The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-02-26
Friday. Feb. 20, 1892.
Concentration of Capital.

steadily on, the TRANSACTIONS growing ~
magnitude as the small concerns disappear
and the larger ones begin TO come together
and form gigantic corporations whose power
is greater than that Of small Kingdoms. The
consolidation of the anthracite coal industry
has been effected which places it almost
entirely under one management, and that
management is the Reading railroad com
pany. This corporation now controls
interests which represent SIX HUNDRED
MILLION DOLLARS and an army Of en-
ployes Of one hundred thousand men.
These aggregations OF capital and ANAL
carnations Of business will continue till the
end is reached, and that end is one grand
monopoly of railroads. Who shall control
that one grand monopoly in which the
welfare Of the whole people is involved !!
Who but the people themselves through
their government? That government Is
now 10 the hands Of, and under control OF
the monopolies but it will not always be SO.
Power is invested in the people. That
power is now almost latent. better ed
ucation will set it in motion and give 1T
direction. The greed and ambition OF cor
porate power may yet awhile plumber The
people of their substance. but it cannot
wrest from them the power OF the ballot.
When, if ever, that attempt is made, they
will strike with the deadly blow OF the
serpent the hand Of the despoiler.
10 the great plan Of the advance Of civ
ilization and the uplifting Of the human
race. it is mete that these considerations and
combinations should go on. The process is
educatiye. The way is being blazed and
made plain by steps, that vast business
organizations can be put in motion and
kept moving without jar by one directing
hand, The welfare Of the whole people is
wrapped up in these great developers OF
wealth and movements of vast industrial
army. II is not good that this great aggre-
CATION Of wealth produced by the combined
power of mind and matter should become
congested in few hands as at present. His
millions do not add to the sum Of the hap
piness Of the millionaire, bu; rather take
from it, by stimulating an abnormal growth
OF greed and sordid ambition. an ambition
ofselishness, while the injury to the masses
is apparent. Public education has ener-
gized the mind of the masses till they are
enabled 10 attack the conditions which have
state IF cooiotu and
they are now attacking them on every side.
Our government is not that ideal govern
ment forshadowed in the Declaration of
independence, San men are created equal
and have an unaliable right to life, liberty
and the pursuit Of happiness" The people
we're not educated up to the vision Of the
prophet who penned that charter which
startled the world. They continued to i'm
itate the methods and institutions of the
Kingdoms of Europe which appoint the
government nominal protector ofthe people,
and assign it a place above them, with the
powers and favors ofgovernment conferred
on = favored class. This is the monarchical
theory of government, and the plan on
which ours is now working, although stoutly
denied by the recipients Of lis favors.
These conditions can only be changed by
RELOCATING the functions of government back
to the aggregated power of the people from
she classes into whose bands they have been
shifted, and who use them to Cypress the
people. The first of these abuses TO be
righted isrelegaling the control Of the
money. of the country to the government. II
10 wicked folly that this indispensable tool
of labor should be wholly given up TO a
non- producing class who sell it TO the pro-
ducing classes at enormous, usurious prices.
The natural monopolies, which are the
peoples bifth-right haye been given to
aggregations OF wealth whose owners levy
atax on the people through their control .ol
these natural monopoles, aggregaling many
times the combined taxes collected by gov
eminent, national, state and municipal.
These natural monopolies consist Of rail-
road, telegraph, telephone, electric light
street railways, water, gas light, and mum
erous other franchises which ale constantly
being added, and which are the property o.
the people, to be transmitted from genera
ton 10 generation untrammeled by a single
grant to any combination of capitalists.
When the people assume control of thes,
things and enjoy the advantages they affore
at cost, or small percentage above cost t.
be applied to the expenses of government il
place of raising that revenue by presen
modes of taxation, the millionaire will dis
appear from our midst, and the tramp
forced idleness and the sqnalid poverty h'
causes will disappear with him. The form
ing Of trusts and concentration of capital il
the educatiye process that is preparing The
way for the final result. This concentration
which is steadily going on is the result o.
natural laws, and can no more be avoided
BY the capitalists Than they can turn back
the wheels of progress. The invention Of
labor Saving machinery, the result Of the
march Of scientific knowledge, makes the
aggregation of forces inevitable. AT the
same time the education of the masses il
moving the people ON parallel lines with
the concentrating power of incorporated
monopoly and wealth. They are feeling
their strength and comprehending thier
RIGHTS as ihev meyer have before. and the