The National tribune., 1882-02-18
The Struggle with Monopoly.

The Struggle with Monopoly.
Sooner or later the question of railroad and
telegraph monopoly is sure to take the place of
the old political issues and the struggle between
the monopolists and the people will be fought
out at the polls. The obstacle which at present
bars the way to a successful agitation of the
issue is the lack of proper organization among
those who are disposed to espouse the interests
of the people The monopoEsts have all the
money on their side and they control, directly or
indirectly, both political parties, so that at first
sight all the material advantages would seem to
be in their favor 1t must be remembered how
ever, that every great reform that has been ac-
complished in this country has had Just such a
formidable opposition to contend with and
has triumphed in spite of it. How few in num-
bers and how weak in organization were the
early Abolitionists, and yet what vast results
attended the public agitation of the slavery
question which they brought about A single
idea sown to the wind fertilized whole CONT
nent! What has been may be again. 1t is true
that for the moment the people seem pOwerless
to wage a successful war against monopoly.
They have neither leaders nor a press, and Con-
gress turns deaf ear to their entreaties. But
the spirit of revolt against the monster grows.
The seed sown by the Changers is sprouting in
every direction and although the sewers, for
saking their own furrow for the devious trad of
the paper money heresy, have gone hOpelessly
astray, there will be reapers enough to garner
the crop when it is ripe. What is wanted now,
most of all, is definite plan of attack and
generals to marshal the army Monopoly must
be fought in detail if it is to be fought
at all. To make wholesale war upon rail-
roads and telegraph lines is simply to invite
defeat Before Congress can be expected to take
up the cause of the people, the latter must open
the campaign in their local legislatures. In some
of the States the battle has already been begun
in one or two it has been already won. Strange
to say more has been accomplished in the South
than in the North and West, owing, perhaps, to
the fact that the Southern legislator is as proud
as he is poor and stickler still for State rights
We note, however, growing disposition every
where to curb the recklessness of monopoly by
stringent legislation. 4 bill is now pending in
the West Virginia Legislature which imposes the
most rigid limitations as to passenger and freight
rates upon the railroads which do business in that
State, and similar measures have been introduced
in the General Assemblies of other States. For
the time they may all fail of passage but the pub
lie sentiment which compels their introduction
will be strengthened rather than weakened by
temporary defeat, and it will ultimately force
their adoption. To what extent the general
Government should exercise control of the rail-
road and telegraph lines may be an open ques-
ton, but that some sort of limitation must be
put to their exorbitant exactions is too plain to
be disputed Perhaps the establishment of postal
telegraphy in connection with our mail service,
in the near future, will open a way out of the
complications which at present hedge about the
question. Certainly people which refused to
hold another race in bondage will not long sub
NIT to be bound to the wheel of Monopoly