Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1899-07-07
A NATIONS DANGERS.
Dr.. Talmago ElOquently Portrays
the Country's Destiny.
Monopoly the 0vershndowing Curse
of Our Land-Nihilism nm Evil
Power-inndelity n Source
of Weakness.
copyright. 1859. by Louis Klopsch,l
WASHINGTON,

the path OF safety; text, Isaiah 02;f
"rhy land shall be married"
AS the greater includes the less, so
does the circle of future joy around our
entire world include the epicycle of our
own republic. Bold, exhilarant, unique,
Divine imagery of the text. At the close
of week in which for four days our
national capital was a pageant and all
that grand review and hammered process
sion and national anthems could do,
celebrated peace, II may not be inapt to
anticipate the time when the Prince Of
Peace and the heir of universal domin-
ion shall take possession of this nation,
and "thy land shall be married"
In discussing the final destiny of this
nation it makes all the difference in the
world whether we are on the way to
funeral or wedding. The Bible leaves
no doubt on this subject. In pulpits
and on platforms and in places of pub
lie concourse hear so many Of the
muflled drums of evil prophecy sound
ed, as though we were on the way to ma
tional interment, and besides Thebes
and Babylon and Tyre in the cemetery
of dead nations our republic was to be
entombed, that wish you to under
stand it is not to be obseques, but nup-
tials; not mausolcums, but carpetcd
altar; not cypress, but orange bios
SONS; notrequiem, but wedding march;
for "thy land shall be married"
propose to name some of the suitors
who are claiming the hand of this re-
public. This land is so fair, so beauti-
ful, so affluent that it has many suitors,
and il will depend much upon your ad-
vice whether this or that shall be ac-
cepted or rejected. In the first place, |
remark; There is greedy, all-grasp-
ing monster who comes in as suitor
seeking the hand of this republic, and
that monster is known by the name OF
monopoly. His sceptef is made out OF
the rail track and the wire of teleg-
raphy. lie does everything for his own
advantage and for the robbery of tho
people. Things went on from bad to
worse until in the three legislatures of
New York, New Jersey and Pennsyl-
yania for long time monopoly decided
everything, If monopoly favor law,
1t passes; II monopoly oppose law, it
is rejected. Monopoly stands in the
railroad depot putting into his pockets
in one year S20O,O00,O0O in excess of all
reasonable charges for services. Monop-
oily holds in his one hand the steam
power of locomotion and in the other
the electricity of swift communication.
Monopoly has the republican party in
one pocket and the democratic party
In the other pocket. Monopoly decides
nominations and elections-city elec-
tions, state elections, national cleo
tions. With bribes he secures the votes
of legislators, giving them free passes,
giving appointments to needy rela-
tives to lucrative positions, employing
them as attorneys if they are lawyers,
carrying their goods Is per cent. less If
they are merchants, and If he find case
very stubborn as well as very important
puts down before him the hard cash OF
bribery.
But monopoly is not so easily caught
now as when during the term of Mr.
Buchanan the legislative committee in
one of our states explored and exposed
the manner in which certain railway
company had obtained donation OF
public land. 1t was found that 13 OF
the senators of that state received s175,.
900 among them, GO members of the
lower house of that state received be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000 each, the gov
crnor of that state received $50, 900, his
clerk received $5,000 the lieutenant
governor received $4,000, all the clerks
Of the legislature received $4,000 each
while $50,000 was divided among the
lobby agents. That thing on larger
or smaller scale is all the time going or
in some Of the states of the union, bu'
1t is not so laundering as it used to be
and therefore not so easily exposed OIL
arrested. l tell you that the overshad
owing curse of the United States to
day is monopoly. He puts his hant
upon every bushel of wheat, upon every
sack of salt, upon every ton of coal, ant
every man, woman and child in the
United States feels the touch of thai
moneyed despotism. rejoice that il
"a states of the union already anti-mo
nopoly leagues have been established
God speed them in the work of liberia
ton.
! have nothing to say against capi
talists; man has right to all thu
money he can make honestly. I have
nothing to say against corporations a'
such; without them no great enter
prise would be possible, but what | de
say is that the same principles are tc
be applied TO capitalists and to cor
porations that are applied to the poor
est man and the plainest laborer Wha
is wrong for me is wrong for great cor
porations. If / take from you you
property without any adequate com
pensation am thief, and if a railway
damages the property of the peopl
without making any adequate compen
sation that is gigantic theft. Wha
is wrong on q small scale is wrong OF
a large scale. Monopoly in England
has ground hundreds of thousands o
her best people into semistarvation, ant
in Ireland has driven multitudinou
tenants almost to madness, and in tn
United States proposes to take tn
wealth of 6o,00C,Co0 or 7O,o00,O00 of peo
pie and put it in few silken wallets
Monopoly, brazen-faced, iron-fn
gered, vulture-hearted monopoly, OF
fers his hand to this republic. H
stretches it out over the lakes and VI