The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-02-16

Clubs.


There are many clubs in existence and
new ones are steadily forming. All pos
sess valuable social features, some wholly
social, but most of the clubs are of a lit
erary character. There are several in this
county, and every village and town boasts
its club or clubs. Elkton has its Uni
versity Extension association, Rising
Sun its Advance Club and other
neighborhoods their social clubs. Every
school almost has a literary branch or
association, while the higher schools,
Tome Institute, North Fast and Elkton
High Schools, have their more preten-
tious associations. Pretty soon the polit-
ical campaign clubs will commence put
ting in an appearance to claim attention
of the general public. These latter clubs
have a party bias which destroys in a
great measure their usefulness They
ostensibly are for the purpose of instruct
inf the public OH political matters, but
they are used in great nieasere to preju-
dice the minds of, and mislead their
members.
There is nothing SO much needed in
these United States as political education,
not political as generally understood, in
party sense, but information on economic
questions. Tie age ofautomatic machin-
cry and science applied to the arts has
almost totally revolutionized manual
labor and productive industry The
labor world has been subjected to pretty
nearly total revolution in the last half
century, and the oldtimer grasps at the
past to find that he is trying to lay hold
OF shadow. 1t may be stated as almost
literal truth that old things have pass
ed away and all things have become new
in the busy hive of industry about us.
The study of this new phase of affairs
demands front seat or place in the
education of the present and it is being
almost wholly neglected. The art of
veneering society is studied more than
ever at any former period i'll Anglo-Saxon
history, while the knowledge of govern
ment is neglected by the middle class
more, perhaps, than at any former period
| Clubs or Leagues for the study of eco
noniic problems are more needed than
any other line of education. Before us
is the question of money, which stands in
its relation to Civilization as the blood to
the healthy development and life of man
and animal. The wagon has almost been
lost i'll the railroad. Transportation is a
new question as at present known. The
telegraph has made the circuit of the
globe and changed entirely the sources of
Information. The trolley railway and
automobile are displacing the cab aud
omnibus, gas and electricity have rele-
gated the candle and lamp to the back
ground. And thus we might go on enum-
Grating changes which have revolution
lied every line of industry These new
things have all been put into the hands
OF few people and secured there by the
law of charter, which is taking from the
people what is known as franchise.
which is all inaiienable right of the peo-
pie. This right they have been robbed of
TO invest the corporation with power,
which power in turn has taken from the
individual opportunity to be self sustain
ing and independent He must work as
dependent for the corporation or starve
The citizen has now master in the cor
poration and to just that extent he is a
slave, but slave without care taker.
Here is new field, wide as the uni.
verse, open for study, where the most
profitable of all information may be
gained A club organized in every neigh.
borhood for the study of economics would
afford the greatest pleasure combined
with the most intense interest. Such
clubs would not be complete without both
sexes, for the future of the girl is as much
involved as that of the boy, and the
present of the woman as that of the man.
The economic club waits Its organizer. 1t
is the hope of the republic, the restorer Of
mans charter, of which he has been
despoiled by the corporation.
The Farmers Alliance started this edu-
cational process few years ago and by
its success almost revolutionized the pol |
itics of the country. Under conditions
then existing it was deemed necessary to
form secret socity. Secrecy is no longer
necessary for such organization nor the
exclusion of any class or business calling.
Far better that all shonld meet and dis
cuss every government "a economic and
social question.