The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-11-19
The Money Power and the Labor
Combine,
To the Editor of The Gate City:

To the Editor of The Gate City:
The trial of the Mcnamara brothers
now progressing in Los Angeles, Cal
ifornia. brings to the forefront the
great issue between capital and labor
This pending case will doubtless be
considered a cause celebre, affecting
as it does remarkable array of per-
estimated expense of more than one
million dollars, besides hundreds of
witnesses from many states. 1t is
thought that the trial will cover a
period of six months or more. The
end of 1t will be but another chapter
in the great conflict between capital
and labor.
1t is far from our purpose to ex-
press an Cpl ion as to the guilt. or
innocence of the defendants in this
case. Our purpose is to point out
What the Bible plainly teaches will
be the inevitable outcome of the prin-
ciples involved Inspiration gives a
remarkable outline of the issue be-
tween the rich and the poor, capital
and labor. The Apostle James writes
the following on the subject:
Go to now, ye rich men, weep and
howl for your miseries that shall
come upon YOU Your riches are cor
rupted, and your garments are moth
eaten. Your gold and silver is cank-
cred; and the rust of them shall be a
witness against You, and shall eat
your flesh as it were fire. Ye have
heaped treasure together for the last
days. Behold the hire of the labor
ers who have reaped down your
fields. which is of you kept back by
fraud, crieth: and the cries of them
which have reaped are entered into
the ears of the Lord of Sabbath
In the light of the past record OF
concentrated wealth, it must be adj
mitted that the present intense stage
of the controversy between capital
and labor is nearing the greatest
crisis of American history. The great
Lincoln described existing and ap-
preaching conditions with an accuracy
almost inspired when he said at the
close of the Civil war:
II see in the near future a crisis
approaching that unnerves me, and
causes me to trc.nble for the safety
of my country. AS result of the
war, corporations have been enthron-
cd ard On era of corruption in high
places will folloS, and the money pow
er of the country will endeayor to pro-
long it's reign upon the preiudices of
the people until the wealth is con-
centrated in the hands of few, and
this republic is destroyed. J feel at
this moment more anxiety for the
safety of my country than ever be-
fore, even in the midst of the war"
IN addition to what inspiration furn-
ishes On this question, We have the
history of the past, by which we may
discern the future; for, as Patrick
Henry said, I'VE have no sufficient
means of Judging the future but by
the last" History records the fact
that two per cent of Egypt's popula-
ton owne .:early her entire wealth
when she became a vassal power
Persia went down wit. one per cent c.
its population owning all the land.
Two per cent OF the population of
Eabylo1. owned all the wealth at the
time Ncbuciia dnezzar was king. Dur
Jig the reign of the Caesars, Rome
lea sh,d IL IL neci, OF wealth and
Power Eut ii vent down because of
corruptions largely brought about by
unwise uses of it's wealth.
Fifty men in these United States"
said Senator .Depew have it in their
power, ~ reason of the wealth which
they control, to come together within
twentyfour hours and arrive at an
understanding by which every wheel
of trade and commerce may be stopp-
ed from revolving, every avenue Of
trade blocked, and every electric key
struck dumb. Those fifty men can