Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1883-04-28
Omr AGENTS.

Eli HundoHt. ~" - -
3. W. Neal ................... .....''.
John p. Ardingsr. ...Anllviiles
G. Q. Parent. -. ....:: -: " 0.e--s
TIE DANGEROUS GLASSES.
Threatening Danger That Comes
From tho Rich ana Powerful In
thb Community.
The Growing Power OF q Class OF
Tyrants Calling for the Ven
geance of the Oppressed
A State of things to
to be Looked to.
from the North American Review.l
It has been our habit to look for national
disaster t. ON the lower strata of society. We
fear the ignorance and vice Of the masses
We see the appalling instances Of reckfessness
and brutal violence in the haunts Of infamy.
as they are rec ,rded in the daily press, and
naturally conclude that this element Of evil
only ne. is growth such growth rs the rum
shops aud y bribed police will promote-in
order TO overthrow the existing order and
carry d-sOlatiUn through the land. The
reasoning is just. We have seen In our own
country what = power for evil these debased
class ) are, in the riots Of 1877. New York
CITY saw these wild forces ut work in 1868.
History will ever point, as to one OF her most
conspicuous pages. to the reign OF terror IN
bleeding France, where the fierce passions OF
men who were nearest the brute made havoc
with all that wa, beautiful or orderly or
ghod. But he Whose m'nd rests upon these
lower cla>>es rs the cause Of these horrors
IL no philosopher. He Is content with SUI
peririal view. A philosophical analysis Of
the explosions Of The pulace which have 80
s,f. Il. tph nlrh
wo..ld reveal q series of CAUSES Leading far
ava, from the pOpulnce itself. In ancient
Greece. the revolutions which established the
deMOcracies were movements Of the lowest
cIus ,e. Of ihe people but ,be fore these sings,
we find in many instances the tyrin!cal oi'-
pres,i,,n> of y desi .ot and his court, which to-
day. would be styled y ''ring." IL was the
long period OF feayiul oppression in rance,
represented b. ths- selnsh aud voluptuous
courts of Louis XIV, and Louis XIV, during
which the peasant was but 3 beast Of
burden or q tool of. greed, which
produced The reaction of the revOu-
tion. Gun powder is innocent until you ig-
mite il. The coarse vice which prevails in the
lowest classes eau be perilOns to the state at
larg- only rs it is turned into insurrectionary
channels by the gross Injustice OF the higher
classes. This coarse vice may indeed do
local iarni. 1t may generate thieves. bur-
glars and murderers, and it certainly will do
this, but the ordinary machinery of govern
in check. The mott es which head the local
crimes are not those (which produce revolu-
tons. They are simply personal greed or
enmity. These local crimeScan seldom move
multitude, or If they dc, the movement takes
the shape of q temporary riot. The lowest
classes are in themselves the dangerous
classes only 80 far as this.
The greater danger-the danger compared
with which all this local disorder is As moth
ing, the danger which threatens the uproot-
nj:
tions, the de.tructionOf liberty aud the desc
latiOn of all-is that which comes from the
rich and powerful classes in the community.
What we have to fear is the encroachments of
these influential elements upon the rights of
the people, until, under sense ofoppression,
the people, who are naturally timid and slow
to q In organization, are forced into united
resistance, which necessarily (frOm the con.
stitution Of the mssses) becomes destructive
TO civilization and social welI-being. Mere
demagogues, even with socialistic or nihilistic
rasings, are Of no avail with the masses, un-
less great grievance of formidable sort
supports them. Herr Most Is ouly ludi-
crDus in America, but in Russia he would be
firebrand TO y magazine. Itshoud be our
aim. amid our liberties, to prevent our coun-
try from becoming Russia.
The form In whish danger threatens us is
that Of units of vast money-power. Power
units are the cause Of opposition everywhere,
aud IN this country the power that Is recog-
nized is money. Dynastfc power and mill
tary lower are not present dangers, and
probably never will be, except as olRcomes of
re Oiution caused by the abuses Of The money
power. But everything with US fosters the
accumul sfiUn of mUley in thu hands of y few
individuals or of allied corporations (allied
source, of material wealth INCUR mines and
our IN ans of communication enable the qui.k
aud unscrupnlOus to become Oligarchies of
this money wer, ordinary ability and hon
est beiug ran over and trainpl' under foot
In the competition. The men who wieid this
p"wer Cal, control legislatures, courts aud
exc utive officers, aid 50 c-'ver their tyral:
nical acts with the semblance Uf Legality.
