The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1891-12-25
ouR Wv Yonx LETTER.
.Nnw Yonk Cry. Dec. 10Th 1901

latest evil that has come upon this city,
1t seema to come In waves like the grippe
and other diseases. Il takes yariou,
forms, but all clearly belong to the sam,
germs. The form Of the crank that Ia
just now making itself hideous and
prominent people uneasy Is that one
which seeks TO avenge itself Of some
fancled grievance inflicted or imposed ON
the poor by the rich. withih n very
short period three OF New York's most
prominent citizens have suffered much.
Many others seem to be receiving anony-
nous letters containing threats and de-
mands. The first one alluded 10 Ia the
persistent annoyance Of Mrs Charles II
alexander, nee Miss Crocker, by an old
French instructor. He labors under the
that Mrs Alexander is
Imprisoned and kept away
from him, 10 whom he insists ahe IL do
voted, Fortunately his annoying atten-
tions were void of violence until he was
secured in the asylum, where le unques.
belongs. Then comes the as
sault on DIR John Hall ~ man universally
beloved and through whom the wealth OF
New York goes In streams 10 assist the
poor and unfortunate. On recent Sab
bath as the Doctor returned 10 his home
from service three shota were fired at
him; fortunately however they were not
accurately aimed. The lunatic's expla.
nation was that Dr Hall bad deeply
wronged him In turning aside large sums
OF money which rich people would have
willed 20 him. Then comes the recent
attempt Of the dynamite fiend on Rus
sell Sage, the details OF which are too
familiar TO need repeating here. AsI
looked upon the pile Of mangled human
flesh, which the police gathered up after
the explosion, could not but feel that
there was evidence of such n thing as
retiibutive Justice In the fact the dynatn-
ito bomb expended It's greatest force on
the onefwho threw it, How shall we ex-
plain this mania? II ID q thing that
should be cured. And 10 cure IL there
must needs be an intelligent understand
ing OF the causes out Of which the evil
arises. Recently have had occasion to
spend some time among the more unfor-
tunate Of this citv. That means that
bavA seen humanity In It's most degraded
condition. cannot conceive that dark
est Africa presents "a more gloomy, n
more sad picture. Dirt, drunkenness,
vice In every form the imagination can
conceive, land In many forms inconceiv-
abie,) losp Of moral sense, ol social ties,
Of political responsibility, 10 everywhere
apparent TO this is ofientimes added
disease In its most ghastly forms; these
things are apparent TO the casual observer
as he hastens OH o business crrand
through thelpoor quarter around the
famed Five Points. | shall not now At
tempt description Of what one may see
In the darker recesses Of New Y ork slums
where one dare go only under tie protec-
ton Of hired detectives. All this under
the very shadow OF the rich mans palace
ia thereby made 10 stand out In boltler
relief. These unfortunate classes with
diseased inaginations aud distorted pas
sions have no knowledge Of the cause aud
cure Of their mIsiortunes. 1t 10 human
nature, too deep seated in the human
breast and worldwide TO place the blame
OF misfortune on other heads. Accord
ingly, the dcmagogue, in times OF politi-
cal or other excitement, come 10 these
poorer classes with lying representations
and false promises cor corning their con.
dition. For partisan purposes and selfish
aims these people are deceived, caioled,
W ~ anu
falsely dealt with generally until there
remains no vcstige Of reason why they
should retain any confidence In mankind,
or respect Of law and authority save
where IL lays violent hands upon them.
IL IL any wonder that reason ID dethron.
ed, naniacs created aud anarchy made
plAusible7 Every year America, in hei
politics. IL sowing TO the whirlwind u
reap TO the whiriwind harvest Of disas-
ter. IL we're we'll nigh time for us a. a
people 10 quit this Juggling with human
hopes and lives and lmpart into our
politics little more OF sincerity and
honest dealing. IL were well nigh time
for party leaders to quit indulging in
groasest Misrepresentation without a
shadow OF cause both OF mems character
and opposing issues merely for partisan
purposes. There was time when II the
peoples leaders spake Ii was taken ne
gospel truth. Alas, now, utterances oi
public men are looked upon as only hall
truth at beat, aud an opponents side ia
rarely fairly stated. This Is not the ex-
preston OF my own opinion II II 4
record Of what any one may hear Who
has concern enough 10 spend few hours
among the "les miserablcs," or time
enough 10 gain their confidence sutii-
ciently to get them to give utteFance TO
their real sentiments.
OF course violence OF any absolute right
should be and generally Is dealt with
more Or less summarily. This must
needs be 30. "An eye for an eye is the
expression OF a necessary law so long as
society in any degree remains chaotic.
Nevertheless there must exist deep
sympathy as we'll for him who suffer
from legal penalty as for him who is the
unfortunate object OF violent attack, as
long as the conditions OF society make
both forms OF suffering inevitable.
Another great cause OF social dissatie-
faction and unrest is the unhounded
confidence the American people have in
legislation TO remedy any real or fancied
grievance. Accordingly We have organ
izations OF all kinds, among all classes, to
secure just rights from the legislature.
Where one interest organizes it Is OF
course necessary for other opposing in
terests 10 organize. But the fruit OF
modern legislation, national or state, can
scarcely be called commensurate with
the labor and expenditure of money.
And in our rabid partisanship statecraft
becomes an effort for party supremacy
rather than national honor and national
conduct is only party platform in dis
guise. What the country needs is recog-
milton OF the fact that party success
means more than partisans in Office and
the addition OF sincerity and truth to the
public life OF the day. The principle for
which the hated mugwump contends,
however impotent, has come to stay and
will assert itself wherever political FOLLY
exists as long as mental freedom remains.
Politics is IN index OF national life.
Neither society nor the individual ever
finds relief in the legislative hall. Indus
try, frugality and personal integrity are
the things needful for realizing the most
for the individual. And the signs which
point to an Industrial agitation as in
tense and universal as the present polit-
ical and social agitations has in it more
OF hope than any feature now character
izing the close OF the 10Th century. 1t
has in 1t the promise that the duties and
activities o! government shall be mini
mized and made merely functional. And
1t has in II also the promise that the in
shall be free to assert his native
powers untrameled by legislative re-
straint or overbearing corporate activity.
The potion that will quiet the social un-
rest Of the period is popular belief that
the world owes no man anything save
what he honestly earns, and it is the anti
dote for the social disease which seeks to
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