Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-03-05


ronism, the conservative Working Man.
! exchanges his birthright of freedom
and free thought for pat on the head
from any little rump-fed lord that steps
his way and spouts the pla,trdcs of
Cockney patriotism. Inc established
church, deprived Of the conscience
which accompanied honest belief, sup
ports nearly every infamy Of the mo-
mont /, the name Of the Christianity
which 1t has long 90 shifted quietly over
board. There Is an universal scramble
for plumber, for excitement, for amuse-
ment, for speculation, and above 1t all,
the flag of Hooligap Imperialism is
raised, with the proclamation that II
Is the sole mission Of Anglo-Saxon
England, forgetful of the task Of keep
ing Its own drains In order, TO expand
and extend It's boundaries indefinitely,
and, again In the name of the Chris
tianity it has practically abandoned, to
conquer and inherit the EARTH"
Add to this stinging arraignment the
prevalence among our people Of an oh.
senuious servility to the power begot-
ten of wealth, whether acquired by toll
or gambling, or gambling's equivalent
|
In the manipulation Of the cogged dice
of the stock market, the low levels OF
thought, the assumption, often
justified by the fact, that the thoughts
and opinions and principles of the man
who has only brains to sell arc In the
market, with his services, at the or
der Of the employer, whereby the pro
fessor's chair, the teachers precepts
and the lawyers learning are. expected
to echo tho interests of the Midas Of
the particular city, and the infinite
bluster of an era Of plnchbeck ability;
veneered eloquence and shoddy influ-
ence, and we can begin to realize that
our boasted golden age is, of truth,
the age Of brass.
Fidelity to truth demands the quota
ton Of this charge. which states the
whole case and makes comment super
fiuous
II were idle to trace step by step,
our drifting away from the "enthus-
iasm of humanity" SO nobly character
istic of our people five and thirty
years ago, and the substitution for II of
'the trader spirit; the spirit that
cheats, and cringes, ana bnggles and
splits straws for pence, and roasts eggs
by other mems blazing rafters." 1t is
enough to note the fact. to verify its
existence and dominating power among
us. and to inlpute TO its influence the
willingness to embark IN any venture
which promises material profit by o
national policy of aggression and deu-
| UN-NoobhS' duu "! uelldl OF
those common rights which we always
have boasted are God-given to each Of
Gods sentient creatures who might, by
choice or chance, come within the
sphere and Influence of our own free
institutions.
Once. at least, in our former history,
has this traificking, dickering, CONNER
cial spirit, which has lowered it's test
or conquest 10 the slang query Of
How much is there in it for ,is?''
come near making shipwreck of our ma.
tional integrity and honor. am not
an old man. but II Is within my easy
recollection that in obedience TO its
voice, great statesmen, eminent di.
vines and men Of sagacity in affairs
as well as venal placemsn and time.
serving politicians, defended in our
country the right Of msn to "larrur
his own niger under his own vine
and fig tree, as the sum of political
wisdom, as ordained Of heaven, and
as the creator of wealth. And I cal
well remember when In the winter OF
1861, and when, as now, we werc fast
coming to the parting of the ways be-
tween national manhood and the
sordid despotism of wealth, the New
England manufacturers rolled into the
halls of Congress their monster peti
ton, as large as some of their owr
, mill.whecls, praying that body tc
knuckle to the slaye-drivers of the
South, to cruelty the gospel of human
ity, and to replace IT with that OF
Hooliganism; And whereforeg Why
that they might keep the Southern
markets for their wares. The crucia
point was REACHED when the late Zach
ariah Chandler had the manhood tc
stand up aud say that in his opinion
we had come to the time when This
Uniou is not worth a rush without 0
little blood-letting."
Happily the Enthusiasm of human
ity" triumphed; the heroic age of the
I