Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-05-16

There are some objectional features in
such . gathering as the one recently held
In this city under the guise Of Conven-
ton of the American Labor Reform
League" These people. who believe the
world Is going oil wrong, and that all
kinds OF red-handed tyranny and red-head-
ed injustice, and hoary wrongs, aud n.y.
blown superstitions, and the rest OF that
programme are rampant in the land. and
who are anxious to switch the universe of
on 10 side track for few minutes. while
they put In some neW machinery, and
make . fair division OF property, and
abolish the distinction OF sex. and make
every body rich and happy. and have AN
end forever of the primal curse OF perspi-
ration-these people We say. have an I'M
doubted right to assemble and swap curses
Of the existing condition OF things. ana ex-
pectorate lurid eloQueace on the exasper-
atingly cheap and inefficient way In which
the universe Is run, and In brief make
Rome or Thirteenth Street howl. II Is
rather q good thing indeed that all these
people who are opposed to the fuDdameu-
tai ideas which govern society and the
State should get together Is often as once
year and ''cuss' into Q common hopper.
And still there are Objectionable features
in such conventions. The orators are liza.
BILE to be so carried away by the the torrent
Of their own enthusiasm rs TO forget what
the less advanced thinkers. the pi,iful
slaves Of conventionalty and custom, call
prspriety and decency; and the result Is
that the timid and fastidious, who would
like TO take hold and set thirgs rigat. are
driven AWAY by the fecuient and turbid
discourse OF the sturdier reformers. Ii Is
lot without great hesitation and diffidence
that we venture this criticism of the noble
band OF reformers who lately yituperated
in Thirteenth ST. For We are aware that
their confidence In the infallibility OF their
opinions and the invincibility Of their po-
sitions Is so profound that they admit no
differences and tolerate no criticism. TO
venture ipconsideraiely within range of
the sulphurous and phosphorescent vocab-
ularies which lately lighted up Thirteenth
St. would be the height OF rashness.
Very mildly then, and with no intention
Of giving offence, we make suggestion or
two. When Mr.. Maddox. for instance.
remarked in his calm, logical way that in
this country 500, 900 OF people have their
feet on the necks OF 40 .O00. 900 everybody
knew BY the way he skipped around and
clenched his fists and grated his teeth. that
he was simply stating q fact that had come
under his own observation, and that he
knew his statistics by actual count. Ii
was not strange, perhaps. that Maddox.
who foregoes work himself In order TO ex-
tend unprejudiced and unselfsh sympathy
to the down-trodden and oppressed work
ipgmau, should say. In . little burst Of
emotion, that he hoped to God justice
would BE done TO these 5000 900 id
scoundreis.r Maddox Is just that sort OF
man. He Is endowed with noble daring to
thst degreee thst he would just as soon call
!, 600 900 men 10 the abstract id scoun-
drels" as one man In the concrete. Sooner.
In fact, IL the concrete man WAS able bodied
and near by. When. however, Maddox
added that he Was "resdy TO be id.
yes, to 70 to hi, ii need be, for the
truth" II occurs to us-now. mind, we
don't mean TO be captious-iDdced. we are
not strenuous about IL At all-but we mere
ly suggest that this language Is not scien-
tific- Besides. IL was too liberal an offer.
MaddoX's sentiments were rs noble As his
statistics we're exact, but he seems to us
10 have got the wrong idea as to the direc-
ton and distance he would have 10 travel
for the truth. Then there was Mrs. Mid
dlebrook. who took the ground that under
existing marriage laws women are the
slaves of men. and that the way TO end this
shocking state Of things Is 10 give woman
The ballot aud abolish marriage. Women
should not work for their husbands, she
said. unless thep were paid for it. This IL
exceedingly beautiful and sweet. OF course
We have no criticism for Mrs. Middlebrook.
Only when she says 10 the frank. fearless
manner Of the modern female rcformer,
that "a mistress can command what pay
''shs likes. but few words mumbled BY
minister deprives woman OF that right
we suspect she Is carrying her argument =
tribe further than what women not en-
gagged in the noble work OF reform call
decent. Then there was talk OF blood"
denuDciatiop OF usury. rent and property.
defence OF the Molly Maguires, advocacy OF
freedom OF thought so broad as TO do Awsv
scene publications, and much more ia the
same vein OF reform.
Some people may object to the whole
perform snce. One indiv idual indeed went
so far as TO address the gifted leader who
issued the call reply thereto. saying.
IN the versacnlsr Of reform. that 1t vas
''all ID nonsense" and the gifted per-
son, in . grieyed way, read II to the rest
OF the birds ss IN illustration OF the
obstacles in the way OF true reform. But
why isn't IL . good thing for these white
soued men and women who see everything
going TO the bow-wows, to huddle together
and ''cuss" about once a Year, They H.
lustrate the tendencies OF great variety
OF social and political theories and ideas
and show us by memorable logic what
mGst be their results. II is well To get all
these people together. even though they
they talk all 81 oBcc. and are proisne and
| filthy, and agree on nothing except that
the existing condition Is bad and calls for
qusck remedies. Here they are fully de-
veioped-woman suffrage. imitation. green
back finance. labor reform. socialism.
communicable whole pestiIent breed OF
political and social heresies born OF half.
thinking, discomfort. and demagogism.
Out Of all their cursing and mouthing We
may learn enough of them TO avoid them.
" Y. Iribuue.