West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-06-08


invisible property,-such as notes,
bonds and stocks. There are few
able meno of generous impulse and
patriotic purpose who have always
advocated three propositions and
who, if opportunity be given
them, would certainly put these 8
propositions into practical opera
ton. They are:
FIRST PRoPosITIoN.-A railroad
must not take from the people more
money than is required to pay its
labor full wages and to pay full in
terest on the capital actually invest
ed. The inside managers of a high
way must not have secrets kept from
the public; and each person should
contribute to the revenue of a rail-
road in proportion as he makes use
Of it.
No candidate for votes darcs gain
say either of these propositions, and
vet the men who would give them
effect are bounded, viiified and ex
cluded from Legislative Office.
SECOND PRoPosITIoN-The tax
ing power Of the government must
not be used to take -oney from one
man and give it to another. A tar
if tax must be levied for revenue
and not for the purpose OF enabling
privileged class to obtained high
er prices.
No candidate for the votes dares
gainsay this proposition, and yet the
men who, when others were silent,
educated the masses to an under
standing of this truth are to-day be-
Titled and told to stand aside while
the other men who have heretofore
always truckied to the money power
and who never lifted a finger in be-
half of the body of the people are
the only ones hidden to the feast
THIRD PRoPosITioN.-State taxa
tion should be equal and to this end
each item of property, from rail
road to pig, should be listed for
taxation and should pay a tax in
proportion to its value.
No candidate for votes dares gain
say this proposition, and yet the
clamor of tax dodgers has so fooled
the masses that they join in the hue
and cry against those who are will
ing and able to make successful
fight for this principle.
We recently printed thoughtful
article from the N. A. Review, and
one or two paragraphs are peculiar
ly suggestive in this connection:
We have entered on dangerous
epoch when hardly fortnight pass
es without some new corporate COM
bination to crush competition and
stifle individual enterprise. Unless
way be found to prevent these ag-
gregations of capital very shortly
no one can succeed in any business
except as a pensioner upon their ia
yor 4
Fourth of July orators declaim
against the power and wealth of Il
privileged aristocracy in Europe,
which does not injure us here, but
say little about the great combina-
tions in our midst, which are ruling
us and robbing us. Look for mo-
ment at things as they really are.
Laws enacted by professional pol
iticians have erected monopolies
that have already absorbed more
than one half the wealth of the coun
try. The primary object of govern
ment is to protect the weak and pre-
vent the powerful few wrongine the
many. But if we cannot bring such
company as the Standard Oil into
subsection to the law, how will we
ever cope with all those other trusts
organized for the purpose of evading
any law that may be passed. These
combinations have at present such
powerful grip upon our law-mak-
ers that they will not permit legis
lation to restrain them to be enact
ed. Think Of it f! 1t is estimated
by reliable authority that much
more of the wealth in the United
States is now owned and controlled
by corporations and monQpolistic
trusts, than by private persons.
Fifty years ago they were unheard
of. Now they dominate all chan
nels of activity, they control COVER
nors, judges and legislatures, they
make hewers of wood of all who are
outside of their charmed circle.
The plain truth is, that these gil
gantic corporations defy the law and
are able to prevent the election of
men would apply the remedy. In
deed, it is already doubted by many
whether the Government will ever
prove sufficient to subdue such an
aggregation of capital and brains.