Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-03-07


capital has controlling power. The
whole national life is dependent upon
the state to the end that it may be di-
rected by its lords. the great capitalists.
whose vast possessions are almost
always acquired at the expense of
others. whether with the help of the
state, protective taxes by which with
US the poor are robbed for the benefit
OF the rich and railroad bonds practic-
ally given away by the people or by
congress, and the gift of public lands
to corporations by which gift the peo-
pie are robbed of their birthright), or
by speculation in the fluctuations of
prices gambling in stocks and produce).
Pine helpless poor will hate the law
while be despises the excessively rice.
A man must call something his own or
he will murder and burn says Schiller.
Under such circumstances the infec-
tious power of communism is great.
tAre there any symptoms of commun-
ism in the United States today? Were
there xny fifty years ago?) There is a
frightful lesson in history that six lords
owned half the province of North
Africa when Nero allowed them to he
murdered. Ontwardly a plutocratic
state will always be weak. The great
majority who have nothing to lose are
little interested in the continuance of
political independence. They will
rejoice in 1.-THE destruction of their
former oppressors and desire an oppor-
tunity for plunder. A communistic
devouring people will with difficulty be
brought to see the duty of taking up
arms in defence of the country; and the
rich separated from the most neglected
part of the people, and, with reason,
distrustful of the neglected, will them
selves begin to forget their nationality
and t6' calculate its advantages and
expenses IF it costs so much to elect
a president, say they, would it not be
cheaper and more tranquil to have a
kingpl And to merely material cal
culati0n, without doubt, an empire
sesms the most rational form for a
state. The Roman empire of the world
was promoted by no circumstances
more than by the conflict between rich
and poor, which laid waste 'sthe orb OF
the earth" and in which the Roman
armies under pay generally fought for
the rich against the poor.
Can any of tile parts of this picture,
which has been realized in history
more than once, be applied to the con-
ditiOE and tendencies of affairs i'm the
United States? The friends of protect
ed manufacturer Of Pennsylvania, it is
said, are urging his name for place in
the cabinet of President-elect Harri-
son on the express ground that he con-
tributed $40Q. 600 to the campaign fund.
And this will probably excite no moral
indignation among the people, but by
many, if not most. will be regarded as
a legitimate business. Would it have
stirred the public conscience in the
early days of the republicP Since our
civil war are the possessors OF. moderate
wealth becoming relatively fewer?
Statistics say yes. Have the people
unconsciously been forging chains for
themselves? And if 50, have these
chains been riveted tighter by the re-
suit of our recent election? Is our de-
mocracy degenerating, and are we
drifting toward money oligarchy?
Are there any straws to show that the
wind is blowing that way?
Economic subjects are more and
more coming to the front in legislation.
But the average congressman has not
knowledge of the right kind to, deal
successfully with the problems present
ed to him. Witness the Interstate
Commerce Law. Legislation ought
not to he an eternal series Of expert
ments. Directly and indirectly this
law has probably done more harm than
good to those it was intended to bene-
fit. Our brilliant Senator Ingals,
while it was under discussion III con-
gress, brilliantly said: ut is law
that no one wants but for which every
bedy will VOTE" Its repeal is now
agitated in some quarters. 1t has done
much harm and no good, as most
always will be the case when the
coarse, heavy hand of the ignorant leg.
islator is rudely laid on the delicate and
com plicated fabric of the industrial Or
| ganizatiOn of modern society.
Professor ROscller is grand old
man, and grandly and with firm hand
he leads his nearer up to the mountain
tops of his subject, where some fine
views are to be had by the atten.