WE MUST STRIKE AT THE ROOT CORRUPTION. 455 



of the masses, and their willingness to do right, when 

 not swayed by the sophistry of demagogues. At that time, 

 the people certainly were measurably in the hands of this 

 class. Unfortunately, too, at that time railroad officials 

 were bound, hand and foot, by the power of the centralized 

 capital of Wall Street, and the Eastern cites, so that they 

 could not, if they would, have done what their calmer judg 

 ment dictated. 



The Old Bird Fairly Aroused. 



WE MUST STRIKE AT THE ROOT- CORRUPTION. 



I still advocate the doctrine, that the root of the evil, 

 corruption, must be struck with the ax of reform before the 

 monopolizing tendency of capital can be brought down. It 

 has indeed been brought into judgment at the bar of public 



