The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-11-02

still obtains in England. If limitations should be
put upon the disposition of vast estates by will or
descent future generations would look upon our
present laws. whibh allow such estates to be per-
petuated in certain families, with the same dis
favor with which we now look upon the laws of
primogeniture.
Evasions of laws limiting the amount of property
to be devised or inherited by cenveyances during
life could be prohibited in like manner con-
veyances in fraud of creditors now prohibited.
But how are these laws of property to be modi-
fed 1r changed? They are the results of centuries
of organized injustice Will the money power
which now exercises such controlling influence
in the nation and state legislature consent to
modification or change of the laws of property by
which great estates have been accumulated and
perpetuated, and which, rule are a detriment
rather than blessing to those to whom any
descend?
young man of twenty lone starting out in life
with 100000 at his disposal is better off and more
likely to become useful member of the commu-
nifty and benefit to mankind than if left at the
same age with $l,OOO,OOO or S2,0OO,0O0 at his
disposal.
daughter when arriving at the age with suf-
ticent income to supporl her comfortably through
life is better off than if left with millions at her
disposal, to become prey to some adventurer, or
with which to purchase title for profligate
scion of an effete nobility, and then divorce.
MUST REMOVE THE CAUSE
| Neither strikes of the laboring classes, which
| array against them the money power and the
governmental power which it controls, nor the
governmental control of the railroad and other
corporations will remove the existing conflict
between labor and capital, which has its foundtion
| in unjust laws, enabling the few to accumulate
vast estates and live in luxurious ease, while the
great masses are doomed to incessent toll penury,
| and want What is needed is the removal of the
| cause which permits the accumulation of the
wealth of the country in few hands, and this
only be peaceably brought about by change of
the laws of property.
| The suppression of the recent strikes by gov
ernmental forces has aggravated rather than
allevated the discomfort of the laboring classes.
Whether the strikers were justly responsible for
the riots and the destruction of property which
followed their abandonment of work or not, no
doubt many of them sympathized with the lawless
| element who committed outages
Our fathers, denying the right of the British
| crown to levy taxes upon them without repre-
sentation, at the end of a bloody war, after years
| of suffering and privation, made good their re-
demption from the eXaction of the British crown
The laboring men of this country are driven to
such extremity. They still have left the right of
representation. in the legislative bodies of the
country. They are more numerous than the
millionires and if they will but cease the strife
among themselves it is in their power to control
legislation and enact such laws as will secure to
property the full protection to which it is entitled,
to enterprise its just reward, and to the toiling
masses the rights of men.
Forbidden by advancing years to cherish polit-
ical ambition, l may, trust, without the impu-
aton of interested motives be permitted to make
some suggestions to the policy to be pursued by
the middle classes and toiling masses to bring
about uch changes i'll the laws of property as, by
giving equal opportunities to all, will check the
| accumulation of vast wealth by few.
THE MIDDLE CLASSES, TOO, MUST AROUSE
THEMSELVES.
| If my voice could reach the people ofthe whole
land would say to the millionaire, in the Ian
| guage of scripture: "a good name is rather to be
chosen than great riches" "Riches kept for the
| owners thereof are a sure hurt and evil" l
would call upon the milonaires for heavens
sake to pause in their greed for more millions and
unite in the passing of laws which by securing
equal opportunities to all, shall contribute to the
| happiness of all.
| Lest the millionaires should not listen l would
say to the middle classes of moderate means,
| farmers and others, who, though they may not
now, soon will feel the oppression of the money
power, arouse 20 the danger that threatens soon
| to place you fully at the mercy of corporate and
individual wealth the toiling laborers are today.
| would say to the laborers now robbed of the
just reward of their labor, and even compelled in
| this land of plenty and abundance to suffer hun
ger and cold, lay aside all manner of chickering's
| or disputes about minor affairs and assert your
independence by going to the polls, uninhuenced
| by money or those in authority, and cast free
mans vote for representatives in congress and the
general assembly who will be your interests
and secure the enactment of such laws will
permit you to share in the wealth created by your
toll, and to eat of the bread your hands have
earned. Send forth to the country and to the
school houses of the land apostles of freedom who
will agtate for the rights of man, now fettered by
the laws of property. majority of law makers
devoted to the peoples interest will soon find Il
way to protect them against the oppression of the
money power-if not in the way have suggested,
in some other way.
One wiser than any of us has said "Give me
neither poverty nor riches Feed me with food
convenient Tor me- Let us prOnl Dy tne ulNlne
precept and so frame our laws as to secure to all
food convenient for them and to none vast riches
unearned.
SILVER QUESTION AND FEDERAL COURTS
do not purpose to discuss the silver question,
nor is there occasion that l should. All parties
favor bimetallism-it is only to its establishment
that some object-and particularly, without the
consent of Great Britain. l had supposed these
States were made free and independent and alb
solved from all allegiance to the British crown
more than hundred years ago, but in this ii
seems that was mistaken, and that there are
those among us who think that congress should
not proceed to perform its constitutional duty by
coming money and regulating the value thereof
without the cooperation of Great Britain Lei
those who think so crook the plant hinges of the
knee to the money power of England. l, for one
acknowledge no such allegience but believe il
the duty of congress to act independently and
establish the value of coin as it existed prior to
: 1873, when silver was demonetized.
desire to say few words upon the encroach
ments of federal courts upon the constitutional
rights of the people. OF late years the United
States judges have assumed jurisdiction they
would not have dared to exercise in the earlier
days of the republic. They now claim the right
to determine the extent of their jurisdiction and
! enforce such orders they think proper to make
; These federal judges, like sappers and miners
have for years silently and steadily enlarged the
> jurisdiction, and unless checked by Legislation
they will soon undermine the very pillars of tn,
. constitution and bury the liberties of the people
beneath their ruin.