The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-04-26

"A generation or so ago a country
youth with a fair amount OF brains n
muscle could start out in life with the
prospect Of dying a rich man, but that
is not the case now. Wealth IL now for
the few. In the past when a young
man in this country started on his bus
mess career. he found circumstances
largely in his favor: in the future he
will find them hostile to him. In the
past IL required a minimum OF skill TO
attain a commanding position in indus
trial affairs in the future IL will require
a maximum OF skill"
This republic today is more dominat-
ed by the men OF immense money than
any European country. and TO find its
parallel in France we must go back to
the time preceding the revolution 1888
and as far back as the accused reign
OF Louis XIV. Says the Investor,
these are the days of 'Napoleons Of
finance and trade. The industries OF
the world are rapidly becoming centra-
Iized in a few hands. and the question
with every one of US is how to number
himself among the few. 1t may be
said incidentally that the present state
of affairs is the natural outcome of the
lack Of broad thinking in the past in
connection with the industrial situa-
ton
While not a socialist" it may be said
that it is very doubtful if a country
ruled imperially by a small number of
nabobs and plutocrats is a better coun-
try for the average American citizen
than a government like England's or
any other country not dominated by
autocracy or an imitation of the fallen
times in Rome when an Emperor
was the tyrranical boss. The trouble
with the United States AN alleged re-
public is that I'VE have become an
old country" says the Investor. Again
we copy from its very thoughtful and
suggestive discussion:
The period of lords of finance and
trade has already begun to dawn.
Thus a new eudalism has been eVolv-
ed. which is bound to transform the
of our industrial situation.
1t was not SO many centuries ago that
our ancestors fought with bows and
arrows and with battle-aXes. We fight
nov with the most complicated engines
of destruction
lAoN ~ - ~ " iiloiS
pressing, oppressive inquiry. What
shall | do to keep from starving or from
going to the Door house? Opportuni-
ties are much less. The inhabitants
have greatly increased. There are two
or more seekers for every place. The
farms are deserted by the young and it
increases the difficulties and makes
loco ,nr+o;, roe,,Ite IS GOOD .1-l,o -
dustries of the United States have in
recent years been drifting Under the
control of a few men with fearful
rapidity." Sad but true. But the OPP
portunities will be SO very few, COM
pared with those of the past, that no
one short of a genius need apply This
is not an agreeable state of affairs for
us to contemplate, and most of US sys-
tematically ignore The subject"
The moneyed power-the plutocratic
~autocracy-the men who live in palaces
and command annua incomes that
make earthly monarchs in the purple
seem beggars. have control now. They
govern every thing. and their power
daily grows and with it their schemes
Oh aggression anu dmDlClOn. Inc IN
weston sees clearly what is upon us
now. 1t says. and with the quotation.
we close the review:
The race begins with a condition
of equality; then d relatively few be-
gin to display superior strength or in
te~lligence. constituting an aristocracy;
and eventually the masses find them
selves in pronounced antagonism to
these few. and in the end sink to a SER
vile condition.
AS yet, We have not done much
more thar evolve an aristocracy. We
have. however. done this with a ven
geance. We have not emitted any
titles of nobility in this country, but
puts that of the Old World completely
in the shade. r $ We doubt if there
ever existed a nation in which class
hatreds were more bitter than they are
likely to be in this country as a result
of the economic conditions which we
have evolved. The situation here is
bound to be aggravated by the fact
that the masses in this country nave
been educated. * 3 Having in this
country, the capacity to think, they are
quite as likely to be driven into revo-
luton as into mere acQuieScence. o
this is a contingency which should ever
be kept in mind. We lave evolved our
ariStocracy. but ave not evolved our
proletariat. The masses however, are
alive to the danger that confrontS
them. and thy have not been slow in
taking whatever precautions may nave
suggested themselves to them"