Sentence:  "Let the great of the earth give but half the care to prevent, that they show to punish, offences against themselves, and what is now called justice will no longer be a <WSD>stalking-horse</WSD> to enable a few to live at the cost of the rest. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A person, thing, or expedient used in a deceptive manner, to achieve some hidden purpose; a pretext or ruse.