Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-11-21

tons are doomed to be subverted by
an oligarchy resting upon basis Of
money and of corporate power"
That is the evidence of an honest,
independent man, and of one who
had the facilities and the intelligence
to see the dire effects Of the power
ard influence of money when array
ed against the public welfare.
The states of the union are all
more or less controlled by what is
called "the money power" and moth
ing but an intelligent and ever vigil
ant public sentiment continually
represented by honest and capable
public servants can resist its nalign
and selfish influence. The adoption
of the constitution proves that the
people Of Southern Dakota are not
fully alive to the Importance of this
question. The corporations, through
their agents in the Sioux Falls con-
vention, dictated the abominab}e
taxation clause which SO aroused the
alarmed antagonism of the south
eastern counties. That power al
ready has firm grip on our polite
al machinery. AS you well know,
for you was clerk in the last legisla-
ture, the agents of the corporations
were power with the last legisla-
ture, as they have. been with every
Dakota legislature since the first rail-
road was built in the territory. Our
present organic law declares that
our legislatures shall not pass laws
making any discrimination in tax
ing different kinds of property, but
that all property subject to taxation
shall be taxed according to it's val
ue." And yet railroad companies
have the faculty of inducing our leg
islators to discriminate in taxing
their property, so that the masses of
the people have to pay more than
their share to support the govern
ment. Yet our legislators are sworn
to sustain the organic law. What it
is that induces them to violate their
oath in this matter, l will not pre-
tend to say.
Against the combined power of
money and influence is arrayed an
honest but unorganized people. If
they could fully understand the
magnitude Of the evil that threatens
them, they would exercise their pow
er for their own good; but a sufli-
cient and judiciously selected lying
press, backed up by the influence Of
loca! politicians, will put off the day
when the corporations will be rele-
gated to where they belong-under
the dominion of law. If the, laws
are not framed and administered in
the interest of the masses alone, they
will be for the few; and when a con-
stitution is SO framed as to give a
legislature a discretion in the taxa
ton Ut property, are we not justified
in believing that future legislatures
of Dakota may be induced to be Iiber-
ii with rich corporations? The his
tory of Dakota and the states fully
justifies that belief; and that sort Of
legislation, however much it may
find favor with wise men of to-day,
is, if persisted in, certain to disrupt
the commonwealth. That kind of
legislation has made our Vanderbilts,
Goulds and Mitchells, and us they
have accumulated their enormous
fortunes, some Of their fellow citizens
have been stripped to make up the
pile. Daniel Webster's opinion is
not altogether out of place here.
He said: 1.-THE freeest government
cannot long endure where the ten
dency of the law is to create rapid
accumulation of property i'll the
hands Of the few, and to render the
of the people poor and de-
pendent" Now, as the fortunes
refer to were accumulated through
The machinery OF corporations, and
as corporations are wholly depend
ent upon law for their creation and
powers, and as law is the will of the
people, it behooves the people to see
TO it that their will is a just and eq-
liable one, and justly administered;
tor the happiness of the people de-
ponds upon the impartiality and JUS
tice of the laws.
Parties ought to organize on this
issue, or all parties should accept the
doctrine that the people should con-
troll the corporations. fit turns out
that we are stuck" with this consti-
tuition, l prophesy much trouble for
the people. Some Dakotaians pre-
tend to be amazed that fellow citi-
zen will insinuate that the peoples
representatives are not to be trusted,
but the evidence is against them.
Hon. James b. Beck, Of Kentucky,
in the U. S. senate, said:
1T is impossible to have an hon
est legislature, state or federal, so