The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-09-24

Ou0 dnu GCAOId1 AO6N'
have the coal trust, the whisky trust,
the coal oil trust and cotton seed OIL
trust, the pork trust and the beef
trust, the copper trust and the white
lead trust, the jute bagglng trust (o1
which you know something and
which knows something of you) and
the salt trust, the sugar trust and b
beer trust, the cotton goods trust and
the woolen-goods trust, the lumber
trust and the nail and coffin trust;
and although the enumeration is but
begun here, | will close the list with
the heartfelt wish most fervently
uttered, to which | am sure you will
give the amen response, may d
whole vile fraternity of trust rogues
be the first to have to p%atronlze IN It's
own carcase the last enunciated article
of trust, if they will only box their
diabolical scheme for wholesale rob-
berry with them and take it along to
where they are bound, and where IT
report speaks true, neither lumber
nor nails will stand the temperature.
The amiable Mr.. Toodles in the play,
under strong provocation. lets slip the
naughty little monosyllable, damn, IN
connection with a certain other gen.
tleman by the name of Thompson.
On being reproved by his spouse, his
reply is: 81 said it, and [ said it most
piously."
1t is not a theory, but a reality, and
a most startling one, which confronts
US. What are we going to do about
it ?" That's the question. What
does the Morse fisherman do when the
dreaded octopus throws one of his
eight Shiny arms or ~tenacles over the
side of his boat ? With Ratchet ready
he cops it off. Let our lawmakers
initiate the Norsemen in dealing with
an octopus infinitely more dangerous
one that would swamp the ship of
state and suck the last drop of life's
blood of the people. Our devil-fsh
would fain parry the blow with Con.
stitutional interdict. He has we'll
read and well-fed councillors at his
back, who tell him that the General
Government is powerless to strike,
and he laughs at the puny blows of
States
Gentlemen, if this be so, republican
government is a delusion and oul sys-
tenn a failure. And what a lamentable
confession it would be, that a pack of
moneyed upstairs could achieve what
combined Europe in arms would dare
not attempt, the substitution of dem
ocracy by another form of govern
ment, and the vilest of all, "plutoc-
racy." How has this possibility
arisen ? for fout the diea as we will,
it is not only a possibility, it is more
than that, for unless some check is
found to curb the growing potency
of wealth which "the trust" confers,
we will soon be completely at its
mercy. Already these combinations
have usurp6 and are exercising, with
no attempt at ~concealment, that
highest function of government, tax
alton. With accelerated growth, it
requires no prophets ken to foresee
that they can at an early day, by act
ing in unison, or if they 80 elect, by
amalgamation, control the Govern
ment in all essential respects, even to
making and unmaking laws and law
makers; aye, even to modifying or
overturning the fundamental law it
self. And when that is reached, the
end is reached for US as a free people;
and when that comes | care not how
o o the final crash. For one, l have
no desire to survive liberty or to have
my offspring do it, be they of the con
trolled or controlling class, and espe
cially when the last is composed of
such as those described. "Note my
son" exclaimed the profund but caus.
tic Swift to a young friend, as they
were walking through one of the pal.
atial-lined thoroughfares of the metro.
polls, "note what a mean opinion the
Creator has for mere wealth by ob-
serving the creatures upon whom he
confers it." He alluded to walking
money bags. Mr.. President, I am no
terrorist, but | speak feelingly, for l
feel what is uttered, and | tell you to
day in the face of high Heaven, that
this n~ew-fangled device for CONTROL.
ing the prices of the necessaries of life
is the most insidious and most dan.
gerous antagonist with which consti
tutional government has ever had to
grapple. Concentrated wealth in the
hands of the few has ever proved the
most potent factor in the downfall of
republics. Well, then, may we stand
aghast, for never before in any age or
any land did aggregated capital dare
go to the extent here contemplated.
The most melancholy feature of the
case is the apparently callous indiffer.
ence with which the great army of
plundered outsiders look on the mad
antics of these Jeremy Diddlers.
"Il fares the land, to fastening ills a prev.
When wealth accumulates, and men decay"