The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-07-08
COURT HOUSE RINGs-Tupn
AIMS, POWER AND
INFLUENCE,

nuisance caIleu "a court house rinp"
which is a moral, social, political and
financial evil of giant proportions 9n4
most wonderful power and irAYanoo
for evil. 1t is composed of oAicars
politicians, capt. 4lists, attorneys and
such agents as all these combines
powers are able to command. Ra
hind or above each of those oian-
monsters is the motive-power which
emenates from the great manufact1r.
ing centres and commercial marts of
the world; and that power is monsy
and the love of it, while office and its
honors are constant allies. AS capita1
is accumulated and concentrated in
towns, cities, or manufacturing dis.
tricts avarice is increased, prices Of
all the products of the world are fixed
by those holding the capital and those
prices are transmitted by wire and
mail to other sections and smaller
rings and dealers. Laws are wanted
to mani pulate those prices, conse.
qUently a certain kind Of men who
can be used satisfactorily must be
elected to fill the various Offices Of
towns, counties, States and the nation.
Hence the necessity for combinations,
rings, attorneys and agents Of allsorts
and sizes who will for the compe1 sa-
ton furnished by those various Offices
work for the elevation Of their mas.
ters and fill their already plethoric
pockets and vaul s. Both the great
political parties of this nation are vii.
ling agents of, and are constantly en-
ployed by, this great power called
capital to increase its already giant
proportions to the ~enslavement of the
masses. Money, in the hands of good
men and women, and c~onsecrated to
noble purposes, is a great factor for
e~levating the race of men and build
ing up all moral and religious institu-
tons; but if held and used by bad or
selfish persons, exactly opposite results
are seen and felt everywhere.
To ~counteract the evil influences
set in motion Dy the unrighteous use
of money and the officers of the land,
IS the business of every Christian,
patriot and philanthropist. Hence
the necessity of organizing churches
and societies in every community to
oppose all workers of iniquity. But
as bad men work themselves into
every church and society, and it is
very important when selecting per
o to hold Offices of trust and honor
to take such, and only such as are
above price, cannot be bought, hired,
inundated or duped into the service
of knaves. Men are sometimes bought
by degrees, a little at g time, inch by
inch toled into a party or particular
service that never would have been
bought had the price been named in
advance; others must have the price
fixed before they sell out, while some
work in the interest Of rings without
knowing really that they r servants
for ring-maste!s. AS a proof of this,
when the party whip is cracked such
party apes always fall into line and
work faithfully for that they have no
knowledge Of. Both the great po-
htical parties of these United States
virtually belong to the money
power, and a majority of those
who hold off &c in either are directly
or indirectly Iaboring in the interest
of capital against labor, for the mil
~lionaires and those hoping to be such
against the toiling masses, Conse-
quently it is absolutely necessary to
change parties, politicians and Office
holders frequently in order to break
up old rings and prevent new ones be-
ing formed.
Fifty years ago the writer knew Of
one or more counties that had well
organized court house rings in which
were the different county officers, in
one an attorney and a Congress mem
Der, and capitalists whose combined
powers of wealth and official influence
were used during the financial panic
of l837-47 for the oppression of the
debtor class and the rapid increase Of
their owm fortunes. And since that,
other similar organizations have been
known to exist in many other counties,
to the detriment of society, common
honesty and individual rights,
These court house rings are the
legitimate off shoots of larger corpora
tions, combinations AM trusts, all Of
which are as wen connected as the
links of a mighty chain. Capital is
the hook or head of this well connected
chain by which it is wrapped around
the industrial masses and drags them
into slavery.
Doubtless a merciful God has caused
the Alliance and Cooperative Union
to appear in these days of corruption
and official venality to save our civil
and religious rights for which so
many of our ancestors fought, bled
and died a century ago. Then, brethren
and friends, let US use our united efforts
to break up all rings and trusts, retire
all officials who have in any wise