Their no-t oppressive conduit will be shown
In bediencr tu som- iuw. o, "a, Il a>t, in Opp0-
siton ,on law. Wher. favorable legis,at
Tor Them iS not ubttined, unfIvurab Z legi>la-
tiou l. pre-, Gated. But is Tot this bribery :
at coarse it IL. But i. Is brib ~ prosecuted
with all tine rein lnent Of art anil all The d e.
nify Uf >tstesm ln>nIp. 1t is bribery so sinu
ously pra .tisrd. aad on so colyss, scale,
that the pubic m I'D is deceived or hewidered.
Un Seris rfec,s transactions which III he
narrow sphere Ola petty thief would lend
hi.a o prison are wrought n every side in
tn m lion of raiiwa, stocks, and h. Iery.e-
tratO.s remain ~ memb RS of the most repu-
table p 'litI al aud commercial sOr.ery Of the
land. Ntn vi this tlmp are even eleya ed
to he ii,:.:rs 0tii,:,s of s;ate-nrn VIII ,>..
daily life has violated eve principle of 'us-
ticr.
It - 10y til" gro wing po yer Of this clt,s of
tyr nsts that 1,ur uni.y's safety is no '
lhr.a ered And The danger will come il,
tw" furmS-the u m 'fal,Z. inn ,,f so iety Il, d
th sa'ls,iiiiary vengeauce uf the oppressed.
TIL mo al Of II comnunt. work downw ard
from lie higher classes. Like priests. like
pc 'ple. Corrupt the pr;el"rium AMI youcorupi
the empire. 4 licentinus vour. will be iaita.
ted " ry provincial neighborh"od. Ii the
edu-aled and wealthy clssses Of Anlerica
tr- f;"ud asa Tirtu we shall have dislon.
eSty the characteristic Of tin. whole nation
Trio .e.y will be cousted for wisdom, and
lying or prudence. We shall reach the happy
cund 10, Of rurke. and Persia, where every
man h,s To guard against his neighbor Is i
thief, an tin"l security for himself and his
Property only in cunning, fui.ehOOd a,t
Secrpc, Thai this dem, raliZatiOn is fast anec
ins our society is evident i'll tne light way il
which wsiapers speak of iigranF outrages
upon Justice, and the readiness with which
the i.,ani' .nlat r of uominaiions land tn,
el $50 >, /. AS! ~. e5.s IL. .,. 80. ;. .,
>'e, - p:.,c. III respOn.sn.e office. Men WIN,
h.t t been senten'ed to punishment by :ul
criminal courts are nominated and elected
Bo'h num Nations and eiectiOn> ar. promorel
and III tam d by what are knO IL IN the com
muhii. rs nest and honorable men. Furh
ermprr. rnr>e men. VIII ,se lives have beer
mar>ed by frau and 0t,er iMmD mDrali.ies, arr
admi ted into social circles which re cullet
pu ", tneii wealth or their serviceabielesS II
beh If OF wealth being sure passport. II
this W.T., he .oison permeaies all society.
The source. aS We have seen. is in he uni:s o
vast M 'ne lower. power which etfectually
cru>t'' rverythng that opposes.
sr>id> h orai lie ola ion caused by t'.i
a:g' al not ath III u W hands, tn
III ca 4 !. Il h -:,.u ry i especial
en,tai-, red. The mahi..g AID ma nIa!nin
his r"nr,nt ate'i Wealth demands system
Of p'undrr and oppression OF the poore
classes and of The public generally. Prices ar
mai' NOT through The natural laws of deman
and supply. but by CORNERS" aud cOnspir;
cie-. Far compe!ion. which is the iif. I
trade. is utterly cru he'd by the giant f,ot {
this mon y->wJrn monster. 4 few mOnopt
lize tue entire trad- Of any given article b
rea+nn of their m,Iley power, remorselesSl
destroying amy one who dareS ev, n to giea
In the llel't they have made their own b
robbery. TIE W ,rd 'ro .bery" is not n mi
nonier. for The money has been freed frOl
unwilling hands by immoral, though SOM
times legal III ans. A widow, having til
ear Of m 1T family rt I'll, dren. pu II ht
IN 'n.'y i'll rsiwas nck. Sine j. advised to
so BY Il tiir ctOr la the raiwa.. 1t is IL
widows all. Soon afierward thi- direct,
and a few with him. seeing the importance
their rUad and its capabilities determine tu S
cure u cuntrsliing Interest IN the stock 4
the ".e YES. thus both Increasing their inves
ment in Il profitable concern a'id at the san
tine 81 aiming power tn do what they plea
with tie roa,i thereafter, H. mccall IL may j
m,nd. accordingly. their frs. s.ei, is u1 II
the sock down. This they accomplish |
lating agents to go to places where the sto.
j. own Il. anl - brief articles In the loc