The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-10-24
FALL OF THE REPUBLIC.

dlers to Shoot Down
the Other Half.
The Free Press.
There is nothing in history more
marked than this rise, grandeur and
destruction Of the republic.
1t is enough to appall every cham
pion of democratic rule to look back
upon the frightful ruin that has over
taken every commonwealth.
If history be the school from which
to learn wisdom, we must conclude that
this loved and Wanted republic Of ours
will 60 the way of those that have BEEN
or we must learn from it why they fell
and avoid what caused their destruc
ton.
We are face to face to day with the
problem that they had to solve, the
mystery of which destroyed them, and
we must be conscious that if we do moi
solve this problem, we will perish as
they have persisted.
1t is useless to echo the old platitudeE
that "this government by the people
of the people and FOR the people," shall
not perish from the earth. Such vap
orings are but boys boasting when
we consider the many centuries of the
Roman commonwealth; the mightiness
of the Greeks under their popular
government, and those mysterious and
unnumbered years upon years, which
mysteriously laid the democratic foun-
dation of the wisdom and power Of
ancient Egypt.
What was or is this Sphinx like
problem that has sat in eternal silence
and judgment on the rule of the peo-
pie, and still sits upon the ruin it has
made?
What is it?
Political economists will say "the
corruption and decentralization of the
people," What causes the corruption
and Generalization Of people? Why
do they forget their manhood, sell their
liberties and become the rotten earth
from which royalties spring?
1t does not require the volumes of
Gibbon to tell us of the fall of
the Roman republic; two little words
will tell it all and they are
LEGAL INTEREST.
Back into the prehistoric times we
can trace this cause, and parallel with
it the destruction of the liberties Of
man. When the great law-giver of
Israel had to face the evil that it was
bringing among his people they sought
to stay its ravages by requiring that
every fifty years the property of each
family and tribe should revert to them
and the debts they were seized for be
abrogated.
Four thousand years ago this cause,
legal interest, was destroying society.
Every republic which has since arisen,
has sunk beneath frightful imposition,
and every commonwealth that tolerates
it will follow the yellow leprosy of its
path to piecemeal death.
els there no cure for it?' asks the
readar.
"You cannot have society unless you
have legal interest,"" says the economist,
"for without an ambition to make
money man would lose his interest in
commercial life, and society would dis.
integrate."
This is not SO. The cure for this
evil is SO simple that it does not even
require law to enforce it. 1t requires
that We do away with the ancient,
feudal iniquity of allowing the use Of
public authority for the collection OF
private debts.
Many will be surprised at this, for
many favor this very action for the sake
ofthe improvement it will make in cred
its,without knowing to what it will lead.
But moments thought will show that
IT the the capitalist cannot enforce COZ
lection of his interest be will not lend
his money on interest.
What will he do with it? Let us
illustrate Here is Mr.. Moneybags, an
American aristocrat, whose children
will scarcely associate with anyone,
because 'their family" does not work
they live off their income and, natural
ly, are of class far above those who
work for them to make their income.
Mr.. Moneybags has lot of money
lying idle, seating itself up" as be
would say, and John Smith is an ener-
getic, pushing, sober, hard. working
man, evidently doing pretty well.
L l.