The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-20

Continuing, Mr.. Bdtttrworth dcciateu
that the people are the ones to blame IN
the matter. for they arc the government
and are responsible for the election OF the
President and legislators. and hence re-
sponsible also for their acts.
ut is true" said he. that there Is
prosperity In the country, even with the
conditions OF pauperlsm that are pictured.
but the trouble is that prosperity Is run
ming too much In one direction ON the
one hand we have starvation and want,
and on the other the reckless and lavish
expenditure OF immense sums Of money.
This is due TO some error in our system OF
economies For any law. unwiscly writ
ten. allowing such errors, We should re-
buke the lawmakers forcibly and audibly.
The history OF the world Is that when In
q country accumulated capital finds ex-
preston in controlling legislation and
shaping administrations, the dissolution
OF that country Is near Such y condition
exists In this country to-day. and It is
coward who does not say so. and an ig-
noramus who does not know it. IT be-
hooves this people to see to it that no
other motive than patriotism finds ex-
preston in yonder Capitol
Each man is a part and parcel OF the
destinies. One single ballot once cast
thoughtlessly determined the question OF
war between this young republic and
sister republic TO the South. The desti
MES Of a nation may thus depend upon
n ballot we thoughtlessly cast The lib
erty Of no people has been destroyed ex-
cept by the people themselves. Our sys-
tenn Of suffrage is unfortunately based
upon n peculiar condition. for every male
~
his moral character. his reputation, Or
anything else may be. has a ballot. He,
the purchasablc commodity in politics.
holds the balance Of power, and Ia like
10 know how many men high in official
life owe their places 10 the purchase OF
this commodity. / again make the state
ment for which I was criticised some
time ago. and that is that there is not
n legislative body under this flag that has
not its organized banditti in its midst.
who buy and sell legislation. and there
is not municipality under this
flag but that has band in it
who. for q sum Of money. will guar
antee to block or hasten legislation.
When any corporation body or monetary
power can dictate legislation II is nearing
a condition that means the destruction OF
the republic. Let us see 10 II that with
the inequality Of apportonment men
have rights as well as property. that
properties have duties 10 perform as we'll
as men"
Major Butterworth may have been
right in his estimate Of legislative bodies.
We hope he was wrong. but we shall
venture no opinion upon that point.
But how far was he right in saying
conditions in this country are anomalous
and unjust to some Of the people because
OF existing legislation? The tariff act
which enables some Americans to gouee
money out OF their fellow citizens by
forcing them to buy what the first set
produces at their own figures is. OF course
piece OF rank injustice. and the ma
tional bank act which confines the bless
inrs OF banking 20 cities and leaves the
country people with no media OF eX-
change is another piece of legislation that
works the grossest injustice. But Major
Butterworth had neither Of these acts In
his mind. lie was an advocate and sup
porter OF both of them. What he had in
his mind was ar idea that the industrial
suit Of legislation and that they are pro-
ducing the state Of affairs that he de-
scribes. But no one can point 10 a law
that produces industrial combinations ex-
cept those that have their origin in the
protective tariff act The ordinary indus
trial combination is in no way the crea-
ture OF law. 1t is the result of the unre-
strained competition that steam and cleo
tricity have made possible. and it IS ma
lures way of putting restraints upon
competition that would destroy all en-
gagged in the business II It were left unre-
strained.
Is it a fact that there is that general
disproportion of benefits and blessings
in our social conditions that Major But
terworth describes? We have an i'm
mense unoccuped territory, and there is
abundance OF room in it for every I'M
occupied man to secure a home and live
in comfort by the results of his own
labor il he will work. There is no suf-
ferng or pauperism in the country. All
Of II is in the cities There are many
men in the cities who cannot find en-
ployment. but every one of them could
get home in the country If he were
willing 10 give up city life and submit
to the conditions of the country. Can it be
Justly said. then. that the blessings of life
are disproportionably distributed merely
because we have many unemployed peo-
pie in the cities? Must il not be shown
that they could not live comfortably IL
they were willing TO seek homes in the
before any complaint can be
made Of our institutions?
1t seems TO us that such complaints
as Major Butterworth's, and we hear such
all the time, are little more than mere
In all conditions Of social pro-
gress there must be some that outstrip
others. A certain philosopher described
the situation perfectly when he said:
And two men will ride upon a horse,
one must ride behind
There is only so much TO be had and
whore that is only enough for five hun
dred men. hut one thousand insist upon
for it. we see 10 reason to rail
at the five hundred who secure it merely
because the other five hundred get none.
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MORE GOVERNMENTS INJUNCTIoN.
1t was announced in our press dispatch.
es Yesterday that Judge Simonton of the