Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-08-31
Dangerous Powers,



Chicago Express.
Power is dangerous when not con-
trollcd for good. When properly cor
trollcd, It's usefulness is measured by
its might. and the extent to which it
is utilized. This is not only true Of
the elements and the physical forces of
nature, but of human institutions.
The war power is Il blessing when
exercised to protect and defend public
rights and to insure and maintain
private security, but it is curse in
proportion to its magnitude when cX-
crciscd for conquest, or for the pur-
pose of protecting outragcs upon
rights.
But there is no power SO dangerous
to society, nor SO hard TO restrain, rs
that Of great accumulations of wealth
in individual hands. ItiS not necessary
TO multiply words or to present proof
Of the almost invnciblcpowcr Of wealth,
with the living example Of the Roth
SchildS before the eyes of the world,
when hardly n nation of Europe could
declare war, make peace, or modify its
financial and industrial institutions
without first consulting and obtaining
the consent of these money dcSpOts.
This is the most dangerous Of all pow
crs. Other great powers originated
from and grew out Of public necessity
but this is the child ofayaricc and greed
and the oilSpring of ScliishnrsS.
The danger Of any power depends
upon the objects of its creation and
the nature of the forces which control
it. The power of governments, having
grown from public necessity, and be-
ing supported by public contribution,
must yield public protection, or they
are in danger Of being oycrthrown. or
passed over TO hands that will better
serve the public needs,
The war power was born Of good mo-
tiycs II was created rs Il bulwark Of
defense against common enemies, and
| IFS abuses may be corrected by those ii
was created to serve. But the money
power is the upaS tree Of civilization.
1t is the aggregation, concentration,
and organization Of all the base and
wicked passion, which characterize the
most barbarous ages II is brigandism
gone 10 seed. The millionaircs of the
nineteenth century are the antetypcs Of
the frcchooicrs of the middle ages.
The vast accumulationS Of our money
kings are the results of the same Sordid
greed for gain that scared the hearts of
ancient bandits. The mountain bri-
gands Swoopcd down upUnthcpcaSantS
of the valley, and by the right Of might
carried of and appropriated the fruits
Of their toll. In the same manner the
bank and othcrcorporatc robbers swOop
down upon modern industry, and by the
right ofIcgali2cd might commit dcprc-
dations Il, disastrous to society aS were
those of their ancient prototypes.
The national banking association,
composed of Il few individuals, repre-
Scuts IN organized capital of : $50, ,OOO,-
600.
Jay Gould i. the autocrat OF ll,1ll
mile, Of American railway, represent
ing an organized capital Of SG5o,o0o.-
600.
If from IN obscure pawnbrokcr the
three thousand million power Of the
RothschidS could grow and become the
ruler Of European powers and princi-
paltirS in the space Of two-thirdS Of a
century, how long will it take these
American infant giants to be able to
stamp ont the last ycstigc Of popular
liberty and constitutional government
in this country? How long will it take
them to cnSlavc the labor Of the new
world, rs the labor Of the old is al
ready cnslavcd by the same spirit and
power? VIII they do il if strong
enough? Are these enormous fortunes
sources OF danger? They cannot be
otherwise.
The bow and bludgcon Of the middle
ages have given way to chartered pow
crS and corporate privileges of more
refined, but not less ungodly, brigand-
ism. Those who acquire power through
robbery will use that power to enlarge
the sphere Of their dcprcdatons. Hay
ing built his $GjO,OOO,OOO Juggcrnaut
out of the crushed blood and bones OF
labor Jay Gould will hardly use ii as
an orphan asylum for the poStcrity
, of lis victims. He made il
! by robbery, and will use il
:. power to aid him in multiplying hi
, conQuc>ts. Greed and avaricc grow
with qualification, and he who sears hi,
conscience for million will sell hi
soul for ten. The only salvation fol
society and for civilization is for tn,
people to turn out and hunt down anC
destroy these corporate monsters a'
= they would beasts of prey thirsting fol
- human blood.
X We would not destroy railroads, OF
i corporations organized TO promote the
! public good, but we would wrest them
from the grasp of those who use then
as engines of destruction and robbery
}, and make them what they were intend
= ed 10 be, promoters Of the interests
d which patronizc and sustain them.
And there is no time to be lost. Every
day and hour their power for evil is in
crcasing, and in the same ratio the pco
pies powers of resistance are diminish
n ing. Every year brings Us nearer thu
l point of balance, which, if passed, vii
5 mark the grave Of industrial hope an,
IS prosperity in the new world.
G We would not permit pestilcntia
: pool to be constructed in the heart o
IL the city. We wouldnot allow savag
:: wild beast to be turned loose in tn
. crowded streets. We would not per
: nit deadly poisonous serpent to b.
II reared in a nursery to amusc the chill
l. dren, nor would we tolerate the runnin!
II at large of n murderous maniac.
Why then should we permit the I'm
G bridled exercise of powers and passion
: which combine all the horrors ant
! dangers to society and the state o
l. pcsticncc, famine, desttution, food
flame and death?
The Tax on Sugar.
In 1881 the United States collected