The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1905-04-08
THE RIGHT OF REVOLUTION

/ ne American people stand aghaSt at the state OF
affairs in Russia. That country is governed by an
absolute monarch and his sef-seeking tyrannical,
corrupt, and couscieuceess followers.
The common people, oppressed beyond endur-
ance are struggling to release themselves from their
burdens; to off the yoke under which they have
been grooming, and the load which has become too
heavy for their strength
The struggle begun in province has spread
until of practical warfare exists, with bullets
and bayonets as the weapons of the oppressor, to
which the oppressed are opposing the blind and un-
organized physical strength of mass, strength
which they do not know as yet, but which, when
once realized, will be as irresistible as the wave which
swept over France at the beginning Of the eighteenth
century
We in America going far afeld with our sym
pathy for the people OF Russia and our condemnation
OF their ruIcrsWe ourselves realizing it, are in
the midst of an analogous condition.
The American war now in progress against the
oppression OF great aggregatons of organized CAPT
tai with their tremendous concentration of power in
the hands OF a single man, may very correctly and
legitmatey be compared to the struggle OF people
against sheer political tyranny
John d. Rockefeller now possesses a yearly in
come OF $5oooo,ooo. The yearly income OF the Gar
of Russia is Sr2oooooo
That the dollar is mghtier than the bullet will
scarcely be disputed
Mr.. Rockefeller is therefore foir times as pow
erful as the Autocrat of Russia
y The oppression of his people by the Gar is by
the bullet and knout and Punishment 1t is cor
poreally well industrialy felt
The oppression by the American grand dukes
with power OF half billion at their head
is both corporal and industrial It is corporealv
felt in the prohibve priceininninininnininninnn
felt in the prohbitive price of necessares of life and
the herding of the poor people like swine in styes
both brought about directly by the constituencies
greed OF tyranny remorseess as that which
gives the Russian peasants bullets when they ask for
bread
1t < industraliy ieit in the ruin of the small deal
and his transformation into the servant OF the man
or aggregation that forced him out
The man with hundred thousand dollars can Of
course be crushed by the mllti-mionare. He in
his turn, is at the mercy of the absolute monarch
who owns half billion
''The mayhy is torn BY the swallow; the swallow
is speared by the shrke"
He takes who has the power, and he keeps who
can 1t is world of plumber and prey and there is
no pity in the contest.
Government control of railways and other public
one trust or one mon OF all the wealth-producng
and lfesustaining resources of the nation? Yet this
is the logical sequence of the growth of power that
is already the strongest in the world, and which, in
fifty years will have doubled its potency.
The indscriminate denunciation OF corporations
and diatrbes of sensational writers have undoubted-
ly mislead public judgment to great extent. 1t is
plain to any mind hatorganzed effort be made
operation" simply akioosorhrhiskat. etaoir
effective where individual endeavor is poweress
Corporation simply corporations; and is
to a certain extent not only legitimate, but neces
sary to the success OF many enterprises It is prin
eipe Of civilization; the principle which govern.
ia from the working OF two men, one of whom drop:
seed while the other covers them, to the conbina
ton OF capital which builds railroad or the com
bination of individuals which forms an army 1t i
in the abuse OF the principle that the danger lies
When incorporated capital ceases to confine itsel
10 It's legitimate work of developing industries TO
the common good it becomes menace When |
gives one man the prodigious power welded by TIN
po>sessor OF half a billion dollars it becomes peril
But there is power greater than that welded b.
an arbitrary ruler or by half billion dollars. 1t j
the power of the people themselves. The Gar o
Russia stripped Of robe and crown, and unhedge
abait by the divinity Of bayonets, is only aweak an
helpless man;-as incapable Of harm as the hunbes
laborer in his domnions.
Rockefeller without his money is merel, N o.
jet Of pity.
The Russian people themselves gave their tyrar
his knout and cannon. The American people then
selves gave Rockefeller his half billion.
The power, bestowed in both cases, has IN diffe
ent ways but with like results been abused 1t WI
be taken away by those who granted it:--in Russ
by revolution; in America by the peoples laws; I'll
only difference is in the wisdom Of the method.