The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-05-04
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tee of his conservatism and speaking
to the most conservative body in the
Countrywide leaders of the bar-point
ing out the evils of this rapid n
trations of wealth into a few hands
suggested that without interfering with
ones accumulation in his life time,
those vast estates whose continuance is
q menace to our form of government
could be effectually broken up by re
pealing statute Of wills and statutes
OF descent and providing that st ones
death all above a certain limited
amount to each child should be other
wise distributed or go into the Golfers
of the State. He pointed out what
every lawyer knows, though it is con-
trary to habits of thought, that no
man after he passes beyond this "vale
f tears" has the right to dictate what
shall become Of his property. If he
could Of right control it for one gener
alton be could for many generations,
which the law years ago found it nee
essary to prohibit. The present condi
ton of things imperatively demands
some limitation upon the transmissal
from hand to hand Of these colossal
estates. The public welfare is the su
preme law. The promotion of the pub
lie welfare ia named in the preamble Of
the Constitution of the United States
as one of the motives for that instru
ment. SaluS pOpuLi supreme leI. The
same reason requires the breaking up
Of the great estates accumulated by
trusts and which in turn create and
give a motive for the formation Of
trusts. Without taking further time
| will quote q single phrase from the
words of one who is better known to
fame by the designation of Ian Nc
Laren," a conservative Of q most con
sentative church, the Kirk of Scotland.
In his late work words of the Mas
ter" he says "a millionaire is now
almost worshipped, but if the signs of
the times are not at fault the day is not
far distant when to die possessed Of
great wealth will be to stamp one as a
semi terminal. These quotations might
be greatly extended, but when we re
feet that these uttersnces are from
leaders of thought in the two most cor
sentative professions in the world-for
your own great profession has now be
come n of the most progressive on
the plant, a very Edision among the
professionalism such speech comes
from such men we know that we are
face to face with the great evil of the
day and that the public welfare de
mands its abatement. / will add just
here one other quotation. In his mes
sage to Congress-, December 3rd, 1888
President Cleveland used these strik
ing words: The communism of com
btned wealth and capital, theoutgrowth
Of over-Weening cupidity and selfish
ness, which insidiously undermines
the justice and integrity of free insti
buttons, is not less dangerous than the
communism Of oppressed poverty and
toll, which e~xasperated by injustice
and discomfort, attacks with Wild dis
order the citadel of rule" He might
have said that it was a thousand fold
nor so.
THE REAL MENACE TO MEN OF MODERATE
PROPERTY
and those seeking to earn a modest
competence is not in the poor and
weak, but in the colossal and mighty
combinations which lay their hands
upon States and recoii not on the
threshold Of the National Judiciary
Words" said Mirabeau Words are
things" Aware Of that fact, those who
serve the money power by speech and
pen are wont to dub those who enter
tain sentiments adverse to government
by money as anarchists, socialists and
communists. But be not daunted in
this contest by epithets. The very
combination Of epithets will show that
they are words, nothing more. An an
arch.st is 4 who is opposed to all
government. He is the ne plus ultra
Of indiyidualism. Society has nothing
to fear from the few hundred through
out the Union protesting that faith. At
the very opposite pole are the com
munists who believe in government
for everything, in the community Of
goods. This system failed under the
Apostles themselves who gave it a trial
and it is not likely to be tried again with
any SUCCESS while poor human nature
remains what is. Between those two
opposite poles, anarchiem or no govern
ment on the one hand and communism
or government in everything at the