The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-10-21
Voting fer Principle.

INTO Inc ballot DOX piece OF paper vi
which certain names are printed? Some
vote only for the fun Of the thing; they vote
for this party or for that in the same way
that they bet on the white or the black
horse at the race courses. These are the
gamblers. Others vote the republican or
democratic ticket because they have always
done SO, and because once upon time each
of these parties actually represented GER
tain principles of which to-day there is not
the slightest trace left. These ale the in
tellectually lazy and Philistines. Others
again vote for these old parties because they
are after offices for themselves or their
friends. These are the spoils hunters,
together with their henchmen, the heelers.
But the true citizen, the thinking people
who never gamble nor vote out of habit,
nor mean to hunt after offices-these cast
their votes in the nope of promoting those
principles which they hold to be most ben
efcial to the nation and thereby to them
selves ALSO"
A contemporary has thus classified the
voters which make up the great American
people who will be called upon to direct
the destinies of the great republic in a few
weeks from this time by their votes. That
the above is true, impartial classification,
no thinking person will attempt to deny,
TO sustain the denial. Read the above class
ifcation again and ask yourself 10 which
class you belong. This great rural popula-
ton is almost a unit in the struggle to
secure fairly decent existance. The ezcep-
tions can be counted on the fingers Their
cause is the same. What will promote the
interest of one will help all and the gov
ernmenL measure or policy which Injuries
one will injdre all. If your condition has
steadily grown worse, that is, if your OPP
portunities haye become more restricted
since the present government policy has
been inaugurated, which dates back nearly
thirty years, how can you expect improve
meut under continuance of this policy !
The two old parties have been in control OF
the government uninteruptedly all these
years. They have exhausted their efforts in
striving 10 turn each other out of office or
to keep in office. No one can truthfulIy say
that either has attempted anything else.
Their financial policy, their corporation
rule policy, which two policies cover the
whole ground, have been the policy of both
parties, and are to day the only policy they
offer the people. About every person OF
average intelligence has reached the conclu-
sion that their tariff humbug is the same in
principle and the matter of levying duty
on imported articles few cents higher or a
few cents lower could no more effect any
perceptible change 10 the condition or the
opportunities enjoyed by the great army Of
living earners, than pouring few hogshead
0: barrels Of water into a lake would cause
perceptible change in the lake. If you
will pause and seriously consider a few
hours you must agree with yourself that this
is true, and that the policy which has given
franchises 10 monopolies and steadily de-
creased the money in circulation in proper
ton to increasing population and business,
for more than quarter ola century, will not
nay, cannot, better your condition, or
promise single ray of hope for the future.
Are you going TO vote on the Sth Of Novem,
Der 10 continue this hopeless condition that
confrouts you, or are you going TO strike for
change? Which class of voters have you
acted with these many years? Have you
voted for the fun of the thing, as you would
bet on the white or black horse, and been
classified with the gamblers ? Or do you
vote the republican or democrat ticket stead
lily because you have always done so, and
because one time each of these parties
actually represented certain principles, OF
which to-day there is not single trace left,
and thus stand in the intellectually lazy
vote for those old parties because you are
after office for yourself or friends, and con-
tInue to stand in the class ofspoil hunters
Or do you propose to be true citizen, one
of the thinking people, who neither gamble
or vote from habit nor mean to hunt afte'
office? If you mean to stand in the lAtlel
class and along side of your brother toiler'
to promote the principles that will lift thu
great mass of bread winners from thei
present cramped and steadily contracting
environment, you viii vote for the People
party candidates. That is your cause ant
naturally your place in the great bod,
polite. Corporation rule and a money
monopoly will never benefit you or you
children, but on the contrary will confirm,
TO shut up the few avenues now remaining
open to independent action and individual
enterprise. Conditions which have steadil,
made the citizen less independent and hope
full Of the future must be changed by tn
ballot which the present generation is a
liberty TO use, or violent revolution is no
many years ahead of US. The labor union
10 all the large cities are threatening this
the farmers associations, with their million
of members are prophecying this, and III
Plutocratic associations are organizing vol
unteer armies, under the name of Nationa
guards, State militia, etc., differed by thei
own class as far as possible, with secre