The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-06-29

| constitution and laws, but, az rule,
these bodies and officers, once in power,
become the mere agents. instrumentali-
ties and servitors of a class instead of
the honest guardians of the rights and
interests of the majority Of the people.
And 1t mainly because of this Judas-like
betrayal of their trust, extending over
long series of years, that the most
powerful monopolies the world has ever
known, have been fastened upon the
country, that is wealth is accommodating
in the hands of a fraction of the people
in proportions so vast as to stagger the
imagination. These corrupt and cor
rupting classes have. under the forms
of law, made conquest of the natural re-
sources of the country and are pillaging
the people as no people ever were pill
laged In any age Of which history has
preserved the record. Less than score
of corporations have managed TO obtain
control of the transportation facilities of
the country, and In pursuance of their
policies of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, levy enor-
nous tribute upon all classes of produc-
ton and consumption. Still other COM
binations have contrived to possess
| themselves of the streets of every city
| and town worth owning, and exact from
the masses in a few years revenues that
far exceed the amount of their original
| investments. At every turn some great
| trust has every man and woman by the
throat from sunrise to sunset. lie little
match struck in the morning to light the
| fire Is the product of trust. The stove,
| or the CRATE, had to be bought of another
| one. In every home there is execration
for the grasping coal combination, whose
exactions are almost of a character to
excite revolution. Before every family
sits down to breakfast or dinner several
vicious monopolistic aggregations have
taken toll on everything Inc table
Railway barons mulct the milk. the
sovereigns of sugar have had their pull
at the purse, while the flour barons de-
mands must have been satisfied or there
| is no bread. At night when the lamp is
| lighted, another set of monopoists have
| made their appearance around the board.
| Infinitely more oppressive than the feud-
| alism OF the middle ages Is the capitals
| tic and monopolistic bondage of the
| twentieth century.
This reign and rule of corporate and
trust extortion in all the necessaries and
utilities of life is the penalty of depart
ure from 1.-THE first principles of the Re-
public" Their restoration is not a mat
ter of sentiment or politics. 1t is an i'm
perative necessity. 1t transcends party.
1t involves the public welfare-the well
fare of all the millions of victims of this
unjust system, the welfare of the gener-
atoms that are to be. Honestly acquired
wealth no one will seek to assail, but the
robbery of the many by the few must
come to an end. That Is, or should be,
the object of government. Conditions
must not be allowed to exist here, such
as those that led to the first great revo-
luton in France. 1t is not Americanism.
But unless a radical change takes place,
that is the road on which we are travel
ing. 1.-THE restoration of the first prin-
ciples of the Republic" in that sign
Democracy can conquer. Against the
| community of interest shibboleth of
the trusts 1t should run up the banner of
1.-The interest of the community"