After reading the foregoing we may well exclaim whither are we drifting The announcement is in itself of grave moment but when it is regarded as a sign of the times showing with what rapidity power is departing from the many and centering in the few it becomes to thoughtful minds a matter of alarm and deep anxiety The tindancy of the age is towards monopoly Individual enterprise is every where subordinated to asserted power The man in his personality is developed into a machine to be run as some central mind may dictate, This is not a new development of power It seems it is as old as history In all governments its tendency has been to the few untill it either goaded to revolution or [?] [?] sent the masses into battlestrife that and the nation perished. Among the Ancients nations the Jewish form of government was longest mantained because God had wisely ordained[?] a remedy against an undue accumulation of power in the hands of a few The year of Jubilee brought the all back to their original equality and thus the national life was renewed

Our national superstructure was founded on the equality of Manhood its early [?] was a government by the people and for the people and for generations the people were exceedingly jealous of personal rights and privileges. The strides of power were guarded against The people were Championed by a party that for a long period refused special privileges and when they oftimes granted them were careful to preserve guard individual rights Cannals and Railroads were authorized and were used but simply as avenues, for the interchange of products they were made mere couriers, they themselves had no means to afford them freight [?] and it was therefore their interest to stimulate private enterprise to supply these freights and thus a healthy competition was mantained not only between these several carrier lines of improvements[?] but also between the producers, that ever secured consumers against unreasonable prices.

The magnitude of the Civil War compeled the national Government to assume gigantic powers grasping with a strong hand not only the sword but also the purse of the Nation In the face of the written and the still stronger unwritten law of the world declares that money which intrinsically was but a rag[?] a [?], thus at one clutch grasp possessing itself of the key that locks and unlocks each mans private treasure house

It fostered monster corporations by making them recipients of a large portion of its own vast domains and almost unlimited, by pledging to them the nations credit The day of small things suddenly passed away and whatever was done was done giganticly

This spirit difused itself into all the ramifications of American life so the benificies[?] or plunder seems to have become respectable only by the vastness of its achievements. Men are no long rich unless they have millions at their command, Through recently acquired power. A few of the giant railroads have swallowed [?] all the smaller ones and some three or four men now substantially weild the almost countless millions invested on railroads and determine how much tribute, trade and travel shall pay to that investment