The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-11-30
Present Conditions and to What They
Tend-The Remedy.


Tend-The Remedy.
The richer the city and State the poorer
the people. The city of Boston contains
large number of wealthy persons and is
on the whole the wealthiest city in the
United States, and it contains more home
less poor than any city i'll the United
States. Eighty-two per cent of her peo-
pie live i'll rented houses while eight per
cent more live in mortgaged homes, and
only about ten per cent of the people own
their homes. This condition of affairs
will be found to exist throughout the
country. Wealth is congested in the hands
of few-not from any natural cause,
not that they have earned through and
by any powers, mental or physical, they
possess superior to the average ofthe class
who have virtually nothing, but it can be
mainly traced to them by system of
unjust and inequitable laws. This is
not the intention or result the genius of
our civilization calls for, nor what the
people as a whole desire, but the cause of
dishonest and corrupt methods which
prevail in our politics. These abnormal
conditions are not the children of chance
or ignorance. They are the result of de-
1iberate wrong-doing by corrupt legisla-
ton on the part of bribed agents entrust-
ed to legislate for them by the people.
These crying evils will continue and in
tensify until our system of legislation is
changed, and the power of direct legisla-
ton is taken in hand by the whole peo-
pie. In place of choosing delegates to
legislate for them and turning over to
these delegates the power to do as they
please with it, the people must demand
that all acts of their representatives
come back to them to review and
pass upon at the ballot box before
they become laws. This is the only means
by which reforms i'll government can be
retained after they are secured, and the
only way by which any considerable
number of reforms can be achieved. Our
Representatives DC NOlllLlltlNSo ~
prepare bills rather than law makers.
One of the most important steps in the
present reform movement is to reclaim
and hold in the hands of the people this
veto power over all legislation, which is
called the referendum.
Our entire legislation for thirty years
national, state and municipal, has beer
overlooked with political corruption
Every one knows this. None deny OF
question the truth of this charge. 1t will
continue while either of the old partie:
are trusted with power. They are worn
eaten with corruption, composed of pc
litical rings and controlled by politica
rogues who make their living by profes
sional politics, take brides for passing
laws that the bribers want and executing
them as their paymasters demand. There
is no possible remedy through these two
old parties, only worse prospects ahead
as bad is always growing worse unit
entirely eradicated.
We ask every man who reads these
lines to inquire of himself if he expect:
any improvement from parties which
have gone on from bad to worse steadily
and why he should continue to support
them. He does not expect the republican
party to do other than it has been doug
for thirty years or since the death o.
Lincoln. He knows the democratic party
is utterly incompetent. 1t has been in q
position to mend matters if it chose, OF
had the capacity, having all power, but
it has not even suggested any remedy, in
fact has made bad worse, and is heapine
debt on the country in the midst of pro.
found peace by selling bonds. There can
be no change for the better as every voter
does surely know, till a new party is put
in control that is pledged to reverse all
the bad legislation of the past decades
then why rejoice at the transient lease Of
power intrusted to the republican party
in moment of desperation on the part OF
the people? Those who rejoice know
there is no relief hoped for or promised.
Even the leaders of the party do not
promise relief by change, but if any
comes it must be by statu quo. This is
the substance of Reeds speech at the
Home Market Club dinner Statu quo
means present conditions. Are you salts
fed with present conditions They can
not continue as they are if so willed, but
must grow worse. Bad always grows
worse, as corruption steadily tends to
greater decay, till final dissolution is
reached.