
e pay dividends on watered stock" You
t. comparison of the merchant, the Law
!. yer, or tho farmer to the railroad
e equally unfair. Neither ct these cit
n xens have been given public franchis
"a to perform q public business, and
IS they had been the law Of supply an
t. demand and of competition works fres
D. ly in their cases, while with railroad
'e it is partially imperative. In the ON
r. cass the welfare Of the public is prt
of tected by the operation of these nat,
= raj laws; in the other it is not, an
ID therefore the railroad and the telegrap
OF sh. uld be subject to regulation in Il
,e interest of the public. l have alwa.
K noticed that when great corporation
's have been asking privileges from Il
C. public they put forward their publ
I'd nature very prominently; but when
comes to performing their duties to Il
Sc public they generally claim. the priv
ne eye Of private citizens.
e. The Anti-Monoply League reeog'
ar zes the fact that corporations have DO
IT, their rights and their duties, and
IN proposes to have both their rights q,
*. their duties, and it proposes as far
ed possible to see that both are observe
y Hoping that the Tribune willie b vi
lh ing to cooperate to this end, l RENAL
It. very respectfully,
(Signed) F. B. lHuRBER.
lat New York, Feb. %, 1881.
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