The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-11-17
WHERE rur REAL POWER LEs.

front and asserting their sovereignty. In
an elective government the danger lies in
the influence exerted by money, by posi-
ton, by powerful corporations, and the
substitution of plutocracy for an ariseoc-
racy Of blood, During the past fifteen or
twenty years the United States have been
steadily going down hill, as far as the exer-
else Of the right of suffrage is concerned.
A few men have not only run the govern
ment and lorded it to suit themselves ia
public affairs, but have bya liberal use OF
money and the influence Of position, abso.
lutely controlled popular elections in a
majority of the states. SO pronounced has
this fact become that the republican party
imagined but short while since that
they had ceased to be the stewards and had
become the masters of the Union. The
possession Of wealth insured its owner
almost anything he might desire and was
indispensable in obtaining nomination.
The manufacturers and monopolists, pro
tected by the general government and
given, in fact, from so to 100 per cent. OF
the earnings OF the masses by the tariff ex-
tortion, have handled Legislation after their
own fancy and have begun to feel that the
country belonged to them. The great
unwashed" behind them, the wonderful
significance of universal suffrage, have been
ignored and apparently forgotten, but they
have again come TO the front and impressed
upon their would-bc bosses the fact that
the people rule after all. The result of the
recent elections, the greatest matter Of in
terest now, of course, in the land, conveys
one unmistakable impression, and that is,
that the masses have turned soidly into
line and rebuked the wealth and petted in
terests that have for so long a time assumed
to be the government. 1t takes time to
convince the multitude and in our rapid
and grasping American life, voters and cit
liens are far more interested In making iy-
ings and accommodating property than in
looking after politics. AS u consequence, n
handful of men have been permitted Ia
take charge of everything. But when the
people are once thoroughly aroused their
vengeance is terrible and their
methods swift, We have been steadily and
systematically growing for II few years past
into simply rich mans government. For
the men of wealth and power, manurac-
turers and others, legislation has gone
unusual lengths, the constitution has been
violated, and with lily concealed contempt
the party in power has laughed at the de-
mands for reform. After the blindness o
years, sight has been restored to the rea
sovereigns. The truths that they have so
long refused to listen TO are now recognized
and in consequence they have acted almost
as one man in the punishment which ha.
been melted ont to the republican
party. The campaign in the United
States in 1882 may safely be sale
to have been fight between
wealth and poverty, the boss and tn,
laborer, and fortunately poverty and labor
have been intelligent enough to see ia,
exact issue and act accordingly. The re
suit will bring rejecting minds back [,
those first principles of our government 5,
| often of late years forgotten, that the PEG
pie rule, and that the only source of powe
lies with the ma SEES, each voter being il
his way sovereign The true sovereign
have declared in their recent action tina
the corruption which has been uncheckc,
and growing so long, the lordly condact o
the bosses and men of wealth, must civ,
way, for time at least, and let those en-
titled to manage their own affairs manag,
them. In the general apathy which ha
been of late years manifested towarC
the correction of governmental abuses and
the enactment of needed reforms, it is re,
freshing to see general interest by the PEG
pie in public affairs once more. 1t is to b,
hoped that the rebukc will be continue,
for some years to come, or at least Ion,
enough TO afford opportunities to the ele
ment just placed in power to do something
There are in the sub strata of society, in thu
humber walks of life, the forces to give IL
Just such an administration as we need ant
wish for, and there is truly cause for RI
joicins that the election of last week so for
chilly again called the public attention t.
the real sources of power and sovereign,
with us-a matter SO little thought OF, @
late years.