Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-04-27
CASTING OUT DEVILS.

the uOclTlut III uiaooliNoi P''',''''' -
an exploded superstition. Not only in
diyiduals but communities are often
the victims of this unhallowed appro-
priation by the Powers of Evil of thai
which was designated as the temple OF
the Holy Spirit. As in Judea in olden
time the casting out of devils was one
of the manifest signs of the power oil
the Messiah. SO to-day if He were To APP
pear amongst us in Chicago He would
doubtless signalize His divine presence
and power in similar fashion
Chicago like other cities is possessed
bv host of unclean spirits, whose
name is Legion for they are many
There are several however, which can
be distinguished sufficiently to be
named and described These | vii!
now proceed to enumerate with some
brief suggestions as to their eNorelSh'
First and foremost, Plutocracy'
| came to America to see what MI
Carnegie described as The Triumph OF
Democracy. found instead the tVo-
luton of Plutocracy. The new tyranny
which is being installed behind the CON
venient mask of republican form is
likely to cure itself by its own excess.
Compound interest which If left undis-
tnrhad will concentrate the wealth OF
the world in the hands of a corporal
guard of lti-billionaires has already
DESTROYED the distinctive glory of the
American Republic. Nearly half OF the
once Independent proprietors OF their
own bindings are now tenants of these
usurers without tenants rights.
According to the latest government
statistics. we possess sixty billions OF
wealth. Nine per cent of the families
own Il per cent of this, leaving but ~
per cent to the remaining 81 per cent
of the families. The 9 per cent is COM
posed of two classes, rich and NIL
liouaires. OF the latter there are 4,O14
families. They average three million
dollars each. They constitute only
three one-hundredths of l per cent OF
the whole number of families, while
they own 20 per cent of the wealth
That is, they own nearly as much as
the II ,593, SS7 families.
The process of accumulation goes on
irresistably. The snow ball gathers as
it grows. Even spendthrifts and prod
igals cannot dissipate the unearned IN
.crement Of their millions which multi
ply while they sleep The millionaire
is developing into the Millionaire, and
the end is not vet. The transformation
is hidden from the multitude because
the coming despot eschews the tawdry
tinsel Of the crown. and liberty is be-
lieved to be rs safe as well, let US say
as the populace of Rome believed the
republic to be when Julius Caesar re-
fused the imperial purple. But every
where the money power has the people
5y the throat Whether it IS the pawn
broker down the levee, charging ten
per cent per month interest upon the
pledges of the poor, or the millionaire,
negotiating with newspapers for the
abandonment Ct the Interstate Com
merce Act, the spectacle is the same
The poor man is the servant OF the
rich, and at present stands IL some
danger of becoming his slave.
Plutoeracy in America even more
than ia England, to which have al
ready compared it, recalls Victor
Hugo's memorable description OF The
octopus. Victor Hugo was a great
artist in words and he described the
octopus from life. Had he described it
from his observation of plutocracy in
America he would not have altered a
single sentence. This description of
this spectral phantom of the deep, the
devil fish, with its eight huge arms,
with its four hundred pustu!es that cut
and suck like a cupplng glass, this
loathly horror of vampire-death lurking
in ocean caves to seige the limb and
drain the life of the unwary fisherman,
is only too true to life as many an un-
fortunate will recognize
1t winds around its victim, covering
him and enveloping him in its Shiny
folds. 1t is spider in its shape,
a chameleon in its rabid changes of
hue. When angry it becomes purple.
It's most distinguishing characteristic
is its impalpability. It's Shiny folds
strangle; its very touch paralyzes. 1t
looks like mass of scrobutic gan
grened flesh; it is hideous picture of