The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-11-07

ligious teachers of the metropolis asking
for sympathy, advice and moral support
in contest which the journeymen were
about to begin, in which the object
sought for by the journeymen was the
abolition or reduction of Sunday labor
Only six out of 500 replied to the letter,
which was courteous and reasonable.
Rev. Thomas Dixon, of New York, said
in a recent sermon: "There are some
preachers l know who have their clothes
cut just so, and their collars are so high
| that they cannot get over them to get to
the people and preach the word of God.
They are 'dignifed.'
No matter how Edward Bellamy came
into the radical reform movement, no
matter whether his eyes were opened be-
fore, during or after the writing of
Looking Backward" there is no gain
saying the fact that he is in it now and
in it strong. He is busy day and night
striking sledge hammer blows against
the present unscientifc and unchristian
system, and he is being noticed, too It
makes no difference whether he is talk
ing nationaliSm, socialism, communism
or any other ism, what he is saying is
sound sense, and everybody who reads
and understands knows it. Those who
ridiculed 'Looking Backward" and the
state it painted as obtaining 100 years
hence discover that the novelist of
three years ago is the very practical
economist today. Mr.. Bellamy has not
allowed the grass to grow under his
feet in his study of the present system
and search for methods of change i'm
mediately applicable In one of his
latest articles October Forum) he dis
cusses the First Steps Towards Nation
alism."
The first step, he says, should be tho
naturalization of telegraphs and tele-
phones. He says that the constitution
makes it the business of congress to es-
tablish and conduct Il postal service. Tho
business of this service is the transmits
sion of intelligence. Since the constitu-
tion was adopted electrical invention has
rendered the telegraph and telephone
essential factors in this work There
fore, ''It is not merely constitutional to
establish IL government telegraph; it is
unconstitutional not to do So" Mr.. Bel
lamy clearly shows the wisdom of such
step by the government, for the benefit
of those who have not already seen it;
but it is my firm belief that four-fifths
of the people of the United States are
ready for this step without further argu-
ment. The second step advocated is the
establishment of a parcel express service,
which, like the telegraph. should be a
part of the postal system.
The third step, according to Mr.. Bel
lamy. should be national assumption of
control over railroads-that is, govern
ment ownership. He says the constitu-
tional warrant for this action is found in
the clause which gives congress power
to regulate commerce with foreign ma
tions and among the several States"
This is in accord with the principle long
ago recognized and applied to wagon
roads and bridges. AS Mr.. Bellamy
says: "A considerable part of these high
ways, then the only means of commerce,
were owned by private companies, which
made profit by tolls ON travel and
traffic" What community that now
has state and county roads would vote
to return to the old toll road system? OF
course there is IL great deal to consider
in connection with government owner
ship of railroads. but not one sound OBJ
lection can be raised. Under such a
plan the service could be greatly i'm
proved and the charges reduced at least
so per cent. the first year. No one needs
to be told that as at present operated
mot only are the charges exorbitant,
but the treatment of the public by
the managements is in a large proper
tion of cases capricious, vcxatious, over
bearing and arbitrary"
The fourth step proposed by Mr.. Bel
lamy is the naturalization of the Goa,
mines. Coal is of such Importance to the
people of the United States that it is
crime to longer allow it to be controlled
by rapacious, corner making cormorants,
who care nothing for the necessities of
the householder or manufacturer, who,
to put money in their already well filled
pockets, starve out the fires in stove,
CRATE and furnace, and turn the half
paid miners away from their only means
of subsistence whenever it suits their
sweet pleasure. The coal that the Creator
put here in the earth belongs to the peo-
pie, and no private individual or corpo-
ration has any right to monopoIize it,
and the sooner the people claim their
own the better.
The assumption by municipalities Of
local public services, such as lighting,
heating, water supply and transit, is the
fifth step in Mr.. Bellamys programme.
There are cities in this country in which
one or more of these services are already
municipalized, Private ownerships of
water works, believe. is now the excep-
tion. 1t does not require any argument
to support this fifth step. The fact is
that it is in the main so just and desir-
able that it should move right along in
its proper place with the steps by the
national government. Mr.. Bellamy dis
cusses several other features of the
nationalist platform, but have referred
to the more important and to those
which | believe every workipgman In
the United States Gan support. regard
less Of what may be his views on this or
that ism.
Mr., Powderly could hardly wait to
get the New York Central strike off his
hands before taking up his apparently