Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-02-13
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
s. POLITICS aaaa s
~ -=OF THE DAY -
Observation-Disclosures
Modern Feudali.m.


Modern Fcudnlism.
The Feudal Barons Of the middle
ages protected their retalners and the
villeins, who did their service and their
tenants who paid in kind or cash, but
the modern corporation and Industrial
baron not only exacts service from his
retainers, but is protected by the state
in bis plundering of all the people.
The growth of the ancient feudal sys-
tenn was almost necessity of the
times, to prevent the extirpation of
the race by continual warfare and to
establish centers to rally around In
times Of danger and to Withstand the
Entertainments of the overload or king,
but our modern feudalism has no such
excuse for existence. The modern
baron is monopolist, such as his an
cient prototype never dreamed of be-
Ing, for his power was circumscribed
by his fellow barous and even the
greater barons were kept in check by
combinations of the lesser barons and
their fear Of the king. But our mod
ern baron fears nothing, he Is supreme,
for he has beaten down all opposition
and enjoys a rowing commission from
the state to plumber at will.
Our modern feudal baron has in
vented the corporation to hide behind
with all the powers of person and
none of his failings. for death cannot
touch the corporation, which has no
body to die or soul to be damned. When
the old feudal baron died his son or
successor had to renew his fealty, and
II not of age to do service he was
placed in ward of some one who could
be answerable for him until he be-
came of age. Our modern baron has
no such limitations, for under the le-
gal subterfuge Of the corporation. his
power is perpetual. Why have we al
lowed this corporation, created by the
state, everlasting power to plumber US?
Simply because we were asleep to the
control of our representatives and al
lowed them to create something more
powerful than ourselves The state
has been used as cats paw to pull
chestnuts out of the fire for those who
have been cunning enough to create
and enlarge the body known as the
corporation and in most cases to char
ter it to do what the sovereign citizen
could not do.
The charters Of our great monopo-
lies, the railroads, are u disgrace to our
civilization, we have given them un-
limited power, except that they can
not, in theory, combine with others to
prevent competition, yet In practice we
see them doing SO, until there are vir-
tually few corporations and less men
controlling nll the transportation of
the country with power to charge the
people call the traffic will bear" The
gigantic monoplies controlling the min
eral resources of the country, such as
iron, copper and coal, and the oil mo-
nopoly, not to mention the hundreds Of
other Industrial monopolies that -four
ISL, have oil been created by the peo-
pie and have grown great from being
given that baronial and little under
stood corporate power with which they
have license to plumber. not only the
people Of the State that created them,
but Of all other States.
The question now is, how shall the
sovereign people resume the power
they have delegated to these modern
barons? Shall their corporations be
controlled or destroyed? It is dis
heartening to be told by the Republic
can leaders that there are good trusts
and bad trusts, good barons and evil
barons, for they are all monopolists or
attempting to be such, and If let alone
will become monopolists. 1t is also
certain that there would be no monopo-
~ without some special privilege. some
protection that others do not have,
| some prerogative, franchise or immun.
ity that gives them the right to plum
der the public. Most of these monopo-
lists are protected by the tariff, which
prevents their having competitors from
abroad and thus allows them to com.
bine against competition at home. 9th.
ers have the right of eminent domain
which Is the most exalted of soyer-
eign rights. for what greater preroga.
tive can be granted than to have the
legal power to take the property of the
citizen without his consent.
Under the Republican system of pro
lection granted the trust barons, the
golden age Of competition has passed
and the age of monopoly has come and
the Republican party declares In every
| platform Its intention to perpetuate
the protective system. The feeble at
tempts of the administration to contro
the trust barons have perhaps worried
them by slightly interfering with theIl
combinations but no punitive effort.
have been attempted to punish them
even when caught red-handed In the
most bold depredations.
4 What trust corporation fears a fine.
1t is only question OF how soon the
people can be made to repay it.
Has the Beef Trust, the Print Paper
Trust, or the Great Northern Railroad
Merger, which have been proceeded
against, stopped their plunderlng b,
reducing the price of their products OF
the freight they charge?
The temporlzing policy adopted, will
such flourish of trumpets and spe
cial messages, may make the uninitiat
ed believe that reform is rampant, ant
that trust busting is an every day oc
currence, but real results show that 4
is but sounding brass and tinkling Gym
balls.
Political Trust Busting.
Prosecuting the Lumber Trust ant
standing pat on the tariff on lumber a
the same time is the way the admins
tration pretends to help the people. Tn
less the Republican party is prepares
to Invoke the criminal section Of th
antitrust law and put the Lumbe