Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-12

have been bought, Governors nominate d
and Congressman pui chased to keep GER
tain prnvisicns in the law
Toe Rev. Dr.. Talmsee who IS regarded
az one CT the brigh est lights Of the
American pulpit, says:
The oversnadowing curse Of America
to-day Is monopoly. He puts his hand
upon every bushel OF whest, every sack
OF salt and every ton Of coal, and not 3
| man, woman nor child In America, but
feels the touch OF this monsyed despo-
tism. His scepter Is made.out of the iron
track OF railroading and the wire Of tele-
graphy. he proposes to have everything
bis own way for his own advantage and
the peoples robbery. This monster OF
monopoly already controls the three
states OF New York, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania, and is fast gaining the
supremacy OF oil the nation. He decides
what laws shall be adopted or hindered.
He stands In the railroad depot and
puts into his pocket each yesr 5000, 000,-
600 beyond the reasonable charges for
their service. He holds the steam Of To-
comotion in one hand and the electricity
OF swift communication in the other. He
has put the Democratic party into one
pocket and the Republican party into
the other pocket. He controls nomina-
lions and elections, city elections, state
elections and national elections. He buys
| up Legislatures with free passes and the
appointment of needy friends to lucrative
positions and By retaining them as attor-
neys, II they are lawyers, and by carrying
| their goods at Is per cent less II they are
merchants, and, if he finds stubborn
case on which much depends, put down
the hard cash Of bribery. 1t has come to
this pass In many of our Leg
islatures, that laws which mo-
nopolists favor pass, and laws
which monopolists oppose are defeated.
Judge Black in his recent speech before
the National Autobiography League
evowed that nobody proposed to deny
railrosd operators q fair profit on their
investments and for their services, but in
sisted that there WAS ground for the gen.
eral complaint that they exacied far more
than what is fsir. This point he Illus
trstes with the following statement:
There Is one fact which we may take as
starting point in the calculation, which
all will admit. The through-freieht,
north and south, east aud west, and par
ticulsrly between New York and Chicago,
ere the lowest charged. They are twice
as high as they ought to be. They are
now IS cents per 100 weight, and before
the Hepburn committee in Albany it was
proved by experts that an enormous
profit could be made by charging 20 cents.
Now 1t WAS computed before more than
one committee that an advance of 5 cents
per 100 weight on the corn crop OF 1873
amounted to gain Of 253, 600, 900 for the
railroads. The same al oWance on
the crop Of last wear would amount to
not less than SIS. 900, 600. This WIS on the
grain GRO alone, which WAS certainly not
one-third of the business. Multiplying
by three We have 1926, 900, 900 in one year
on an advance of but cents; but the
charge is Is cents above what experts cay
would be Just. Multiplying sgsin by
| three, we have the enormous amount of
1875. 000,0 o0 extorted from the pockets of
the people in one year-enough to pay
hslf the national debt-and this is only
on the through freights. The farmers
must submit to this highway robbery, or
else keep the products of their land to
rot on their hands. The influence
of these great corporations can hardly be
calculated. They have methods of de-
tense and offense which make them al
NEST invincible. Some of the state gov
ernments are literally subjugated by them
| now. It will require strong organization
and much labor to reduce them. Undis-
ciplined militia, in the open field, make q
poor fight against regulars intrenched.
What are cornstslks against cannons?
Such is truth against money.
This is the language Of one of Ameri-
cas- greatest jurists.
The Hon. John a. Reagan, in the
United States, says: History will write
1t down that the policy Of the government
from 1869 to now, 80 fsr as the executive
department is concerned and so far as
the laws were concerned up to 1873,
has been distinctly policy in
the interest Of the money lords
Of this country and of Europe, policy
distinctly at war with the best interests
of the people of this country. know
that the present administration has taken
up and maintained the policy of its Re-
publican predecessors. am very good
party man, but being party man does
not require me to sacrifice the interests
Of my country and be faithless to the duty
owe to those who sent me here. e.
membering the duty do owe so far as
my action is concerned, without reference
to what those in other and even higher
places may do, propose to stand by the
interests of the psople and insist
upon their rights, and to insist
that this government shall be
conducted in the interest of the people
who support it, instead Of in the interest
of special classes who live by robbing
both the government and the people. 1
have made these remarks more for the
purpose and with the hope of calling at
tention to these acts and to their i'm
policy than in the hope of any present
success in securing the adoption OF my
amendment. We are ell perhaps some
times led to forbear action by the chances
Of political success, which may depend
on our yielding to the money power. If
I had to acquire success by that means l
think 1t would be roy duty to retire from
my present position. If have to sacrifice
the interests OF the people for the bene-
lt Of men who have enjoyed special ad-
vantages and privileges of legislation,
policy SO wrong IS that to which have
alluded, must say that cannot consent