The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-04-02
LIVE QUESTIONS.
ASFeries Of Articles Contributed to These
Columns by Advanced Thinkers.
THE PEOPLE AND THE POLITICIANS.

Between 1861 and 1865 our people
expended billions Of treasure and sacri-
feed hundreds Of thousands Of lives to
save the Union and to keep our flag fly
ing. But a more subtle and more dan
gerous crisis menaces free government
today. Democratic government in this
country is endangered, and there is
much reason to believe that it may be
destroyed.
Our people are being deluded by the
idea that they live under free form of
government; that they are the rulers
that they make laws, elect candidates
to Office and control public affairs,
while in truth and in fact the forms of
democratic government are today being
employed by artful and designing poll
ticians to delude them into the belief
that they are shaping legislation and
controlling government. A boss in New
York and boss in Pennsylvania as
completely control all lawmaking in
those states as does the emperor of Ger
many control the making Of law in Ger
many. But power is conferred upon the
emperor of Germany with the consent
of his people, while the boss in New
York is a private individual, owing no
allegiance to the people and under no
obligation to perform their will. Much
more can be said in favor Of monar-
chical form Of government than can be
said in favor of boss rule. The constitu-
tional monarch in Europe has every in
ducement to preserve his people and to
create and perpetuate them in prosperi-
ty to his son as their suler, but no such
inducement exists with the boss. He
cannot hand down his power to his eld-
est son. There is no inducement upon
his part to give the people good govern
ment. II the American people are to
relinquish to the boss their right to free
government, a right purchased by
struggle commencing with Runnymede
and car led ON continuously until our
own day, why In the name Of common
sense should they not make the boss ship
hereditary institution in order to
create some motive in the Is for Civ
ing them good government
DO THE PEOPLE NJ LE'
We are not overstating1khe case when
we maintain that the c96dition Of gov
ernment which we have reached in the
last few years is more grievous than an
actual monarchy. When men who do
not hold official positions select the
members Of our state legislatures, die
tate the candidates who fill executive
Offices, secure for their henchmen off.
cial positions and completely control
states and even the nation, and dictate
every law, throttle all legislation and
the interests Of the people, is it too
much to say that democratic govern
ment is ceasing or has ceased in this
country?
In 1860 about 80 per cent of the
wealth of the country belonged to 90
per cent Of its people. In 1890, so per
cent Of it belonged to less than 10 per
cent of its people. In the city of New
York alone we have to exceed l,I0O
millionaires. In the whole country we
Never in the history of any country
during like period of time has the
wealth so speedily changed from the
hands of the many into the hands of the
few.
Legislation in the national legislature
and in the state legislatures is almost
completely controlled by political boss
es, or, as too frequently occurs, pur-
chased by great corporations. A careful
examination made in the state of New
York in 1892 showed that over 1000
corporations in one year paid tribute to
a political boss who controlled the legis-
lature either for legislation favorable
to their corporations or immunity from
hostile legislation.
WHY PEOPLE ARE DISSATISFIED.
There is throughout all the country
state of unrest. The people have long
known from grievous experience that
the shoe pinched, but they have been
slow in finding out why it pinches.
Unrest among the common people al
ways means injustice, wrongs to be
righted, property wrongly diverted from
the hands of the many to the hands of
the few, unequal and unfair legislation.
Never has SO much apprehension ex-
listed as to the future as exists today
among intelligent men. Every student
of history, of political economy and of
finance knows that the policy of legis-
lation pursued in this country during
the last few years has not only tended
to divert the wealth of the country from
the hands of the many to the hands of
the few, but has brought about terri
BILE condition of degeneracy and corrup-
tion among public men. Does any intel
hgent man for one moment believe that
You can safely place in the hands of the
congress of the United States the right to
transfer tens of millions of dollars from
one part of the community to another
and not at the same time subject it
to temptations beyond the power Of man
to resist?
With all the legislation for the pro-
lection of home industries which we
have had during this period Of 80 years,
are the farmers of the country happier
or more PROSPEROUS than in the pood old