The Worthington advance., 1888-08-02

however, in our day. Almost every
thing private, everything sacred, every
thing personal. every matter OF con-
victiOn and faith, h6S some fanatical
enthusiast who wishes either to pr0po'
gate it or suppress it by vote Of the
people. The tendency now is to form
political parties to force prohibition!
upon the country; to form political
parties to force orthodox religion upon
the general government and into the
constitution; and to form political par
ties to force peculiar social views up
on the country. At this rate, it will
not be long before political parties will
he formed to force scientific views up
on the nation, and the partizans on
each side of the question as to wheth'
er or not the ''sun do move'' will be
canvassing our county and abusing
their opponents. Literary questions,
like the Shakespeare Bacon cOntrOver-
sy, will be submitted to vote Of the
people, and the "majority" will rule
with a high hand and sometimes Il
brutal and ignorant arm. though it be
by majority of only one. 25,0O0, ,oO0
people may declare for Shakespeare aud
Is, ,OOO. 600 and one may declare for Ba.
con, and that will settle the question
under ''Our system. :"
CLASS LEGISLATION.
8. A third danger, or the same one
under another phase, is the tendency
to establish everything by law. ''Class
legislation" is becoming one Of the
greatest and the l0udest crying evils OF
our time. A prominent Nebraska
speaker recently said that ''be it enact.
ed" WAS one of our worst tende lcies
and that ''be it repealed" was our rem
edy. The ADVANCE has often declar.
ed that the Americans are law. mad. II
is said that all the laws in China are
contained in one book and that not a
large one. At the rate the Americans
are going. it will require immense Ii.
brary buildings in every State capitol
to contain the law books. The last
legislature of Minnesota, during six
ty days session. introduced over 70t
bills and passed over 800 of them. The
next may, and probably will, introduce
Q thousand and pass 500.
The first and the most powerful In
securing ''class legislation" in its own
interest is what is generally called the
''monopolistic class" Having wealth
and it's attendant power. this class
readily secures such tariff, financial
and other legislation as it desires. II
generally dictates what articles shal
be ''protected" BY heavy duty; how
gold and silver money shall be made
issued and regulated, and how thu
banks and their issues shall be controll'
ed. Immense fortunes hsve been made
by this class at one legislative stroke
and you and I and the rest of the peo-
pie have been compelled to contribute
our tax to make up the vast aggregate
This class, already rolling in wealth.
holds on with a geath.grip t.
class legislation in order that it may
wallow and wade in greater depths Of
iniquitous gain.
But while this is the most successful
class in securing class legislation from
q ]aw.mad nation. it is not, in my
judgment, the worst nor the M 0st dan.
Rer0us class. Those classes who arr
demanding legislation in the interest
Of their class of religious adherent<
and of their 0logies; those classes O1
medical practitioners and adherents
who are securing legislation in tho in
terest of their particular pathies; thost
classes of people who have certain view.
upon social. domestic and persona
matters, and especially upon personal
liberty and liberty of speech, are by fal
the most dangerous classes.
All these classes are active in secur.
ing legislation in their behalf. Not on.
" are tho Sabbatarians demanding
Sunday laws from every State leRisla
ture. and securing them in most of tn
States, but they are, as before intimat
ed, demanding . union Of the govern
ment with their particular ''Bride'' o.
''church." What would you thing o
a family which would como forward
the United States should be 30 amend
ed IS to compel tho President to mar
~ their daughter? If the orthodo,
people insist upon Uncle Sam unitin'
with their daughter, making thei
church his ''bride," and making ho
his especial care and support, VII,
should not the Jews, the Adventista
the Spiritualists, the Mormons, tn
Liberals, the Quakers and all other
make the same demand? Time an
again 1 have asked this question. an
those who believe in such union hav
admitted their right, but they glib
reply that the majority Of our peopl
are Christians, that the leading relig
ion 10 the Christian religion, and the
want it so recognized by the funda
mental law. It is, you see. matte
of majorities merely. The stronge
must have his way, right or wrong.
But is this really so? Is this brazer
faced demand really made? YET
Twenty years ago handful OF minis
ters and church people held q cDnveI
tion at Springfield, Ohio, and resolve
that the C0nstition of the United State
should be so amended as to declal
that this lis a Christian governme1
and that Jesus Christ is the ruler of tn
planet" They adjourned and VOL