The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-07-07
New York of To-day.

l he 1OllOWlng extracts from private
letter written by newspaper man and a
close student of conditions which environ
society and shape events, will not fail to
interest our readers, as showing the moral
and business status of that great American
metropolis. From the dim glimpses we
have of Tyre and Sodom through the
time stained pages of history, New York
has many resemblances to those ancient
seats of civilization, trade and society
conditions.
The pace set for society and business
methods have completely and irreversibly
enmeshed the Republican party, and the
most herculean efforts are being PIT forth
to environ the Democratic party in the
same tolls of moral, political and social
turpitude and business ethics. Similar
conditions produce similar results unless
they can be side-tracked in time The
writer of this letter says -
ct is a hard row in this city. The
amount of petty and otherwise swindling
going on is positively staggering Hon
esty i'll business withininy purview-
is rapidly dropping out of sight, no show
at all for honesty anywhere. l mean in
ordinary business affairs. Everybody is
cheating their neighbor at all unbeliev-
ably growing pace Never before saw
anything like il. Don't come here with
out expecting to be robbed right and left
in the most unexpected ways.
Such seems TO be the main act of the
times Added to that is every year, YES
every month, things get harder and
harder for business people 10 get along.
Conditions rapidly drift toward the lower
stages so loug considered the degrading
expressions of Europe.
I'm politics nothing but apathy is
shown by the oppressed. They have
ceased TO struggle, they submit and Join
in SO far as possible i'll the general steal.
There seems to be no remaining spirit to
right anything politically, everything is
becoming a grand grab game, with ire
mendous increase of consequent crime,
poverty and suffering.
"Of course this thing cannot last: but
what shape the remedy will be in is
puzzle; it looks dark, too dark TO an
alyZe it,"
This picture was not drawn by person
who is flippantly dubbed 'pessimist,"
but by a close student of society and bus
mess III Gotham. The same conditions
above described that have been more
advanced in the intense business atmos-
phere of New York are steadily spreading
over the whole country. To close OBJ
servers this is readily perceived Even
ordinary, and rather careless observers
may often be heard comparing prevailing
conditions with few years ago, and in
variably to the disparagment of the
present
This cancer which is eating into and |
corrupting the moral tone and business
of society, has very plain and |
distinct origin ,hat is easily discovered i'll
honestly sought fo.. The middle class,
that class which is neither oppressed by
poverty or exalted by riches, and which
constitutes the bulwark of American
independence and the hope of American
institutions, is i'll a life I'd death strug-
gle TO maintain its position. 1t feels the
ground sinking beneath its feet. Wealth,
illgotten mostly through the necromancy
of special legislation, acquired by bribery
and deception, is combining against the
industrial independent, middle class and
hurting it to destruction with the ire
sistible force of a Greek phalanx.
Every law passed TO defend the people
against these battalions of wealth is de-
clared unconstitutional or swept aside,
ignored as though obsolete. These brig.
ands Of iIlgotten wealth are corrupting
the great churches and higher institutions
of learning, and corrupting popular cleo
tons by purchasing the voters they have