Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-27
FulfilIment of Prophecy.

riend ABOUT TO start for the newly dis
covered gold fields of California, he pro-
'eeded to say among other things, that
Is to the extent and Importance of the
discoveries there could be no doubt
whatever. He questioned very much,
however, whether or not it was an event
likely to prove in the end beneficial to
o this Republic. ''The effect of
The gold discoveries would be-"
said Mr.. Stewart, enormously
to increase the National wealth, but it
would also change the habits of the peo-
Pile, and deteriorate the moral character
of the community itself. From simple
and prudent Nation, of moderate social
we should become one OF
associations, acquiring luxurious
habits and assuming the easy vices OF
speculative wealth suddenly acquired"
He thought that the change in the end
might undermine the Republic itself, by
corrupting and destroying the simple
virtues which beftted Democracy, and
alone made it possible or desirable.
That Alexander 7. Stewart was true
prophet is approved by mis- career. Fol-
lowing his prophetic uttterances, the
great merchant OF the metropolis became
in time maker of corners and the
autocrat of the textile world. He was
powerful enough with his immense usu-
fruct to be in himself maker of prices,
without the aid of other dealers. He
pushed his most powerful competitors to
the wall. and destroyed the weaker ones
who stood in the way of his ascendancy.
The greater number of the merchant
princes throughout the Union followed
in his way, and from hitherto merchan-
tile conservatism the lust of gain and the
unscrupulous methods of attaining
to undue wealth and power spread
out and debauched, not only the main
stream, but every estuary of the mighty
flow of business, from its source in the
Orient to its delta in the Occident. The
Civil War strengthened and fostered the
reign of lust of gain, and the hitherto
respectable body of manufacturers fell
from their high estate and became the
makers of shoddy and the exploiters of
labor. The lust Of gain and the exig-
encies of the war developed National
banking system, and Republican Con-
gress demonetized silver that the con-
trollers of the system might become
money-kings upon the unearned in
crement of their bondholdings.
Congress after Congress so
bestowed the public lands and SO legis-
lated in the interests of the railroads that
their promoters were enabled to form
and perpetuate the gigantic monopoly OF
the century. The exigencies of the civic
also established a high war
tariff, which has been perpetuated by the
Republican party in the interests of a
favored class, prominent in which are
the coal and lumber barons. Combina-
ton after combination, as repre-
sented by the merchant princes
the factory lords, the bloated
bondholders, the railroad magnates
and the coal and lumber barons, have
coalesced until an oligarchy has been
formed utterly reckless of right, utterly
Indifferent to the future of the Common
wealth and in it's oppression of the peo-
pie. These com binations, each menace
and burden to society at large, associ-
ated together have become all-powerful,
controlling legislation and dominating
even the casting of the peoples ballots.
Through their Vaccinations such COM
binations for extortion as the Standard
Oil Company, the Sugar Trust and others
equally obnoxious, are preying upon the
masses by increasing the cost of all the
necessaries of life. From the "pools" of
railroads, the corners" of the mer.
chants, the combines" of the manufac.
turers, "trusts' have been formed in
almost every branch of production, add
ing to the burdens of the many and in
creasing the wealth of the lew. This
aggrandizement of wealth, this establish
ment of plutocracy in contravention of
OF the spirit and intention of the Repub-
hc has been, if not the aim,
the resultant of Republican rule
The Republican party, from the
beginning, has fed and pampered the
octopus of wealth until its many arms in
their mighty embraces threaten to drain
the very life-blood of the Republic.
Alexander 7. Stewart said that this
wealth, unduly and suddenly acquired,
might corrupt and destroy the simple
virtues which befitted Democracy and
alone made it possible or desirable. The
remedy, therefore, for the mighty evils
which grew up in less than twenty-five
years OF Republican misrule is full re-
turn to Democratic rule and direction.
The era of reform was inaugurated by
t1e election Of Grover Cleveland in 1884.
His reelection will perpetuate the safe
rule of the Democratic party-the en-.
emy of centralized wealth-the party of
the people and for the people.
-
His Election Sure?
Among the men who are on the Demo-
cratic ticket for office in this county thoro