The Osceola times., 1888-10-20
Tho Robber Trusts.
Rcv. Nr. Pcnfccost Bificrly III
tao.ts all Com6inatiInS Of
JIcaltk.


Tn. Rev. Hugh O. Pentecost, the
creedless preacher, who has been
criticising what he denounces as the
crdcl injustice and immortality of
the present social and industrial sys.
tenn, told his admirers of the Unity
congregation, in Masonic temple to-.
day, his idea of the remedy of the
social disorders.
He began by announcing that the
whole Of the present monopolistic
industrial system must be destroy
ed andsupplantcd by one which does
not, by its laws and customs, award
every dollar Of surplus wealth TO the
nonproducing monopolist. No in
dividual man, by his individual effort,
the preacher asserted, could earn a
million dollars in a life time. Such
fortunes arc the accommodations Of a
systematic robbery of the workers,
gained by virtue of laws that are
the objects of the hatred and right
eous wrath of every honest thinking
man. The fortunes are piled up at
the expenses OF the toilers, just as in
olden times people used to pay trib-
ute to an organized band of Robin
Hood gentlemen robbers whom the
community supported because the
gentlemen outlaws protested against
any other robbers. Nowadays the
Robin Hood bands are the synIicates
and trusts. Their members live
magnificently, and, by giving the
employment to many st the cost OF
tho Welding up of all of the profits
Of the toilers' products, plumber tho
people just about the same as the
outlaws did Of old. The plundered
have got SO used to being robbed In
this way that they dread change
and year after year they will march
up to the polls aud vote to continue
the laws that the monopolists rob.
bcrs themselves have made to pro.
tect themselves in their social and
industrial ou.lawry. The sufferers
keep the whole thing going by vot-
ing to perpe,uatc landlordism, and
national bankcrism aud telegraph.
ism, and coal mineism and all mo.
nopolstic evils that prey on the
community.
"This robber band must 90" ex-
claimed Mr.. Pen.ccost, and his hear
ers, with feet and hands and canes
and umbrellas, gave the sentiment a
thunderous endorsement. "The
hope of the word," he added,"is not
reform, il is revolution. Civil-service
reform, prohibition, tariff reduction,
will not affect the wrong. Neither
will make the rich more charitable
and the Eoor less discontented.
The whole bad industrial system
that makes poverty and injustice
possible must be demolished. Why
should sensible free men submit to
n system that forces the honest toll.
er to remain almost paupcr all the
days of his life, while the riches and
the luyurics go to the men whose
wealth is gained by means that are
socially criminal? For they are
criminals. He who kills the way
farer to steal his money is no more
of murderer than he who forces
his fellow beings to live in death
breading .enements.'
Mr.. Pentccost concluded by de-
claring that it was easy to change
all this, and cqualize the enjoyment
of the comfort and luxury and leis-
ure of life, doing away with the sys-
ten OF taxing the many for the ben
eft of the few 10y internal revenue
taxes and taxes on industries and
machinery. With these taxes rooted
out such great fortunes as those con-
troled by the Astor and Vanderbilt
families would disintegratc, and
their accumulation would be there
after impossible, and the American
aristocracy, based on wealth aud
laughter than the aristocracies OF
old, would tumble to pieces Re-
public.