The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-11-10
Private Riches the Oppressive
Power EeNerywhsre.

Power EeNerywhsre.
1t is. So plain that private riches
and combinations Of private oPu-
lcuce, are the oppressive element IA
human society, ;hat il ought Ia ho
manifest 10 every projecting mind;
and tine laws aud governments Of ail
protect and foster this oppressive
element as though !; were purely
beneficient and in 10 way detrimen-
tai to the rights and well being If
any class of people.
However tyrauical and oyerbearing
any man might be by nature aud Dis
position, he can d no great aud et-
tensiyc damaging t. the community
or til, .ation or without the adyam-
tagc which wealth can afford. Lc
cannot command the services Of nu-
merouS lab0rers aud artizaua u,t-
less he is possessed of the rename;-
ating them. He caEHot acquire
large tracts ot iand without I'll.
meAne of purchase, h. cannot .cLcr-
ally secure special privileges and
franchises without large sums ot
money, or endorsement by others
who control mUney or monicd lntlu-
ence. L. order 20 be a monopo!ist or
oppressor, or asurpcr Of the equal
chaucc! and rights of the people, he
must Aaye either actual riches at
command, or the influence Of rich pcg
sons to back him. 1t Is evident,
then, IN thrse eases, that to be IA "
rant, :! monopoIi.t, Il de3pot, and op-
pressor, Il nsurper, one must have
command of the pJHer watch wealth
always carries with it; and without
that power 10 man is to feared more
than another. An Individual might
be giant in size, or Sampson IN
physical strength, yet a very few
others acting IN combination, WI
be able 10 over-master h!m, and do.
feat his assumption in the roll of q
tyrant or opprcssor.
Dut clothed with the power which
money or riches, gives selfish oi
all ambitious man is no. oDly cnu-
bied to command the services oi
many others, even TO the number Of
many hundreds or thousands, but be
is in a position to invoke the opera
! ton 3f the laws in his own Interest
this the poor Man Is seldom able 10
afford, and thus rIche: Is made the
means of oppression where thci4
would be no oppression Bat for tile
| fact OF accumulated riches. IL Is
further the fact that the laws Of a
country--and the United State:
forms 40 exception to the rule--ar,
made BY the wealthy class, or at Tho
bidding Of that class, ana are mos
invariably framed in the interest oi
the rich, and to The disadvantage ot
| the poor.
/ The operation Of these unjust eco.
nomic principles-that il, tae nccu-
mutation Of unlimited wealth bI
private lldividuals--h has been goiu-
Oh 50 many centuries and ages, an1
is SO strongly intrenched ia the lava
and constitutions Of nations, that
wealth has become to be on opDreS&
ice element tctth0ut reqard 10 the gDJ.
or bdd ch4racter lf .ts 9g.or.
Wealth, riches, opuieHce, IN othel
words. is always oppressive III It's e!
feet upon the community, whether
tie possessor Of it desires it to be q
or not. The laws are framed 30 thsi
| theT favor the riches OF the rich, an
| those laws act without the attention
aye, even in spite of the wishes u
the proprietor. consequently, pr
vate or corporate wealth, or wealtl
massed in sufficient amount u De eI
erted - d social or political force, il
invariably an oppressive force III so
ciety, under modern civilization
| however good its owner might b.
or might bave been, had he not lee.
rich.
If there be any truth in this reas
onlng, 1t Will not be easy - under
stand why it was that the Jews wa
so hostile to private riches and ricl
people. This feature is the disting
ulshing popularity of his Gospel
If the 3Sermon on the Mount" ant
other sayings of his uttered in tn
same vein, had not been uttered, o
had never come from the Holy Lane
as part of the Gospel Of Jesus, it j
hardly conceivable that the remain
der could have survived longer thai
a generation or so, and We should il
| that case have never heard OF Jesu
| or his Gospel, for there would be Ii
Gospel without those immortal parts
tThose remarkable sayings respecting
| riches and poverty, oppression OF tn
poor, the "beatitudes," the denunci
I alton of the rich, the commentator
| of the poor, promises CT eternal lif
and happiness to the oppressed an'
4 down-trodden, and so on, these con
| stitute the very essence Of the gosPe
Il of Jesus. and without them all IN
i rest would bea worthless mass Q
Y theological rubbish, which would, !
lief to itself. have passed from human