The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1897-10-14
Written for The COMMoNwEALTu,
THE TRUE CHART.
Individual Liberty the Cohesive
Power Of True Republican
Government.
BY JNO. D. THORNE.

BY JNO. d. THORNE.
The strength and seminal principle
OF all true government lies in the un-
fettered individual conscience.
No government has ever long re-
mained prosperous and progressive
without this basal element. and it be-
hooves us, my countrymen, to pause
and ponder upon the rapid decadence
of true republican government and the
swiftly ebbing liberties we once enjoyed
under the Magma Charter of our early
history. For fear of the cry Of pessi-
mism being injected right here 1 will
give reasons for the portrayal of my un-
attractive, though truthful picture, my
conclusions being reached from a
strictly non-partisan standpoint.
None of us are so untutored as to be
ignorant of the fact that we occupy a
great country, domain blest by Pro
vidence in all the exuberance of his
kindness with every variety of soil,
climate and production, and so expan-
siye as to be able under just and equa-
BILE laws to shield and render comforta-
BILE and happy ten-told population OF
Its present existence; yet, under the
mercenary and venaI domination of the
iniqultous few, and the fostering spirit
of concentrated capital. and financial
brigandage, the masses are groaning
under burthens so oppressive that two
dangerous and antagonistic elements
are in evolutlon-factors of certain de-
struction OF life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness-the errors and dogmatism
of combined plutocracy is forcing a
socialistic element, either of which un-
trameled, will arrest, if not entirely
subvert, the boasted civilization of this
marvellous nineteenth century.
So stealthily has this painful situa-
ton crept into our national life that a
knowledge of its existence is the prop
erty only of the observant and
thoughtful minority.
It had its inception in our late fool
lsh civil conflict, where the spirit of
speculation was so rite, and the insane
desire to ride rapidly into power was
80 strong that it submerged all patriotic
impulse, and engendered an army Of
cormorant syndicates, who so arro-
gantly controlled the productive capac-
ity of honest labor, that a painful
paralysis of effort ensued.
Through its class legislation, and
corrupt public life, inequalities of for
tune are being venally created, and all
outside the limits of this venaI ring
have been left to gaze with amazement
at the fertility of our resources, and the
rapidity with which its fruits are being
garnered by the rapacious few.
To illustrate the extent OF the perfidy,
and the high sources affected by it, let
us revert to a recent session of Congress
wherein few patriotic spirits viewing
with dismay the crippled state of our
finances, zealously labored to provide
sufficient revenue for the existing needs
of the government and saddled large
part of the taxation where it justly be-
longed, upon the wealth of the country,
which the shylocks fought day by day,
with bitter invectlve and as dernier
resort fell back upon the Supreme
Court-the lex suprema' of our sys-
tenn, who to court the favo1ian breezes
of the autocratic plutocracy, unjustly
reversed the righteous decree of Con-
gress, thereby increasing the burthens
of the poor and SO clogglng the ma
chinery of the government that future
progress is a matter of painful appre-
hension.
So sensitive are the plutocratic forces
of the country, that the cry of impeach-
ment was recently raised in Congress.
because one of our Ambassadors under
the noble and patriotic impulse OF his
nature saw fit to analyze, and forcibly
express his views upon the effect which
the decadence of individual liberty had
upon American prosperity, and the
advancing civilization of the age.
This would not have been so griev-
Gus, had it not so fully unmasked the
errors and injustice OF the protective
policy of our system, and the venality
engendered thereby.
All honor to this grand American
Chevalier for his bold defence of truth
and equity, upon the hill tops OF Scot
land, and in the classic city of Edin-
burgh, before the liberty loving Scotch
these primal truths which will live
To the end of time in all bosoms who
cherish justice and equality before the
lawn amazing contrast to the lgno
BILE and obscure individual, coveting ar
unenviable notoriety, and plutocratie
favor, that suggested the impeachment
of one of the grandest characters In
modern history-thereby illustrating
H. daoonorocv of the sO-ca11eC