The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-06-10
IGNATIUS DoNNELLY AND THEFooI-
KILLERS

Some Ole recently remarked that the
fool-killer seemed to be dead. The New
YORK Sun replied that he was not but was
| actively engaged in his work But. said
the Sun, he is forced to move cautiously
because there are so many fools that
IL they found out he was abroad they
would all combine and make quick work
with him. The Sun may be right but
the tool-killer certainly overlooked Chi
cago this week. He had offered him there
a day or so back a mark as shining as
any death could look for, yet he passed I,
by. There has been I'm session I'm Chi
cago this week n body of cranks and
what-nots calling themselves an ANTI
trust Convention" They have renra-
scented every phase of socialism. anarchy
and general destructiveness that the
human mind has so far been able to in
vent. Their chief mover and inspirer was
that same Ignatlus Donnelly who invent
ed cipher for Lord Bacon two hundred
and fifty years after his Lordship was nm
der the sod The fool-kiIer spared him,
we suppose, for the reason suggested bv
the sun. The company in which he was
found was too formidable for an attack
upon its leader.
Donnelly was not so considerate. how
ever Of himself. He did the business for
himself as effectually as his proper ex-
ecuuoner could have done II for him.
lie offered a set of resolutions which
expressed the sense of his convention,
whether they were adopted or not. He
hrst asserts that IT is the duty OF the
people of the United States to conhscate
all the property OF all sorts belonging to
all trusts and combinations" The sec
ond calls upon the people to extinguish
and destroy all corporations, and the third
declares that a judiciary clad with power
10 declare void legislative act in con-
met with the organic and constitutional
law of people is an intolerable abridg-
ment Of the natural rights of that people
and such judicial system should he at
once abolished. Propositions of this sort
as there are fools like Donnelly a word in
regard TO them may not be out of place.
Mr.. Donnelly does not define the par
ucular trust and combination" whose
property he would confiscate He calls
Tor the confiscation of the property OF all
trusts and combinations" Now there is
hardly relation of life that is not sus-
tanned by agreements between two ar
more persons. In the absence Of any Ian
suage that limits his denunciation of
some special agreement IL applies on its
race TO all agreements between parties
we should have pretty state Of society
with the law confiscatine all nronert,,
owned by two or more persons who were
working In concert for a particular end.
would we not? There may be trusts and
combinations" between parties which are
so vicious in themselves that the law
should seize them by the throat and stran-
gle them. We know of none such, but we
snail not deny that II is possible for
them 10 exist. our own opinion is. how
ever, that II such exist. IL is only neces-
sary to leave them TO the operation OF
natural laws and the evil will be cured
II they make abnormal profits they Will
raise competing rivals 90 curb those pro-
'''s as surely as that they are realized.
Mi Donnelly's next proposition that all
corporations should be extinguished and
destroyed is one which may be treated
from two standpoints. No one will deny
mat the essential principle Of CORPORA.