The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-04-30
MR.. DIXON'S WARNING.
The Millions and the MilliOnaIres in
Battle Array.
IN. Y. World.l

was delivered by the Rev. Thomas
Dixon yesterday before large congre-
cation in Association Hall. He said
the last fifty years had been an era OF
corporate power. Competition has
been overdone and monopoly has been
the inevitable result. Rulers have been
corporate directors, bank officers, rail-
road presidents and mining kings.
A new era bids fair to be an era of
stirring events, in which will be found
the hopes and destinies of generations
yet unborn. The men who have built
up gigantic fortunes have not, as rule,
committed crimes in the process. They
are men of daring enterprise, genius,
skill and industry. They have done
only what those who curse them would
have done had they been givev the OPP
portunity and the power.
awe see this future of storm out
lining ITSELF" said Mr.. Dixon, ain the
assault through the Courts. The back
bone of the Sugar Trust has been
broken in the Courts, charters have
been revoked and havoc played with
the vast fortunes figured on paper.
Now the corporation that endangers
life or limb is in danger of annihila-
ton if jury's verdict is taken as final.
The millionaire directors of one of the
richest railroads in America are now
under indictment for the loss of the
lives of its employees in the recent
tunnel disaster. 1t is not difficult to
read the meaning of that sentiment Of
deep and bitter hostility. Forty years
ago such men were considered the
highest order of public benefactors.
Now they are the object of hatred and
suspicion to millions.
1.-The conflicts between organized
labor and organized capital are be-
coming more and more bitter and
brutal. Bitter on the part of the
laborer and brutal on the part of the
corporations. The new York Central
Railroad, with its prestige, its millions
and its influence with other corpora
tons, succeeded in crushing the
Knights of Labor in 4 deliberately
planned and brutally led assault.
When the job was complete Mr. Webb,
with perfect fiendish delight, proceeded
to dance a jig on heir quivering hide.
The whole performance, while it was
legitimate war, was inhuman and
brutal, and only made the gulf that
separates organized capital from the
tolllng millions wider, deeper and more
utterly impossible.
'1n the recent conflict at Norwood
between the miners and the capitalists
dozens of men were shot down in cold
blood. 1t was a sad day for the
owners of mines in America when the
command was given to fire at More
wood. The Central Labor Federation,
at its meeting at No. SIS Bowery on
last Sunday, in issuing its call for
a mass-meeting at Cooper Union, said:
"'All public means of protection
have been turned into agencies of op-
preston; constitution, law and human
ity are trampled under foot in the very
halls OF justice. Crimes against the
life and liberty of working men are
repeatedly committed, not only by
ruftlans in the pay of plutocrats but by
the judges the people have elected.
Labor is on the very verge ofcomplete
enSlavement. Shall our criminal plu-
tocracy be stopped short in its mad
career or shall it be permitted to tear
down Republic? Let the millions
unite against the millionaires. Let
them proclaim their unconquerable de
termination to live or die free men,
"This language has the ring of
earnestness and sullen dete rmination,
an accent of bitterness and of despair
that bodies no good to the peace of the
industrial world.
"This problem has already been
transferred from the realm of the
purely economic and secular to the
moral. The Pope at Rome cannot
issue an encyclical and not give large
space to the question. In Protestant
churches to-day organized capital and
organized labor cannot dwell beneath
the same roof. The churches of the
rich are becoming more and more ex-
clusively social clubs.
"Ihe two great historic political
parties OF America are apparently on
the eve of disintegration. The cause
OF this IS not far to seek. 1t is the
confusion incident to the marshalling
OF the hosts for the battle with private
corporate powers. The great ignorant
masses OF the people are thinking as
never before in the history of the
world. They are moving forward with
the tide OF a movement which cannot
be stayed. 1t may be impeded for
time. If so it will halt only as the
flood halts in the narrow gorge. At
last new political party is to be or
gained at Cincinnati in May that is
almost sure to throw the election of
the next President into the House of
Representatives.
"Old economic maxims, theories,
traditions and superltitions seem to be
suddenly going TO pieces. The OBJ
struction will break, and with the hiss
and foam and pour of Niagara the
Hood will bear everything before it, re-
siStless in Its furious sweep.
"The battle of the ages will be fought
between the federated giants !; private
millions of dollars against the co-ope-
rating millions of wealth producers.
The result of that conflict, l firmly be-
lleve, will be liberty, not slavery.
Equality in opportunity instead of de-
spar; fraternity and humanity instead
OF war and brutality. May God hasten
such day"
The Louisville Courier Journal