The midland journal., 1900-03-02
Imperialism Against Democracy.

AIuSL 1utilIiudtiOl vi 4NCWSPdPStSs anu
the Church Coercion of College Pro-
fessors-the Charity Fad-Alarming
Growth of Trusts-Mrs Langtry and
Others as Angels of Mercy-Swell
Lords of Europe and American Heir
esses-Millions for Aristocratic Insti-
tutions but not one Cent for Denoc-
racy-American Aristocracy and Peas
ant Glass.
First the trusts intimidated numbers of
newspapers throughout the country, by
means of their influence upon large ad-
vertisers, into suppressing news and ar
guments against the best interests of
trusts. Next they intimidated certain
colleges in Providence, R. l., Chicago,
ILL.,, and elsewhere who had professors
teaching the young ideas which the trusts
did not approve. In both these cases the
trusts succeeded admirably in their en-
deavors TO enforce silence where a good
WIN III NO RtoNN NOuiti IOl DC OOldlnCu.
Now the trusts have turned their atten-
tion TO the clergy. Mr.. Rockefeller has
just withdrawn his aid and abetments
from church in Westchester, near by,
because its pastor had views which Mr..
Rockefeller felt to be inimical TO the in
terests of the Standard Oil Company in
particular, and trusts of all kinds in
general.
In all probability because of the pub
licity of this last act, it is largely intended
as form of example for all other trust
magnates to adopt, even if not hint that
the clergy can be induced to utter some
pretty good support of trust methods,
provided proper gifts, as in the case OF
the colleges, are properly disseminated.
This latter view becomes all the more
interesting because at this time. in the
vicinity of New York in particular, many
of the clergy are, or at least in one way
and another publicly announce themselves
to be, at their wits ends to gather in a
larger and more satisfactory following for
themselves and numbers of their con,
feres now wholly unemployed.
AS some of these clergy of late in order
to better interest their hearers have been
uttering some true things about the gen
eral commercial situation, it would seem
as if the trusts have taken an early stand
in the direction of seeing we'll to it, that
no harm shall come to them in conse-
quence of idle preachers and those unable
to fill their pews as they would like.
The rapid growth and magnitude OF
these trusts is assuming proportions which
fairly stagger even the initiated to follow
them. Almost daily twenty-five or fifty
million dollar trust is newly launched OH
the market; SO many are there, that the
old fashioned millionaire seems to be lost
sight of, as being an amount of capital
not worth the attention Of modern bus.
mess methods. Is il then any wonder
that Mrs Langtry goes down town among
the brokers for the purpose of ensuring
the success of an afternoon tea to raise
funds for the British army hospital service,
and the Princess Salm-Salm accompanied
| by Count Kevenhuller Of Germany, and
Miss Ettie Fitz Stephens Palmer of Ire
land, asking for $50, 900 or more for hos
pital assistance to the Beers?
What else is 10 be expected than royalty
L ct,a11 g.
fifty million patches of capitalizations
which they see daily announced in our
newspapers? Surely they must see that
the old stories told the immigrants that
America is paved with gold, must literally
be true. As a secondary sequel to this
extraordinary condition of things, un-
doubtedly there will at once be an cpl
demic of raids upon the heiresses of our
community by the swell lords of Europe
who are more or less pressed for the want
of spare cash.
Altogether the imperialistic tendency
in all these matters is huge. Americans
are rapidly being taught that it is the cor
N~-H3 ~ SdRPOit anu
anything that has for ages been so looked
upon by the monarchical and iniperialistic
sentiments of European practice. Charity
is rapidly becoming fad for the purpose
of employing the minds of wealthy un-
employed people. Gifts are without
number to educational and all kinds of
institutions, with the tail attached "no
word shall be uttered against the trusts"
Democratic or republican sentiments are
being silenced, they are being swamped
in marriages of our young heiresses with
the nobility of Europe, and in the vast
wealth these young ladies in the aggre-
gate are conveying to Europe every year.
The press gags of Europe are being
brought over here, and many conditions
are favoring the idea that the ultimate
aim of all this is TO create an American
aristocracy with an American peasant
class of people, peasant class which the
new nobility shall find opportunities to
aid through many charitable and benev-
olent bequests.
Not that any hint is made here against
capital or large capitalizations, things
which in themselves are most vital to
commercial and industrial progress; in
stead, attention is merely directed to
methods and practices now being grated
upon growing wealth as an auxiliary and
wholly gratuitcus service.