Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-06-22
LlNCOLN'S PROPHECY.

Il is Being Verified in the Most Ample Re-.
suits.
In his message to Congress in 1861
Abraham Lincoln used the following
language. which most people, judging
from the way they vote, have forgot.
ten:
In my present condition could scarce
ly be justified were to omit warning
voice against the approach of returning
despotism. There is one point to which
l ask brief attention. 1t is the effort
to place capital on an equal footing with,
if not above, labor in the structure of
government. Let the people beware of
surrendering a political power which
they have and which, if surrendered,
will surely be used to close the door of
advancement against such as they, and
to fix new disabilities and burdens upon
them. till all of liberty shall be lost"
Later on, toward the close of the
civil war, during which time the cor
porations were rampant and while the
soldiers we're fighting the battles at
SIG per he wrote the following:
"As a result of the war, corporations
have been enthroned, an era OF cOrrup.
ton in high places will follow, and the
money power of the country will en-
deavor to prolong its reign by working
upon the prejudices of the people until
all wealth is concentrated in few hands
and the republic is destroyed. feel at
this moment more anxiety for the safety
of my country than ever before, even in
the midst OF war;"
Now l ask, in all csndor, was there
ever a more prophetic utterance of
words in the English language than
the above?
While am not believer in rroph-
estes, there is such thing As judging
the future by the past, and Lincoln
was a great reader of history. He bad
read the history of ancient Greece and
Rome, OF the rise and fall Of empires
and republics; had studied the cause
of their prosperity and the cause of
their decline and, as like causes pro.
duce like effects, he was enabled to
predict the fate Of the United States
under like conditions. Now what are
the conditions leading to prosperity
and happiness. The greatest OF all is
"equsl right for all and special ptivi.
leges to none." Are there any special
privileges in the United States? Don't
be fool enough to answer in the mega.
tive, or some one might tap you ON
the cocoanut and listen for an echo.
Is not the tariff q special privilege?
Are not the railroad grants a special
privilege? Is not every franchise in
every city OF the country, . special
privilege? Is not every national bank
a special privilege?
History teaches US that ruin Of ma.
tiOns has been caused by misgovern-
ment, the concentration of wealth, the
abuse OF special privileges, the usurped
imposition OF taxes, the excuses by fa.
vored classes of the powers of govern.
ment to oppress and plunder other
classes. the consequent impoverish.
ment and degradation of the working
classes, together with the increase OF
the idle rich who become immoral and
imbecile.
Can anything be more certain than
that We are following in the beaten
track Of class legislation and reckless
class rule which entombed the great
nations OF antiquity? Now what ia
the proper thing for US TO do as a peo-
pie? Shall we " lie supinely on our
backs, hugging the delusive fantasy of
hope, until our enemies have bound US
hand and foot" or shall we 60 back to
first principles, founded on our Declar.
alton of Independence, that all men
are created equal so far as national
and political opportunities are con.
cerned, with an equal right to life, lib.
erty and the pursuit of happiness?
In looking over the history of the past
forty years or more, what do we find
from q political standpoint? Our leg.
islation has been, not for the masses,
but for the privileged classes as Bryan
truthfully asserts, "The dollar 10
more valued than the man." As Lin.
coin said in his first message to Con.
gress, Capital has usurped the place
OF labor in the structure OF govern
ment and we are confronted with the
appalling fact that capital is the ruling
factor OF our government, and. in the
language OF one OF our upper ten,"
The people be damned" "If Letter.