The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-19
THE ONE MAN POWER
Sing n song o siXpencc,
Pocket full o rye.
-Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked into Il pie.
When the pie was opened,
The birds began to sing;
Now wasn't this Il dainty dish
To set before Il King!

he UlTuS NSdi W oihS'
Now wasn't this dainty dish
To set before Il King!
And isn't that a dainty dish of rail
road njunctions Judge Simonton this
morning serves up to the public!
A fine setting-aside of the will of the
people as expressed by them in their
legislature: a brilliant assumption of the
powers of Il monarch by one man, and
this man not even citizen of the
State.
It's an old trick. this of Simonton's
issuing iniunctions by which railroads
and other corporations may defeat the
Lawmakers; but never before has he
set his coulter so deep or plowed Il fur
row 50 long without stopping to catch
breath.
Nine niunctions in one day, for three
railroads; and these in absolute, open
aud unbIushing disregard of the law of
Injunction. A record this, to make the
most devoted corporation tool look to
his laurels.
Someone has said that Law is the
safest helmet" The value of this
apothcgm. however, depends upon who
wears the Steel-cap.
Ii it be Honesty, good. If 1t be Il
Creature Of Corporations, then the story
runs blackly different.
The first may he ever trusted. The
storm of Money that beats for Evil upon
this land cannot turn him aside from
Right The second wifi be eternally
weaving those law-cobwebs, spun of
Money. and in which the rights of the
public are caught like flies.
Surely they who made the Meclilen-
burg Declaration of independence. or
even they who took up arms i'll the COS,
never dreamed that such Il day as this
would come; when One Man. backed by
the Money Power. would run this coun-
try with none to say him nay. Mightier
than legislatures, more powerful than
governors. responsible to none save the
corporation that created him.
Rates cannot he reduced. taxes can
not be raised, traffic cannot be regulated.
railroads cannot he made to respect the
rights of the public-if only they have Il
friendly Judge upon the Federal bench.
And usually they have.
But why complain? Talk is weari-
some alike to talker and the party talk
cd to. One might as well pause.
'Sysiphus should have repose. and
Apollo can't always be bending his bow"
And to preach ut Smonton or the rail-
roads is to shoot at the looms on a lake.
They dive at the first flash of rhetoric
and are under water before any bullet
whether of fact or argument can reach
them.
One might as well then reflect on these
ills as part of the days work, for one
sees much Of the unexpected cart-beforc-
the-horse even in his own affairs.
And then. too. these are days when
Patriotism and Right play second violin.
if indeed they play at all. I'VE have
come far from the simplicity of the
fathers. The power of the land is no
longer the people: it's now one-man
power-a judge upon the bench. The
edge of civic apprehension is duled.
One sees this in Simonton and others
like him. He holds the right of j.
corporation as principle. He is no
hypocrite any more than you or /. lie
believes in what he does. 1t is simply
that his interest is matched by his
words and acts Like fly in amber
he has become embedded in corporation
Influences and exists unreachable to any
other influence.
Acting in this dull light of corporate
interest to which they have become ac-
custonled. such as he pass guiltless of
moral turpitude and like the rattle
snake one may plead i'll their defence
congenitalsm.
But for all that, these conditions must
he met and dealt with. There is need of
Il new baptism.
The times cry for some priest to SAY
TO this all-devouring Money Power. as
spoke that other priest to the wild
Clovis:
Bend thy neck, proud Sicambrlan;
adore what thou hast burned, and burn
what thou hast adored.
Some day the people shall come again
,,t,, tbo;, ny.,, r. +. NJ