The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-05-31
A Menace to Civic Life.

A Menace to Civic Life.
SIN the city of Chicago there are half
million bad citizens-every one of them a
menace to civic life. They cannot be
dealt with adequately by the local police
of the city, A stern, upright, enlightened
conscience in every mans breast is the
only policeman that can manage them
properly"
So Thus spoke Rev. DR.. Dinsmore of San
Juan, California, chairman of the Judicial
Committee of the Presbyterian Assembly,
in sermon delivered Sunday, May 10, in
Philadelphia. What cause or causes con-
spired to create these half million outlaws
to society the Reverend gentleman did
not attempt to point out, hut prescribed a
f'stern, upright conscience" as the REM
edy. Was it not their environments
which are mainly responsible for the
consciences they have, and is it not
the upper class that DIR. Dinsmore up
holds, defends and forms part of, which
shapes the society that breeds these halt
million menaces to civil life
They are the stuffed off corruption, the
refuse of the socety-the telltale of it
which DR.. Dinsmore suffers to exist with
out rebuke. 1t sits i'll the pews of the
churches listening to such preachers
every Sunday and they dare not rebuke
it. They are the great golden apples on
the upas tree from which the rotten fruit
falls that DIR. Dinsmore and his kind
complain of being void of conscience.
Has the stock gambling class who occupy
front seats in the churches where the DR..
Dinsmores preach any better consciences,
and are they likely to have any better by
hearing the slum class denounced, while
not word of reproof is directed at them
The Rev. Dinsmore, continuing, said
1.-The great Empires of the world have
always begun to decay at the very climax
of their material glory, because it was just
at this point that materialism and atheism
crept into their civilization. Julius Caesar
was the first ut-and- out aethist that ever
sat upon the imperial throne of Rome,
and its decay began under his sceptre.
"Our great American civilization has
not yet reached that point, but the fes
tering sores of socialism, anarchism and
materialism are assuming such proper
tions that the power of church and State
can no longer ignore them"
1t is poor student of history who date:
the beginning of Romes decay with the
ascension of Caesar to the imperial throne
The decay of Rome and earlier empire.
commenced long before the epoch wa
reached that marked the glamour ant
luxury which made their decline visible
There was gang of corrupt politicians
under Pompey's lead, and another Sc
who acknowledged Caesar as their leader
And what caused this rotten political con
dition of squalid poverty and Luxurious
wealth i'll Rome? The identical caus'
which has bred the half million which
are menace to ''civic life" in Chicago
Extreme wealth and its reverse picture
extreme poverty.
Caesar was the friend Of the common
people and endeavored to restore to then
the land which had been appropriated by
the interest drawing millionaire crowd, o
which Brutus was conspicuous leader
and the foremost conspirator to assassi
nate Caesar because he espoused the
cause of the plain people and was en-
deavoring to restore them their lands.
DIR. Dinsmore, in place of seeking the
cause of the fostering sores" he com
plains of corrupting American civiliza
ton, blames socialism, anarchism and
commercialism." Facts are clearly
against the Dr.'s assertion. Neither
socialism or anarchism possess an iota o
power in the government. Only com
mercialism, which is a millionaire pre-
rogative and rides rough shod over the
people, whose will is law at the White
House, sets the pace of the best society
and rules the roost in church and state.
The Rev. Dinsmore shows a sad defecr
of knowledge in economics when ht
places Socialism, anarchism and com
mercialism in the same class. Socialism
makes for a most thorough system o
government wherein the weak are pro
tected from the rapacious strong. An
archy means the destruction of all gov
eminent. Commercialism is the exclu
sive protege of The American millionaire
class, which is now in exclusive possession
of the United States government and i:
sending its conquefing fleets and armie.
to the autipodes, laying heavy burden:
upon the backs of the laboring people
-corrupting the elective franchise, buying
seats in congress, subsidizing press and
pulpit, demoralizing the whole nation
with their stock gambling bazaars, mar.
rying their millionaire endowed daughters
to the degenerate, pauper nobility Of
Europe.
DR.. Dinsmore and his clerical class who
assume TO guide and point the way to a
better condition of society, have not a
word of condemnation of these social and
political monstrosities which breed the
outlaws and poverty stricken class which
are increasing in the great cities.