Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-22
THE CITY VALUATION
And Machine Political Rule Touched
Upon by DR.. W. A. Stanton.
AMERICAN LORDS OF THIS DAY,
With More Power and Less Responsibility
Than Feudal BarOns.
GOOD CITIZENSHIP AND THE BALLOT

DR.. w. A. Stanton interested large con-
gregation at the Shady Avenue Baptist
Church last night with discourse on the
subject of ''Feudalism in the Republic. !"
He referred during his remarks to local
politics and touched upon the valuations
and assessments.
''The very forces,'' he said, (which make
modern civilization are those with which 1T
must now contend Tor its life. The question
of our time, toward which all other ques-
tions, whether of nature, of man or of God,
steadily tend, is the social question. 1t is
with us to-day. 1t is with Germany, France,
England and Russia. Because we are Re-
public it will not answer for us to say that
popular government is a safeguard against
communistic and anarchical revolutions.
In this very fact lies great
danger. Men are quite ant to charge most
of their ills to bad government, to think
that political remedies will cure evil, to
fancy that if they had the power all would
be well. Russians are sure that if they had
a Constitutional Government, free press
and free speech, misery would fly away.
Ireland cries for home rule as her soothing
syrup. German socialism would be
put to sleep for season with a
dose of popular government. Restlessness
in England would cease for a generation or
two if royalty gave way to Democracy.
But we have all there remedies. Ours IS
already, in name at least, a government
of. for and by the people. If then, in such
&c
tent, oppression, what will the people seek
as their panacea? If the last and best
evolution of government will not satisfy
men, such men have but one step left that
they can take. That step is no government.
The Abuse of the Ballot.
'There is nothing beyond Republican1sm
but anarchism. What many regard as our
greatest safeguard-the ballot-may be in
its abuse our greatest peril. What citizen
of a republic cannot accomplish with
ballot he knows no other way to accom-
plish save by bullet.
. ave who are patriotic, who love law and
order, who believe in God and our country,
ought to look this peril squarely in the face
and understand that nowhere will revolu-
tionary discomfort travel faster and result
more fatally than in a Republic, if the peo-
pie once come to believe that there is no
hope in the ballot.
Using as an illustration the situation in
this city AS a result of excessive valuations
on property and exorbitant taxes, the pas
tor continued: IF there be fraud there, if
men in power can there succeed in defeating
the will of the people, then beware! Revo-
luton is a near neighbor to corruption. No
citizen of q Republic can shirk political
responsibilities. 1t is a sin for man to
stay away from the polls when his vote is
needed on the side of right against wrong,
of honesty against fraud.
The Lesson of the Hour.
s'To-morrow will be the 22d of February.
1t will be reminder to Americans for the
victorious protest of a people against a
power, against taxation without representa-
tion, against oppression of the masses BY
the classes. The American citizen who does
not by his ballot defend what George Wash
ington by his sword secured, ought on every
February % and July 4 to suffer solitary
confinement until he realizes what he owes
to God and his country" ~
DR.. Stanton then referred in high praise
to the american Institute of Civics,''
which is to hold its first meeting at the
First Presbyterian Church this morning,
He described its educational objects and de-
u.
"We need to learn" he continued, "that
politics is the science of government, and
not game of grab. The politician ought
to be a statesman, and not trickster. Feu-
dalism in republic is as much out of
place as would be the Russian Czar in the
White House. Yet we have in the United
States a species of political and social feu-
dalism that unless it is stopped will result
in anarchy
ga description of what constituted feudal-
ism in the year 100, when from the king
down to the serfs, all depended on those
next in rank above them for favors and
were depended on in return for support.
That class of feudalism exists to-day in
many States Eight hundred years ago
possession of land made men powerful, but
it was present to-day just the same in the
various forms of combinations, pools,
political offices and party rings.
The American Lords of To-Day.
s'There are American lords who have
more power and less responsibility than the
old time feudal lords ever dreamed of. This
is modern feudalism in commercial and
manufacturing departments of our Repub-
lie. We could ransack United States his
tory and not find better illustration of
political feudalism than David B. Hill has
been giving us this winter in New York
State. am told also that Pennsylvania
two Senators have taken high degrees in
political feudalism.
Friends, if such things continue unre-
buked by the people at the polls, or if the
people believe that the ballot-box can be
made to say what, and only what,a political,
commercial or manufacturers ring declares
that it shall say, then woe to our country, to
our churches, to our mills and to our wealth.
Socialism will then attempt to regenerate
society without regenerating the individual.
1t will fail 1t will offer us fraternity in
stead of a Government, forgetting that
there is no fraternity without common
Father, but the socialism of despair will
know no God, therefore its fraternity will
fail. Citizenship is a divine trust. Serve
God in your citizenship.
A Conference at the Hotel Oliver.