The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-09-10
THE POWER OF WEALTH.


1t brides jurors, suborns witnesses
and stains the judicial ermlne. 1t de-
grades the statesman and disarms the
patriot. 1t is the mother OF idleness
and the father Of crime. When man
was expelled from Eden'S bowers,
avarice was born. In age it has grown
relentless. 1t is the twin brother OF
royalty and the godfather OF plutoc-
racy. Mrs. Hettie Green, a motherly
old woman with her $4,000, 600. has
more influence in financial legislation
than all the labor unions in the world
combined. Ancient history Is so OBJ
scure, and wrapped in the midst OF
fable and mythology, that but little
is known of the downfall OF primitive
governments. But that which is
known to be the truth shows that the
centralizing of wealth always leave
the people in want, and That want
leads them to crime. Through unjust
legislation money has a centrlpetal
tendency from the purse OF the poor to
the vaults OF the millionaire. People
who possess a moderate amount OF
wealth are by far the most important
members of society. They should ELL
10y the first rights in any form OF
government. Their industry is u
source Of wealth, their virtue and in.
telligence are both the palladium or
civil justice and the bulwarks of pub
lie safety. The man who is worth
500, 900 is a blessing. de Invests his
money in useful enterprises that al
ways are a public benefit. And those
with less wealth are stimulated to
follow his example. This class OF
citizens are %lawabiding; they love good
and just laws, and their devotion to
their country is next to that OF their
God. But when his wealth has grown
far beyond this amount, he becomes a
sore on the body polite. Then it is
that tyranny and oppression join
hands with him to crush out the
rights Of the people. Then the muir
muir Of discomfort is heard, and soon
becomes an open threat. Then pas
sion blows out the lamp OF reason, and
crime runs riot and the dcCaying props
are torn from the gilded dome Of lib
erty, and the government passes away
in the blood OF fratricidal strife. This
has been the fate Of all governments,
and history Is to-day repeating itself.
The same cause that led to the French
revolution is sapping the vitals of our
own beloved republic. And If the
people through the ballot fail to cor
rect the shady course Of Mark %llanna's
politics, a reign OF terror will follow.
: The income tax decision of the SUI
preme Court favoring the millionaire
at the expense of the common people,
> will sooner or later lead the lovers OF
good government to see the intinitude
of their danger. 1t is the Niagara OF
, infamy that will cause our proud EN-.
blem to perch on the banner of revolt
In pity the angels wept when st. Peter
: had taken a moulted quill to recorC
/ that backaction decision. His emo
tiOnal spirit was so aroused that The
sacred book was imbucd with hi.
tears. 1t the ear trumpet Of the
Goddess Of Liberty was turned or
Washington during the late debate OF
the Dingley tariff bill, her Teal ju.
: must have been filed with sylnpa
: thctic brine for the lost art Of states
q manship. With six thousand years o
history for a text, and my space S,
= limited, / will not be able to speak o.
many important events. But there
: are abundant evidence showing tina
/ the Capitalization of wealth has beer
c the greatest Of all evils with whicl
civilization has had to contend. How
ever far back we trace the footprint
! Of time, we find the political grave
n yards OF the past filled with the re
: mains Of departed nations-the vic
e tins of greed and monopoly. TIL
S striking miners of to-day are feelin,
! the heavy band of p%lutocracy. Tn
injuncti0ns of the courts, .usurpinj
i power and favoring wealth, will leat
e the people to seek safety 10 their owl
strong arms. And in the face of thi
stupendOus fraud, Congress will b.
. mem0ralized to enact stringent law
O against labor unions and the rights o
e the people. But the strong arm o
the law will not be sufficient to hOl,
in subsection men who are denied
fair remuneration for their labor
Men that toll must be able TO supper
" themselves and families in some dt
II gree OF comfort, or anarchy and revC
C luton will take the place of good go,
ernment. The pyramids stand a
monumental grave stones to tell no,
u Egypt fell from the height Of pros
l. perity to a bankrupted and degrade
J. monarchy under the oppressive han
10 Of the money changers of the Eas'
The hand. writing on the wall at tn
IL feast OF BelShazzar was a fitting ep
S. taph to the Inflated nation of d,
II graded slaves. The hands that trace
n the relief work on the Temples
- SargOn we're the hands OF slaves owl
'e ed by the money power and chaine
&c by avarice to the yoke OF plutocrac,
History tells us that il was the Gel
tralizing Of wealth that led to the ia
s: of the Roman Empire, and that Ion
r. before its fall the people were reduce
to servitude..
81 Money the master and the people II
v servants, has brought England's We,
many to the level Of tenants, and /
70 them everything has been surrendert
:, to the titled few. Carlyle portra,
conditions of France prior to an
)y during the revolution: There we
n, three classes III s0ciety-the aristO
10 racy, the clergy and the common pc
20 ple-each owning one-third Of I'll
" public domain. The common peop
comprised ~nine-tenths of the popul
ton, owned one-third Of the Ian
he paid all the taxes, supported ii
r.. clergy and the titled aristOcracy. I'll
rich made all the laws, the poor abid,
IT. by them. In all countries, past ar
y. present, the non-pr0ducers Of weall
Ihnvo ,,.:,l~i. .,nIn thn lam, Tl,n