The Labor enquirer., 1888-01-14
cry of a democratic empire has
reason. The fathers of the repub-

CIy vi uCnnOCIdtlC CtuplIC ut
reason. The fathers of the repul
lie were keenly alive to the daI
gers of a plutocracy. Addressin
the constitutional convention
1Dickerson. himself a plutocra
says: "A veneration for povert
and virtue is the object of reput
lican encouragement" THE me
who have most injured the cour
try" says Rufus King to the Mas
sachusetts convention, "have com
monty been rich men," II dislike,
said Franklin to the constitutions
convention. Everything that tend
to debase the spirit of the com
mon peoples If honesty is oftel
the companion of wealth. and
poverty is exposed to peculia
temptation. the possession o
property increases the desire TO
more. Some of the creates
rogues ever was acquainted will
were the richest rogues." tt
give effect to these sentiments
they prohibited entails and prim
ogeniture, and believed they hac
thereby undermined and destroy
ed the plutocrat. THE presen,
law of inheritance" says Hamil
ton, making an equal division
among the children ofthe parents
property, will soon melt down the
great estates"
This has proved a adelusion; new
conditions have arisen, enabling
the few to rapidly accumulate and
retain colossal fortunes. Corpor,
ate shares, the telegraph and the
railroad have infinitely multiplied
the powers of man. The great
capitalist, seated at his desk ir
New York, with the quickness ol
the electric spark can raise or de-
press the price of the poor man:
food or clothing in the remotes,
corner of Oregon or Texas. Stocks
are the dice with which the cum
ming gamester is winning the
property of the world; great COM
binations of capital are formed
suffocating all small operators,
and through tariffs and otherwise
establishing monopolies more
grinding and Exclusive than the
royal grants of the Middle Ages
,'Ir;dff the operation. of these
caeses, a class of citizens is grow.
ing up possessing more thar
princely fortunes, with the prom
Use of owning this great continent
The tendency otherwise anc
through new political ways is te
the concentration Of all politica
power in the rich. Everywhere
the desire is to have a candidate
of ample fortune and generous
prodigality; and our senate is fast
becoming an assemblage of mere
Cnea. We seem to enter upoI
the ways of the Roman republic
towards its decline. When. i
ever, we shall have an upper clas'
possessed or all political powe'
and boundless wealth, with a vas
"residuum" population yet voting
and a small middle class grount
between the upper and nethe
milestone, history may repea,
itself, and our streets may resoun'
with the tread of contending Milo
and C2odii, and their swarms o
mercenary retainers.
But where is the relief. that ou
republic may endure2
A famous politician. recent.
speaking, waves aside every effor
as "quack" remedies, save onl
his panacea for all ills, the tariff
As il the poor mans scondition wa
bettered by increasing the price c
his hat or shoe. The theories {
Henry George have their speculs
tive interest, but they are outsid
of the domain of practical polite
The owners of land in this countr
as yet are too numerous to pc
nit its confscation. The radio;
Soeialistic schemes are alien
the genius of our Anglo-Saxo
civilization, which follows a slo
and tireless evolution. abhorrin
cataclysms. No one. indeed. h;
found out how we may make a
rich, or maintain in civilized SOC
ETY. a general equality of cond