San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-03-23
CONTRIBUTED SCRAPS.
Written for the LIGHT.

Cerner Of the signs OF the times" is
an exceedingly rare one, yet it Is
the highest proof of craftsmanship
thus to predict future events from
the present condition Of things. II
is merely reasoning from cause ia
effect; that a particular cause will
produce a certain effect in course Of
time.
Just two days before the deeE
damnatiOn OF his taking Off
Abraham Lincoln, one of the most
patriotic, honest and far-seeing
men, who has ever passed across
the stage Of life, in a private letter
to a friend, used the following
prophetic expressions. The tone
OF them is sad and pathetic, yet
patriotic. He said:
at has indeed been a trying hour
for the republic, (the suppression
of the rebelliOn) but I see In the
near future a crisis arising, which
u~nerVes me and causes me to
tremble for the future of my coun-
try. AS a result Of the war cOrpo-
rations have te9n enthroned and an
era of corruption in highplaces will
follow and the money power Of the
country will endeavor to prolong
its reign by working upon the pre-
judices Of the people until wealth
is aggregated in a few hands, and
the republic is destroyed. l feel at
this time more anxiety for the
safety of my country than ever be-
fore, even in the midst Of the war.
God grant that my fears may prove
groundless."
What the patriotic Lincoln fore
saw and dreaded has come to pass.
The corporations have piled up
wealth upon wealth and increased
their influence an hundred fold.
Those gigantic trusts, with ramiti-
cations extending throughout the
length and breadth of the
Union, have sprung up since Lin
coin passed away from earth.
"The corruption in high places"
has followed, exactly as Lincoln
predicted it would do, and we are
reaping the baleful harvest from
the seed sown by this corruption
in high places" There is hardly a
doubt but that many laws were
passed through the insidious
agency Of fraud and bribery, but
80 artfully were the fraud and
bribery covered up and disguised,
as to defy detection.
And the "money power of the
country" has pursued the very
course predicted by Lincoln. 1t
has not only "endeavored to pro-
long its power" but has succeeded
far beyond it's most sanguine eX.
pectations in increasing and pro-
longing its "power." The money
power" by means Of United States
bonds and it's alliance with the
banks, has dictated the entire finan-
cial legislation of the government.
The money power has dominated
congress and dictated to the treas
ury department.
1t has moulded political plat
forms, as the potter shapes his
clay, and made tools OF the leaders
Of political parties to an extent
never k Town before in tie, history
OF our country.
1t has seduced many OF the
leading dailies, published in the
great trade centres, into support
ing its selfish policy respecting
financial questions. These great
dailies have done much to blind
and mislead the people.
The money power Of the coun-
try" has had influence enough to
cause President Cleveland to falsi-
fly the pledge madei in the platform
OF his party in favor of bimetalism,
and to induce him to issue $780,
100000 in gold bonds, in less than
twelve months, in season Of pro-
found peace.
1t has had influence enough to
induce President Cleveland to keep
several hundred millions Of silver
Theoretically sealed up in the
treasury. and to deposit the COIN
age seignorage, which would coin
So, 100000.
The money power Of the country
"has swept all before it," and scored
a triumph on every field Of battle.
All financial legislation has been
in the interest and for the benefit
OF the money power"
These are not idle declarations,
or acrimonious invectives, but cold |
and stern facts too notorious and |
plain to admit Of truthful denial. |
The money and other property in
the Union should receive equal
and protection from
the government, but the money
power has controlled the financial
in such way as to ben
eft itself at the expense Of the ag-
class-thc wage workers,
and the small merchants.
Sixty-five millions OF citizens
have been seriously injured by the