The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-02-10
CAPITAL vs.. LIBERTY.

no, hecome a law, the fear OF what
,a., unsrupulous men may be able TO
do with billions Of capital iea's
thoughtful people to wish that the re-
str,ctions imposed by the bill were pos
sible to reach. in framing TINS govern
ment the early Americans were care
full not to lodge dangerous ai'ou''
~ nautical power in any indiViduai OF
bureau They would not permit the
President to make war without the as
sent of Congress; they put appropri-
ations and expenditures in diHereh'
hands and marked out the legal bouh-
diaries of each; the army was given
civilian commander in chief in the per-
son of the President: certain vital
rights were reserved for states and oil
the three coordinate branches of Fed
eral administration, not one was per-
mitted TO perform it's duties without
some measure OF reference to the 9TH
ers. A perfect system of checks ana
balances was organized AS far as
their lights permitted them to see, the
architects Of the republic made it i'm
POSSIBLE for sovereign power to be
taken from the people. But they did
National power does not, as the
founders thought. necessarily reside in
office. 1t is a prize which may be
bought by the man or men who con-
troll a sufficient sum of money. Today,
II the trusts should secretly combine,
they could elect the Senate and House
of Representatives., most of the gov
errors and legislatures and surround
the President with such obstacles to
reform and with such plausible incen-
tives to act in behalf of the privileged
class that his power to do public serv-
ice would be unconsciously circum-
scribed. There are individuals in the
country now who are becoming bill
ionaires. They are not ambitious for
political primary and are spending the
money they do not use in their bust
ness upon educational and philanthropy
ic projects. But one day may come
group OF billionaires with the instincts
OF Jay Gould and Jim Fisk and Rich
ard Croker, and then the question of
moment to those by whom the liberties
OF the United States are cherished Is.
To what dangerous political use will
these men put their money?
writer on Pierpont Morgan in a re-
cent magazine puts this question with a
most sensational result. Taking one
billion dollars as the capital of a thor
oughly ambitious man, he marshals it
as follows:
In the controlling banks of the
country .s2Oo ,Ooo,ooo
In the controlling railroads. 0,00o, 900
In mines and most important
manufacturing institutions 100000, 900
For control of the leading
newspapers :. ............ 100, 900, 900
For control of commercial
agencies ...............,.. 5OoO,O0O
For control of strategic char
tiles and churches. ........ 10000, 900
For retaining fees for leading
lawyers and orators ........ 100000
Deposited in safety vaults in
gold and legal TENDER. 200, 900. 900
Undeniably, such a use of money
would lodge in the hands of one man
as much power as Napoleon Bonaparte
had over the destiny of France and of
Europe at the zenith of his career, but
power which it would be more diff
cult to combat and overturn. Men will
fight a plain political despotism which
rests its right to rule on bayonets;
Millionaire who controls the sources of
popular livelihood, has commanding
public opinion at his back, and is able
and willing to buy up opposition. OF
all despots, he would be most secure in
his authority.
Analyze the disposition of the bill
ion dollar fund. Two hundred millions
invested in banks would create a finan-
ni oil taf f,n lit.
men would not care to oppose. No banker
wants to fight 5000, 900 900, backed by
$500 100000 Two hundred millions more
used strategically would control the
political influence of all the railroads.
A quarter OF billion in the great in
dustries would control their vote and
their pull with Congress and with
the courts. Five millions would buy
enough newspapers to profoundly in
huence public opinion. and draw to
their service, through a generous salary
scale, the brightest journalists. Con-
troll OF the commercial agencies would
be powerful weapon Of offence and
defence In trade. Church opinion
which has yielded so readily to tn,
views OF such men as the Rockefellers
could be misguided by a more lavish
supply OF funds for charities and mis-
sions into conscientious support %
the existing order" by these means
millions Of votes and ~ money coul,
be marshalled against what the billion
aires would choose 90 cali socialism
and anarchy The final weapon. IN
'soo~o'Oo0 In reserve, would perhaps b.
the most potent factor In the strategy
OF blllonairedom. A. the magazin