The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-05-11
The Work of No PARTY.

.'This is not the work of any political
party, though it brings shame upon all
parties whose names are thus employed
and prostituted. 1t is done by the ma
chimes of both parties, and the govern
ment by the machines and for the ma
chimes. The evidence adduced at a
recent Judicial hearing shows that. in one
instance, when the County Commission
ers had accommodated a notorious de-
baucher of elections with large supply
of official ballots, that chivalrous gentle
man generously had about 200 of them
marked for supposed political opponent
before they were damned into the box. !"
The above paragraph is clipped from
one of the daily papers, and similar news
items are very common in the newspapers.
The alarming truth is that onr govern
ment, safe and national, is little else than
machine government. The political ma
chine has grown to be a profession. 1t is
operated for the profit that can be made
out Of the business. The political machine
has been perfected till it works with a
certainty and exactness in producing re-.
suits equaled only by the best mechanical
devices. Large sums Of money are neces
sary to operate the political machine, and
only great trusts or corporations are COM
petent to "6nance' it.
Where large sums are expended for the
services of the political machine large
profits are expected. The rewards reaped
by corporations by using the political
machines are the franchises and special
grants which are worth thousands or mil
lions to the companies and syndicates
which receive them through corrupt leg
islation-national, state and municipal
Our politics has become corrupt to the
core by machine influence. The demon
alizing methods which have poisoned
public life are reac;ing on private and
business life. To use brides to corrupt
legislation is soon felt in the business life
OF the people.
The only cure is 10 throttle the cause.
The people must rise to the emergency
required and reclaim the valuable fran.
chises which have been transferred to
corporations by the methods used by the
political machine, and then, and not till
then will politics be purged of the cor
ruption which defeats the will of the peo-
pie and robs them by The power they
e1trust 10 their representative law makers
The prevalent and widespread political
corruption of the times is forcing the
Ts,s4sa4ix.a orl Dafaranlr,, Mat
Legislation planks into political plat
FORMS Direct legislation will grow in
popularity as the public mind becomes
enlightened on the subject. Every en-
lightened person admits the utter failure
of the delegate system, which was chosen
by the Revolutionary patriots, when their
arms had overthrown the power of Eng
land. While the country remained poor,
and the people honorable, patriotic and
honest, the delegated system worked toll
erably well, but only tolerably so. II is
slow method 20 secure laws in the in
terest of the people, and the best possible
system in which to use successfully the
political machine, where bribery and
lobby are powerful to secure every law
the corporation desires.
The Peoples party places Direct legls-
lation as one of the most prominent
planks in its platform. and Democratic
party is adopting it among its demands.
The Republican party denouuces legis-
lation by the people as rank heresy,
which is to be expected, as that party is
wholly corporation and privilege class
party.