The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-10-02
Cooperative Government.

which the whole people should enjoy equal
and exact political equality and equal OPP
portunilies, and sci about putting the theory
of popular government in practice, they
essayed hercnlean task, which taxed their
every effort in struggle lasting seven
years. When that contest was ended they
were well nigh exhausted, and when the
right to establish such government had
been conquered, they raused from sheer
exhaustion. They failed TO complete the
grand structure the brightest minds among
them had conceived. The frame work of
such government was builded but the
machinery-so to speak--was all pieced up
out Of the aristocratic and monarchical
eminent is sovereign and subject; govern
ing class and serving class: producing
class and consuming class; an idle class
and working class. This is division Of
the people into two distinct classes, wholly
different from each other, with intermediate
grades incidental to those two great classes
Of the human family under aristocratic and
mcnarchical governments.
An enduring republic cannot be estab-
lished on this plan. II must be CO.
operative government or fail utterly as soon
as sufficient wealth and population have
accumulated out Of which 10 solidify and
shape these distinctions pertaining TO purely
class government.
When The Revolutionary patriots had
succeeded in destroying the armed power Of
the sovereign, they went no further in the
government reform they had SO heroicly
begun. The civil government machinery
they had been using and to winch they had
become accustomed, had all been fashioned
in a monarchical and aristocratic work shop,
and they continued TO use it with some
slight notifications.
Asthe country grew populous and wealthy
class legislation began 10 show itself and
encroached more and more on the rights Of
the citizen. Wealth began to grayitate
towards wealth, and the partnership to
form into the corporation and ask govern
ment TO part with portions of its prerogatIye
and place it in the hands of companies Of
enterprising men who placed their wealth
together; and from soliciting privileges from
government which would not be granted to
an individual, these corporations finally adj
yanced with demand for special privileges
and franchises in The name of public bene
factors. Glass government, steadily contin-
ned TO strengthen itself and demand and
receive one valuable franchise after another
from State and National government, till
they have acquired aristocratic privilege
and power and are now proposing to treat
the citizen as their prototypes in the old
country treat and regard the laboring and
producing class, as subjects and interiors,
whose labor must be appropriated to keep
this government and favored class in idle
ness and luxury while they direct the law
making and control all.
The government has given away to this
corporation and aristocratic class nearly all
the rights Of the citizens which were placed
in trnst with it for their use as future
heritage. The following franchises are
clearly public property and of right belong
to the citizen who should reap his share of
! their advantages and wealth products. The
steam railway, the city or street railway
the telegraph and telephone, water, gas and
electric light franchises. and above all and
beyond all the financial frachises which have
been worse than merely parted with by the
government, for government itself has con-
sented TO become servant and slave to the
money class.
That every one Of these valuable prerog-
atives are public property, which were held
in trust by the government for the use and
benefit Of the citizen, there can be no sus-
tanned denial. There are many other priv
ileges among which are lands and mines
that have been given away bythis class.
Aristocratic system of government under
which we are living in the disguise of
republic. These franchises are all OF pub
lie nature, belonging to the citizens and
their posterity and cannot in justice be given
away TO certain classes Of persons, or dis
posed of by pretended sale. They are the
property of the citizens for all time, and
for the use and behoof of each generation as
it passes over lite's stage. The rape of these
privileges and franchises has been the
means by which an aristocracy Of wealth
and idleness has been built up in this young
nation IN an incredibly short space of
time. We have copied the old worlds
methods of taking the inheritance of the
citizen and bestowing it on favored few by
the power of law, which is an exercise of
government that is not warranted in re-
public, and has no claim in justice anywhere
When those franchises accompanied by
special privileges 10 make them effective,
are parted with to a class Of people under
form Of law styled corporation, an aristo-
cratic and government owning and controll-
ing class must inevitably result. A true
republic, government Of the people, for
the people, must inevitably be cooperative
government A cooperative business is a
business in which all the parties TO it share
in its benefits.
Not one Of The franchises above named,
and which We have pointed out belonging