Quote from the diary of Rutherford B. Hayes

Hayes, a Republican, was President of the United States 1877-1881.  He became POTUS as a result of the Great Compromise of 1877, also known as the Great Betrayal.  It is significant in light of this quote that he put down the nationwide railroad and labor strike of 1877 known as the Great Upheaval.

“The real difficulty is with the vast wealth and power in the hands of the few and the unscrupulous who represent or control capital. Hundreds of laws of Congress and the state legislatures are in the interest of these men and against the interests of workingmen. These need to be exposed and repealed. All laws on corporations, on taxation, on trusts, wills, descent, and the like, need examination and extensive change. This is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people no longer. It is a government of corporations, by corporations, and for corporations. — How is this?” – dated 11 March 1888