The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-03-28
a NEW STANDING ARMY.

A NEW STANDING ANN Il.
With us political power is gained
through the voter not the soldier.
But soon the demagogue will be nr-
ging upon the people that all power
full corporations are the enemies of
labor, and he will declare himself
the only man in the universe who
seeks not his own interest in politics.
So it has been, and so it will ever be
while those who WELD power have
no time or inclination to look close
ly behind the veil each man draws
over the sanctified shrine of his in
ner self Bright pictures will be
drawn of the results which might be
gained if the state absorbed the cor
poration, and vivid warnings in lur-
id colors will declare that an aggre-
CATION of good citizens becomes
tyrant Immediately on the adoption
of a set of by laws.
Now private enterprise has been
supplemented by aid from public
sources, but it has succeeded in Civ
ing us the finest system of railroads
in the world Florida yet needs
more, but these will hereafter be
built by private parties or corpora
tions without state aid. Some now
urge upon the people that when our
system is completed, the roads will
combine, buy up our Legislature and
rule us as seems best unto them.
True they may pool their issues and
Cypress us: this has been done be-
tore, and we may expect it to occur
again But what is the remedy ?
To have the state control the roads?
Next will come the proposition that
the state buy the roads, and then
that the state absorb all the business
that is done now by other corpora
tions. Have not states oppressed
the people before? Shall we free
ourselves from dangerous powers
now held by corporations by making
the state the sole corporation In
other words, shall the state enter as
a factor into our markets and shall
the massed forces of a community
do the work needed by modern civ
ilization in commercial and business
circles? Where is the firm which
can enter into competition with the
government? Where is the govern
or who could be trusted with the
absolute direction of our business
affairs ? Have not laborers already
complained of competition enforced
by labor in our penitentiaries
Would armies of laborers at the di-
rection of the state in England and
America, be preferable to the armed
soldiers of the continental monarch
les? Who but demagogues ever
imagined that danger of oppression
from Independent corporations could
be lessened by massing the powers
of all in one huge corporation alrea.
dy strong enough, even though the
monster be called the state? Once
make the ofiiceholders directly in.
terested in the success of the cor.
porations, and YOU have the powers
of capital leagued with those of gov
eminent, and then the people are
slaves.
For if the state controls railroad.
why should it not build factories
and mills? If it owns railroad,
must it not have shops, and manu-
facture paints, and saw lumber, and
build houses, and own lands anC
make towns and clear away forests
and plant groves and finally Absorb
the business OF the country? How
then will private enterprise endure
And without private enterprise
where is public liberty? How are
we to be safe when our officers have
in their employ hordes of agricultu
raj laborers and railroad employee,
and factory hands all dependent OF
them for wages ? Is not the pres
ent army of office-holders strong en-
ough in political campaign ?
1t is TO be hoped that no commun
istic ideas will find place in our new
constitution, but if those who advo