The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-11-19

Ava ELIaHN N ma
600. Now 25, 600 persons ont wv
total population of 60, 600, 600
$3l, 500, 600, 600 of the prope2tU UTa
this country. "This estimate ! VI
says, sis far below the actual Ne
yet even upon this basis we Arc ~
fronted with the startling result t fon,
$4,000 persons now possess more It'd"
one.half of the whole national waoI.I
real and personal, according to vi
highest estimate $3.50, OOO,0OO OS oue
which any one has yet ventureT 'Ul
make of the aggregate amount Az
| will add in connection with ~
statement the significant fact that tbS
largest and most conspicuous of tbaas
immense fortunes are held by r~ajIross
men; a fact you will do well to pondo.
over and remember when Won cow
to select candidates for the nov
Legislature, These facts of Ms
Shearman's have been reproduced -
many newspapers, but they are so i'm
portant, in their significance, and sbor
SO conclusively the robbery under tho
form of law by the non producer NJ
the wealth producers, they should ho
placarded before your eyes until thew
are embedded in your memories not
to be forgotten until you have risen
in your might and blotted forever
from the state books every vestige NJ
law under which these robberies have
taken place, and placed in their stead
laws, constitutional and statutorytba
will forever prevent the recurrence Of
such a condition of things. l assert
that no man can accumulate a fortuna
of a million dollars without HAVING
wronged and virtually robbed his feI.
bowman.
x y ~ y X
Lincoln foresaw the rise of this
moneyed power while yet the war was
in progress, and with prophetic vision
foretold the very state of things now
existing and trembled with anxiety
for the fate of the Republic, Gas it,
he said, "meant the destruction of the
liberties of the people" The downfall
of all the nations of antiquity, attain,
ing any degree of civilization, dated
from the time when their wealth be.
gan to accumulate in the hands of the
few. And it needs no prophet to
predict the fate of our Republic,
should not a check be given and that
soon to the rapid accumulation into
the hands of the few.
y + 4
The real primary cause is the cen.
~tralization of capital with and without
chartered privileges, but the more
especially with chartered privileges,
in carrying on our modern industries.
This concentration of capital was
made possible, in the first place by
unwise legislation-yea, more than
unwise-criminal, and capital has
gone on reproducing itself with accel.
Grated speed as only capital can do,
until now concentrated in the hands
of the comparatively few, in the form
of corporations, trusts, combines and
monopolies, it has become an immense
power, being unjustly used to extor
from labor an inadequate recompense
and from the farmer an unjust share
of his profits; or in other words to
rob labor of it's just share of the
wealth labor produces, thus sitting
aside, at will, the natural law of sup.
ply and demand. The causes, as can
be readily seen, r wholly of an art,
fetal character, and are found in the
first place as | said, and wish to EN-.
phasize, in the unwise distribution by
legislation, State and National, OF
franchises which afforded the means
of making immense sums of money
In this State, as an illustration, all Of
the railroads are combined to prevent
free competition in transportation
The natural law of supply and demand
in this respect is set aside and the peo'
| pie of the State must obey the sWee'
will of these combined railroads VIII
their chartered privileges. In tho
language of one of their Officials
"they have got a good thing and aS
going to keep it.
\ * + \ *
Hume says in his history, "tnI
these grievances were the most ln'o.
cradle for the present, and the mon
pernicious in their consequences tn'
were ever known in any age or uno'l
any government"
* X X X 4
The remedy for these wrongs
the hands of the people, for "WDS.
ever a law is found to be inJualclG-?
or grants or permits powers or pm h.a
leges to be used to Cypress rather '4 ~
to benefit society at large, 1t =
privilege as the duty OF the rePiona
tatives of society to repeal or A
such laws, constitutional or sta'ua
by Withdrawing said perverted p0"'
and privileges" r..top
The evil effects of this centralH; inc
of capital, with the accompanying