The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-05-15
Poke at a rIoon-shine."

terized fruitless or misdirected effort as
thrasting or striking at ray of .moon-
light. Such performance is waste of
effort, trying to reach an object by ways
or a way that is impossible. The homely
old proverb well describes the vain efforts
to promote political reforms by means of
old party machinery. A great many
honest, we'll intentiored people firmly be-
lieve that it is only necessary to elect
good men" in any party in order to
secure any reform which is genrally de-
sired This belief shows a lack of knowl-
edge of political affairs, and the organized
system under which all of our State and
National governments are conducted. If
it were possible to elect whole Legislatures
and Congresses composed of men we'll
informed, and strictly impartial and in
corruptible, influenced only by desire to
promote the public welfare, such con-
summation as dreamed of-reforms of
public abuses inside party lines "-might
be temporarily achieved. Everybody
who will consider for moment will be
satisfied that such law-making bodies
cannot be elected.
This brings us to the conclusion that
the frame work, the principle on which
our legislation is based, is faulty. The
law-making machinery is not fitted for
performing the work it was designed to
accomplish, and that radical change is
necessary to prevent further corrupt leg
islation and weed out the bad laws. under
which the whole nation now suffers.
The First Congressional District of
Maryland is composed of eight counties
on the Eastern Shore, commencing with
Worcester and ending with Kent county.
The Second District is composed of four
counties which includes part of Baltimore
county and part of Baltimore city; and
so also all over the country, the law
making power which was intended by
the trainers of our form of government to
be vested in the people, is taken out of
their hands and given to one man to ex-
ercise for these vast aggregated popula-
tons. That trusted personage-trusted
per force of fundamental arrangement
may exercise this immense power and
privilege at his will and pleasure and
there is no power retained by the people
to prevent it. There are some-perhaps
many incorruptible men, elected members
of the Legislatures and Congress, but
there are scores and hundreds who are
merchandise.
By this purchasable vote in the law
making bodies, the State governments
are honeycombed by corruption, and the
peoples most valued and valuable rights
and franchises have been literally given
awaw to rich and powerful corporations
which impose upon, rob and tramp under
foot the citizens. The saying has become
trite, and frite because true, that the great
dome of the national capitol covers body
of the most corrupt and mercenary men
ever assembled together in this country
By such national legislators the govern
ment of the Uunited States has gradually
and quietly slipped from the hands of the
people into the most intolerable corpora
ton government on the face of the earth,
and these privileged classes are striving
with all their might to crystalize their
power and make it impossible for the
people again to recover their political
liberty short Of an armed resistance on
the field of battle, with fearful odds of
entrenched, usurped powers against them.
This usurpation and abuse of power on
the part of the peoples miscalled repre-
sentatives has become so powerful that
the President who occupies the White
House and his Cabinet are bribed and con-
trolled minions of corporate usurpation.
1t is public report that he fears his life is
in danger if he dared to disobey the bid
ding of the money power, the greatest of
the corporate powers.
To come nearer home and look in on
the doings of our legislature. What has
lidt iSiolu III uouy DeSH dole ~ 10!
The few general laws which it and the
present congress have passed. if submit
ted to vote of the people would prob
ably, with but one or two exceptions at
most, be rejected.
There is no safety to the liberties of the
people in our present delegated form of
government. Attempts at reforms under
present conditions is but "poking at
moon-shine
Direct legislation by the people is the
only true and safe democratic form of
government That will be government
by the people for the people. Our present
delegated form is government for priv
LEGGED classes by corrupting legislators.
A Reform Library for $I.oO
The Modern Ranker-Goode %