Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1883-04-28

makes % per cent. on lis capltal LOT Ten years
and has then more than trebled its property.
It employs 800 workingmen at wages that
just support them and their families. "A year
comes In which the managers percet e that
they can only make per cent. instead Of 70
At once they discharge 200 workmen Into
poverty and despair. The men have worked
faithfully in trebling their employer fortunes 1s
| tunes, these faithful men are cast out without
mercy. This is common form Of the cruelty
Of the wealthy units among us.
The power exercised In fraud and cruelty
interests individuals are directly and indi.
rectly cheated. Not only are laws framed
| for the benefit of the moneyed oppressor, but
his power enables him to refuse obedience to
| wholesome laws. II any laws should be most
carefully and equitably administered, they
community. Z cry citizen should bear his
equal proportion Ofthe public burdens. Yet
the wealthy units have no difficulty In throw
| ing the weight of taxation upon the poorer
classes by evading the payment oftheir iegiti-
mate taxes. A college professor by my side,
getting u meagre salary of 5000 year, and
having rs his only property mortgage OF
$1,000, conscientlously pays his 2 IL per
cent (S250) year of personal tax on this
mortgage, recei ing rs interest only ~ per
cent. (iso) while neighbor worth M .S,oooi. !.
600 pays not cent Of personal tax, although
heis owner OF fifty mortgages. beside large
amount Of railroad stock. By fiction Of
debt he escapes his taf. The wealthy
units practice this trick almost universally,
aud the authorities are perfectly aware Of 1t.
Their wealth Is the power that protects them.
If suits should be commenced against any
of these wrong-doers, theiE money enables
them to tire out the complainant BY the use
of technical delays, by spiriting away wit
well understood that no one who has any
worldly wisdom dares to enter the lists Of
law against any one of these gigantic reser-
voirs Of capital, and thev on their side under
stand this impunity aud immgnity,. and tm.
prove 1t diligently. These P,'wer-unns 81
full, because well paid, dependents, who
speak, write and act for them as occasion de-
mands, and VINO by their wit and. efrontery
manage 10 guide much OF public opinion IN
behalf Of their masters. Some OF these De-
pendents are editors Of influential nurnal..
who -kiEfully max the worse this better reac
son and cali evil good, s0that honest minded
readers are fOund to be sympathizing with
the unfortunate capitalists, a2ainst whom the
wicked proletariat says such hard Things.
But this state of things cannot always con-
tinue. The sense Of oppression ON the part
OF the people at large becomes deeper and
stronger. They begin to learn tnat their
reform leaders are bought up hy the money
power, and that the so-called reforms Are but
tubs thrown to the whale. They see that
a common feeling Of revenge unites them.
Now comes the catastrophe. AT the first
stroke they find themselvesTa a power, and
when men first discover their power they are
rec kless how they use 1t. They carryde
fp''cH The wsss sds propsT ans
dwellings. They overtnrn I'LL Institutions.
They paralyze trade. They annihilate society.
The tyranny of the rioneyed units has &C.
complished what nothing but tsrannyc can
aecomplish-the united action Of heteroge-
neous and naturally unorganized populace.
1t has unclaimed the tiger and SVhetted his
appetite for blood. These must Lot be con-
sidered as exaggerated prophecies. History
shows that we are sober IN Our statements.
The community cannot be plundered forever;
combinations Of capitalists aud Legislators to
rob the poor for the benefit OF the rich will
eventually meet with couuter-combination
which will not confine themselves TO robbery.
This is human nature Is well Is history.
The present peril of our country is exactly
here. The dangerous classes among US are
those who are engaged in annas,ing colossal
fortunes-the giants who tread ordinary men
under their heel, and care not how much the
people suffer. They are absorbed with their
own greatness, lifted by their. wealth out Of
all sympathy with the. mass Of mankind, and
live as If the world belonged to them. The
them, the appeals Of chsrity and benevoience
are spurned, the demand for 60 cooperation In
works for the public veal is slighted-while
all their milliens are poured into the channels
of their own seI6shiess..- In monarchial
countries. 80 long rs the people can find q
in r.pubiic like ours the time will come
sooner. Here the people will not wait until
they are ruined. They have some hotions Of
rights, and some forethought Of impending
evil, and they will anticipate their
own crisis by making ...., crisis for or
avoided The answer is simple. The dam
gerous classes must he rendered harmless. put
low can this be donep Only by righteous
laws. righteou>ly administered. These laws
will neither be administered nor made until
we put men in o:.ice who will spurn bribss,
direct or Indirect. The first thing, then, for
the safety Of our country is the election Of
honest and upright men to Office. We see
now in our legislative halls gamblers. drunk
ards. liberlines. ct I'd gsnas omae, who must
lives. A low >et Of liquor dealers make the
ordinances Of the city Q. New York. Politis .
| are run by rowdies and criminals, with whom
decent men caniot associate, except to be
detiled. Questions are decided not on their
| merit, but on the money in them. Until this
system Is entirely changed, and honest men
are elected to ONCE, We can nave no check to
| the dangerous classes and their schemes. An:
the system will not be change until rum
shop nominations are igno,ed and honest
| men NOle lOE CudTdCtCT SDu uuL lOT p6TIys
The second thing for our safety l. the en-
actment of laws to defend the poor mHn
against The rich oppr~ssor. No man >hou
be allowed to lord 1t over the in u>tries u
| the land no man Sill. ud b. allowed to hold
sway over the HIGHWAYS Of the nation in an
i.respon. .ible absOiutlsm. There must be q
Limit w Individual wealth ii we are to be pre-
served 4, republic. Then, corporate
wealth sh .uld be under strict supervision, ,,nd
it, management subject to just governmental
control. Furthermore, the wages of the
laborer should b.; re, ured t., him for year u,
time, in the case of salaried officer, to be
forfeited only for such misconduct as the
courts would recognize. Severest penalties
should he adjudxed Tor the avoidance Of tax
paving, and bribery siOuld be punished by
permanent loss oil citizenship and ten year.
imprisonment.
The third tning for our safety l. an execu
tive force fir. IN the governor tn policeman
who will watch for The public aud SEQ tht
laws enforced. Now we have 10 support
special private society to enforce any speria
group of laws. US for example, the excise. tht
gambling, and treatment Of animals laws
Without these societies there is no effort tt
stop the infraction of law. Men of inte.rit,
and Of just pride IL their office and It's true
functions should be the guardians Of the law
Agr,r we iI.ist tina these are sober word
ot ours, t. which il were we'll letharsl
community should give hael. Cease. we mel
of pleasure and Of buSine 8, ceasy from think
ing only of yourselves. Give Thought To til
public duties. Discharge the SOLEMN trust
; imposed upon you by your country, YOU
conscience and your God.