Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-07-03
DECENTRALIZATION.
By KoN. HENRY W. GRADY.

DECENTRALIZATION.
BY RoN. HENRY W. GRADY.
The subject of Hon. H. W. Grady's ora
ton at the University of Virginia on
Tuesday, June 25th, was sDecentraliza.
tion," of which the following is an sx-
tract:-
The unmistakable danger that threatens
free government in America, is the increas-
ing tendency to concentrate in the federal
government, powers and privileges that
should be left with the states, and to create
powers that neither the state nor federal
government should haze. Let it be under.
stood at once that in discussing this aues-
ton seek to revive no dead issue, We
know precisely what was put to the issue
Of the sword, and what was settled there
by. The right OF state to leave this union
was denied and the denial made good for
ever. But the sovereignty of the states in
the union was never involved, and the re-
public that survived the storm was, in the
words OF the supreme court, Gan indissolu-
ble union of indestructible states'. Let MS
stand on this decree and turn our faces to
the futurei
1t is not strange that there should be q
tendency to Capitalization in our govern
ment. This disposition was the legacy of
the war. Steam and electricity have en-
phslzed by it bringing the people closer to-
gether. The splendor of central govern
meut dazzles the unthinking-its opulence
tempss the poor and avaricious-its strength
assures the rich and timid-its patronage
incites the spokesman, and its powers infame
the partisan.
And 30 we have paternalism run mad.
The merchant asks the government to con-
troll the arteries of trade-the manufacturer
asks that his product be protected-the rich
asks for an army, and the unfortunate for
help-this man for schools and that for sub
sidy. The partisan proclaims amid the
clamor, that the source of largess must be
the seat of power, and demands that the
ballot boxes of the states must be hedged
by bayonets. The centrifugal force of our
system is weakened, the centripetal force ia
Increased and the revolving spheres are
veering inward from their orbits. There
are strong men who rejoice in this unbal-
ancing and deliberately contend that the
centre is the true repository of power and
source of privilege-men who, were they
charged with the solar system, would shred
the planets into the sun, and, exulting in
the sudden splendor, little reck that they
had kindled the confiagration that presages
universal night. Thus the states are dwarf
ed and the nation magnifed-and to govern
people, who can best govern themselves,
the central authority is made stronger and
more splendid
Concurrent with this political drift is an
other movement less formal perhaps, but
not less dangerous-the consolidation Of
capital. / hesitate to discuss this phase of
the subject, for of all men 1 despise most
cordially the demagogue who panders to
the prejudice Of the poor by abuse of the
rich. But no man can note the encroach-
ment in this country of what may be called
"the money power" on the rights of the in
dividual, without feeling that the time is
approaching when the issue between plutoc-
raoy and the people will be forced to trial.
The world has not seen, nor has the mind
of man conceived of such miraculous wealth
gathering as are everyday tales to rs.
Aladdin's lamp is dimmed, aud Monte
Cristo becomes commonplace when COM
pared to our magicians of finance and trade.
The seeds of luxury that even now sur
passes that of Rome or Corinth and has
only yet put forth its first flowers, are
sown in this simple republic. What shall
the fruitage be? I do not denounce the
newly-rich. For most part their money
came under forms of law. The irresponsi-
bility of sudden wealth is in many cases
steadied by that resolute good sense which
seems to be an American heritage, and un-
der-run by careless prodigality or constant
charity. Our great wealth has brought us
profit and splendor. But the status is
menace. A home that cost So, ,000, 900, and
breakfast that cost $5, 900 are disquieting
facts to the millions who live in hut and
dine on crust. The fact that man ten
years from poverty has an income of $780,
600, ,000-and his two associates nearly as
much-from the control aud arbitrary pri-
cling of an article of universal use, falls
strangely on the ears of those who hear it,
as they sit empty handed, while their chill
dren cry for bread. The tendency despens
the dangers suggested by the status. What
is to be the end of this swift piling up of
wealth. Twenty years ago but few cities
had their nillionaires. To-day almost
every town has its dozen. Twenty men
can be.named who can each buy sover-
eign State at tax book value. The youngest
nation, America, is vastly the richest, and
in twenty years, in spite of the war, has
nearly trebled her wealth. Millions are
made on the turn of trade, and the top
pling mass grows and grows, while in its
shadow starvation and despair stalk among
the people, and swarm with increasing
legions against the citadels of human life.
But the abuse of this amazing power of
consolidated wealth is its bitterest result
and its pressing danger. When the agent
OF dozen men who have captured and con-
tr oil an article of prime necessity, meets the
representatives of million farmers, from
whom they have forced SO, 600, 900 the year
before, with no more moral right than is
behind the highwayman who halts the
traveller at his pistols point, and insolently
gives them the measure of this years
rapacity, and tells them-men who live in
the sweat of their brows, and stand be-
tween God and Nature-that they must
submit to the infanhy because they are help
less, then the first fruits of this system are
gathered and have turned to ashes on the
lips. When dozen men get together in
the morning and fix the price of a dozen
articles of common use with no standard
but their arbitrary will, and no limit but
their greed or daring-and then notify the
sovereign people of this free republic how
much, in the mercy of their masters, they
shall pay for the necesssries of life-then
the point of intolerable shame has been
reached. We have read of the robber
barons of the Rhine who from their castles
sent shot across the bow OF every passing
craft, and descending as hawks from the
crags, tore and robbed and plundered the
voyagers until their greed was glutted, or
the strength of their victims spent. Shall
this shame of Europe against which the
world revolted, shall it be repeated in this
free country? And yet, when a syndicate
or a trust can arbitrarily add twenty-five
per cent. to the cost of a single article of
common use, and safely gather forced
tribute from the psople, until from its sur
plus it could buy every castle on the Rhine,
or requite every baron's debauchery from
its kitchen account-where is the difference
save that the castle is changed to
brokers' Office, and the picturesque river to
the teeming streets and the broad fields of
this government ''of the people, by the
people and for the people?" do not over
state the case. Economists have held that
wheat, grown everywhere, could not be
-cornarad hY canital And vet one man ia