The Labor enquirer., 1883-12-08

i power has invaded the legislative cham
ii bers of the several states LISA notorionl
Il fact, that in more than ono state capita
Il notonly dictatesl legislatio but elects mer
Of its choice to the United States senate
4 The evil ends not here Descending
from the legislative hal, capital de
4 bauches thousands of the people in all
Of our great cities. by the lavish expen.
dlture of money it corrupts voters, con.
verts our elections into auctione, and
4 renders
THE BALLOT AN INSTRUMENT OF FRAUD AMI
OPPRESSION.
In many of the states moneyed organ
! izations constitute q force above political
parties, and no man, however eminent
4 his abilities or services, can hope to sue
ceed in public career if opposed by
THAT power, This system of corruption
increases and spreads with each recur-
ring political contest. Every year it be-
comes more open and shameless, and We
see in fact, if not in name, the yenal
i rabble of almost every city putting up
the municipal Offices for sale to the high
est bidder. When the price is paid and
the transaction consummated under the
forms of an election, the official title is
confirmed and ratified by the law
The concentration ofcapital by means OF
interpretations increases its efficiency and
renders it more aggressive than it could
have been when welded by citizens in
their private capacity. "A corporation
| is,n in the language of Chief Justice
| Marshall, "an artificial being, invisible,
Intangible and existing only In contem-
fplation of law" But under this legal
fiction and behind this ideal creation are
the intellect and passions of the men
who own the stock of the corporation
and direct its every movement.
As an illustration of a vast incorporate
money power, look at the railroad system
of the United States. We have more
than 10000 miles of railway, constructed
at a cost of over $1,000 100000, employ
ing more than 400, 900 persons, and yield
ing $500 100000 of annual gross earnings.
All this property owned by large mum.
Der of corporations is possessed and con-
trolled practically by fifteen or twenty
individuals. How they have used or
abused the power furnished by these
corporate agencies, we have seen. The
corrupting influences of capital misap-
piled have already effected a serious
injury to the country. What will it be
when at the dawn of another Centennial
America will have become almost as
densely populated as the empires of the
Old World; when cities like San Fran
cisco, Chicago and St. Louis shall each
equal the present population of New
York when the latter with Its suburbs
shall have more than {, 2,000, 600 of inhabi-
tants, and,when there shall be twenty
other cities in the United States each
with a population as great tas that Of
Chicago to-day How longcan law anu
order, the liberty of the citizen, and the
rights of property be maintained If the
system of popular corruption which now
prevails shall become permanent ele-
ment in our natipn2 Every reader of his
tory can forecast the destiny ofa republic
which rests on such foundation. 1t
will be written in characters of fire on
he canopy of night, and add another to
THE SOLEMN LESSONS OF THE PAST.
Florence, Venice and Genoa were in
the Middle Ages of Europe free and
prosperous republics, valiant in arms,
rich in commerce and glorious in their
works of uhrivalled art-nowl they live
only in the immortal legacies of genius
that has departed, Spain in the reign
of Charles v, girdled the globe with her
fortresses, and the decree Of her Cerles
controlled an empire in each hemisphere.
The mines of Mexico and South America
poured their treasures into her Golfers,
her Argosies were freighted with the
wealth of every CLINE and her armies
under leaders like Alva made the stand
ards of Spain the symbols of resistless
valor, Now, Spain is a third rate power;
her people ever restless under despotism,
are yet incapable of freedom her wealth
has vanished and her colonies, with the
exception of ill-fated Cuba, independent
states. The causes which led to the de-
cline of Spain and the Italian republics
are obvious wealth and luxury in the
hands of few, with poverty and de-
basement as the lot of the masses, first
corrupted, and then enervated the en-.
tire people. Internecine strife sprang
from these corruptions and FASTENED the
work of national destruction. Let us
profit by their example.
Among the duties of capital is the OBJ
legation to furnish employment and
wages, sufficient for the support of life
to eyery denizen of the land who is able
and willing TO work. In period of
overwhelming financial distress, when
individual capital cannot meet the ext
eencies of the hour, our state and munlc-
ipal governments should provide work
for the industrious poor. 1t is duty
that grows out OF the very objects tor
which society was organized. The greater
security and higher enjoyment OF life
are the chief aim of civilization. In
vain do we demand obedience to the
law, if society, which makes the law,
refuses to preserve the lives of its MEM
bers. If the state cannot do that much
for the humblest of its citizens,
THEN LET US DISSOLVE OUR SOCIAL COMPACT
and return to the lawless freedom of
| nature. As our American communities
are now constituted, shelter and food are
bestowed on the criminal classes while
the yirtuous poor, seeking employment,
NAV perish on the highway before the
state or municipality will give them
work. This is radically wrong. Even
the despotic governments of Europe dis
play more wisdom and humanity. In
seasons of general distres works of pub
lie utility under the direction of compe-
tent officers afford employment to null
titude who ask no other wages than a
subsistence for themselves and families.
Why is it that in free America, in a
government of the people, we pursue
exactly the contrary course? Is it not
far better to spend the public moneys
upon works of public improvement than
in supporting military force or hordes
of policemen to suppress the violence
which poverty and despair inspire.