The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-06-07

Of a 90 per cent. tariff. To
The day of his death he was staunch
and said free trade would
ruin our "infant industries. Evidently
the $3,OOO,0OO which he was enabled
to lay by from his little cherub OF IN
"infant industry did not represent
what he had added to production. 1t
was the advantage given him by the
tariff that enabled him to scoop il up
from other peoples earnings.
This element Of monopoly, Of appro-
priation and spoliation will, when We
come to analyze them, be found to
largely account for ell great fortunes.
There are two classes Of men who are
always talking as though great fortunes
resulted from the power of increase be-
longing to capital-thosc who declare
that present social adjustments are oil
right, and those who denounce capital
and insist that interest should be abol-
ished. The typical rich man Of the one
set is no who, saving his earnings, de-
votes his surplus TO aiding production,
and becomes rich by the natural growth
Of his capital. The other set make cal
culations Of the enormous sum dollar
put out at per cent. compound inter-
esl will amount to in . hundred years,
and say we must abolish interest If we
would prevent the growth Of great
fortunes.
But | think II difficult to instance
any great fortune really due to the
legitimate growth Of capital obtained
by industry.
The great fortune Of the Rothschilds
springs from the treasure secured by
the Landgrave Of Hesse-C Cassel by SELL
ing his people to England to fight
against our forefathers in their struggle
for independence. II began in the
blood money received by this petty
tyrant from greater tyrnnts a. the price
OF the lives Of his subjects. It has grown
to its present enormous dimensions by
tho iobhing Of loans raised by European
Kings for holding in subjection the
people and waging destructive wars
upon each other. It no more repre-
sents the earnings OF industry or of
capital than do tho sums now being
wrung by England from the poverty
stricken fellahs Of Egypt to pay the
enormous profits on loans to the
khcdive, which he wasted on palaces,
yachts, harems, bNllet-dancers and cart
loads Of diamonds, such as he gave to
the Shernans.
The great fortune of the Duke Of
Westminster, the richest OF the rich
men Of England, is purely the result Of
appropriation. 1t no more springs
from the earnings Of the present Duke
Of Westminster or any Of his ancestors
than did the great fortunes bestowed
bs Russian monarchs on their favorites
when they gave them thousands Of the
Russian people as their serfs. An En-
glish King. long since dead, gave to on
ancestor of the present Duke Of West
Minister piece OF land over which the
city of London has now extended--that
il to say, he gave him the privilege,
still recognized by the stupid English
people. which enables the present
Duke to appropriate so much Of the
earnings Of so many thousands OF the
present generation of Englishmen.
So, too, the great fortunes Of the
English brewers and distillers have
been largely built up by the operation
of the excise in fostering monopoly and
concentrating the business.
j Here. as in the cases first cited, We
may see in our great fortunes the work
ing OF the same or similar causes. Take
thr great fortune Of the Astors. It re
ports for the most part similar appro
priation Of the earnings Of others .,
does the income Of the Duke of West
!, minister and other English landlords
! The first Astor made an arrangement
with certain people living in his tim,
!. hv virtue Of which his children are al
lowed to tax other peoples children
! to demand very large part OF thei
| earnings from many thousands OF tn,
present population II New York. II
! great element is not production or saw
; ing. No human being can produc
land or lay up land. II the Astors has
all remained IN Germany, or if ther
: had never been any Astors, the land o
Manhattan Island would have beel
: here all the same.
Take the great Vanderbilt fortune
! The first Vanderbilt was . boatmal
! who earned money by hard work an,
: saved il. But il was not working an
A saving that enabled him to leave sue
an enormous fortune. 1t was spolia
. ton and monopoly. As soon IS he &c
I money enough he used 1t as club 7
, cxtort from others their earnings. H
I ran of opposition lines and monope
1 lized routes Of steamboat travel. The
Z he went into railroads, pursuing tn
e same tactics. The Vanderbilt fortun
4 no moro comes from working and 50,
1 ing than did the fortune that Cap
Q Kidd buried.
1 Or take the great Gould fortune. Mi
Y Gould might have got his first littl
/ start by superior industry and superic
Q self-denial. But it is not that whic
' has made him the master of hundre
. millions. It was by wrecking railroad
busing Judges. .corrupting Legislature
!. getting up rings and pools and con
i binations and raise or depress stoc
i values and transportation rates.
j. So, likewise, Of the great fortune
4 which the Pacific railroads have creates
4 They have been made by lobbyin
q through pronigated donations OF land
v bonds and subsidies, by the operation
It Of Credit Mobilier and contract IN
n finance companies, by monopolizing az
3 RouglnR. Auu 30 vi ioItuucc iA0No
20 such combinations as the Standard q
Z Company, the Bessemer steel ring, Il
|? whisky-tax ring, tho Lucifer-matt
l, ring. and the various rings for the pr
10 lection of the American workman fro
le the pauper labor Of Europe"
A. Or take the fortunes made out OF 81
T. cessfnl patents. Like that element
u so many fortunes that comes thronl
ly the increased value Of land, these !
$ suit from monopoly, pure and simpl
And though / am not now discussii
n the expedieney OF Patent laws, It M
0. be observed, in passing, that in the va
IN majority Of cases tho men who ma
n fortunes out Of patents are not the m
re who make the inventions.
,r Through all great fortunes, and,
IA fact, through nearly all acquisitio
'. that in these days can fairly be term
O. fortunes, these elements OF monopol
as OF spoliation, of gambling, run. I
% head Of one OF the largest manufact,
ae ing firms in the Unted States said
"A me recently: 1T is not on our ordina