The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-11-30
LETTER FROM JUDGE BLACK.
The Duty Of Citizens to Put
Patriotism Before Parti-
sanship.
Capital Has Got Labor BY the Throat,
and VIII Not Suffer Anything TO
30 Done lbr tn Relief


Of the Rev. Mr.. Crosby which you were
kind enough to send mo, and | improve
the occasion 10 congratulate You upon
the boom which anti-monopoly is get.
ting. When your league was formed
less than two years ago II seemed to be
going out on forlorn hope; now the
people are rushing to the rescue Of
their rights with spirit that reminds
one Of the old days when Jackson led
them. Mr.. Gro .by's letter is comfort
ing sign that behind the battle OF mere
partisans there is q reserved moral
force which may be counted to in
tervene before the worst comes to the
worst.
Be not, however, over-confident Of
final success. This monopoly dragon
has many heads and power Of multi
piled reproduction. Every where and
1T NIL times the rights Of property have
suffered from its dreadful depredations.
In this country the devices are innu-
merable by which it aprropriases to it.
self the earnings of labor, the products
Of land and the profits Of legitimate
commerce without right or title, except
what it gets by corrupt legislation and
the favor Of vicious Government.
What m 1kes II most formidable Is the
high character Of the men who support
it and the good faith in which they act.
Monopolists never feel doubt about
the righteousness OF the system which
builds up their colossal fortunes. How
they manage their consciences do not
know; and they themselves are not able
to tell but they do it successfully. An
English gentleman OF large estate de-
clared that ever after the repeal Of the
corn laws. he knew and felt that it was
most infamous outrage on humanity
and justice to tax the bread Of the poor
for the purpose of swelling the income
Of the rich; but he had not thought 30
before the repeal; while the corn laws
were making large yearly addition to
his rents, he was able by some mystic
rious process to reconcile warm sup
port Of them with his duty to God and
man. Mr.. Ames spoke With entire
frAnkness, when he said, concerning
the gigantic frauds OF the Union Pacific
Railroad Company, that he never
dreamed Of anything wrong in the busi-
ness. or heard 4 suggest on to that ef-
feet from any Of his associates. That
was because they were getting, or ex-
pecting to get, hundred mil ions by it.
A gift blindeth the eye and peryert-
eth tn judgment of the righteous /
have known hundreds Of large manu-
facturers who got their labor at starva-
ton wages. and sold the products in :
monopolized market ut double price;
and oil Of them, with one single cxcep-
ton, blessed tho tariff which protected
them in the practice of their double <
toriion. Gov. Stanford, Of California,
il . perfectly honest man, but he be-
lieyes that the pile of nncountel mill
ions, which he has won by desolating
the land and scourging the industry Of
the country with his railroad monopoly.
is ~ Justly acquired as if he had earned
il by the sweat of his face. Moreover,
he has publicly avowed his convection
that the great highway between the
oceans, built and equipped at tho pub
lie expense by public authority, for
the public use, benefit and behoof, is
the private property Of himself and his
associates who are appointed to man.
age it as agents Of the public; and he
will acknowledge no right Of the public
which may conflict with his proprietary
dominion. And to this doctrine other
good men with similar interests devont-
" say, Amen! They donot see what is
pa!pably plain to impartial persons,
that an Admiral Of the navy might ~
we'll claim to be the owner OF the fleet
he commands and use il to levy for his
private chest "as much AZ the traffic will
bear upon all the commerce Of the
seasD
This faith in the moral and legal
goodness Of their cause makes monopo-
lists active and gives them powerful
influence. They are very sincere, re-
spectacle, greedy. rich, strong and un-
scrnpu'ous in the use OF their strength.
They have modes OF oper tim which
you can neither adopt nor counteract.
The popular instruction which threat
ems to defeat them at the coming elec-
tions may cripple but it will not kill
them. They will reassert their control
over your Representatives as boldly ~
ever; and how successfully you may
Judge from what has happened in Penn
sylyania. Our constitution declares
that railroads and canals are public
highways, devotes them to the use Of
all the people upon equal terms. for
bids all manner Of fraud AMI favoritism,
all extortion, oil oppressive exactions,
and all determinations between persons
or places. II then expressly commands
that the General Assembly shall carry
these provisions into effect by appropri-
ate legislation. We elect our legislators
and regularly swear them, not merely
TO support, but to obey the constitution.
Nevertheless, arguments which monop-
oily alone knows how to use have con-
vinced them that this part Of the con-
stitution ought to be treated with silent
disregard; and the abuses of railroad
power not only go on but get worse and
worse.
The actual consequences resulting to
the country from the measures Of the
monopolists have not, l think, been
truly represented or properly consid-
cred. For many years past all legisla-
tion has been partial to large capt. lists,
and correspondingly injurious to the
rights Of land and labor. To what per-
nicious extent this system has been car
ried | need not say, for it is seen and
known Of all men. IL cannot aud il will
not come to good. Artificial regulations
Of that character have never, since the
beginning of the world, had any effect
hut bad one on the general condition
OF the society that tried them. But the
monopolis,s INSIST that they have
chan cd the nature Of things and en-
riched the masses of the people by the
simple process Of tilchiag from them the
fruits Of their toll. They loudly cry ont
that the whole country is in state Of
loundless prosperity They get this
brag inserted in political platforms
wherever they can, and thunder
1t from every stump on which
they are permitted to speak. Bnt i,