The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1901-11-26

den county VS.. Shanks has decided
that ga county in the absence of
legislative authority, has no power
to borrow money and execute its
obligation therefor, although the
purpose may be to apply the money
to the use Of the public" Under
the present law in Kentucky, a
county is powerless to put into ex-
ecution the will of its citizens.
No county has felt the burden of
this law more sensibly than Mont
gomery. Some years ago, you will
remember, a majority of its citi-
zens desired to appropriate money
to secure an extension of the Ken
lucky Midland Railroad from Paris
to Mt. Sterling, but the vote was
declared illegal and the loss of
trade and other benefits to the
county cannot be estimated.
AS a State, we are highly preju-
diced against corporations. The
professional politician has taken
advantage of the disturbed condi-
tions of the masses and has sue
ceeded in making them believe
that all the ills of mankind are
caused by this modern OCTOPUS, "
and that relief from existing So
cial and economic distress lies in
the total annihilation of all stock
companies orcorporations. Notin-
frequently our stump speakers and
mob orators preach doctrines
which they do not believe and
cram down the throats of their
hearers principles which they
themselves would not swallow.
The effect of this is that the aver
age voter too often has no proper
conception of the nature and pur-
pose of corporation, but believes
it to be an one-eyed, forked-
tongued, cloven-footed monster,
an offspring of the Evil One,
which is securing the country for
an opportunity to crush the poor
man and stifle the laborer. The
great sin of the day is demagogy.
This is time for men to be hon
est with themselves and do their
own thinking and voting. Dema-
gogy is crime that has cursed
the political life of nations since
the beginning of republics and its
influence is felt very forcibly in
our own state and nation. The
voice OF the demagogue is heard
in stentorian tones crying, "Down
with capital! Away with corpora
tionsl J" In reply we may hear the
feeble voice of progress appealing
for help with which to unclog
her mired wheels. Unhappy, TO
say the least, is this condition
A morbid public sentiment has the
same effect upon. the state that a
morbid disposition has upon the
individual and is alike destructive
to all energy and effort.
Kentucky occupies an unique
position in the Union in that she
is one of the wealthiest states in
material resources and yet is one
of the most poorly developed. Hei
mountains, hills and plains have
been inspected sufficiently to re
veal the fact that minerals abound
in abundant quantities and yet
she is compelled to rank with In
ferior and inaccessible states be-
cause of a lack Of foreign capital,
with which to explore her un'
known regions and csnvert the
riches there abounding into ac'
tivity. We have an abundance OF
iron, coal, and raw materials OF
al kinds and are spending thous
ands Of dollars annually towards
the education OF skilled mechanics
and engineers who are compelled
to 90 elsewhere for employment
and become lost to their native
state. These men stand high IN
the scientific world and would
prove of incalculable benefit II
we had the enterprises in whicf
they could be used.
| Why this existing state o.
affairs? The obvious answer IL
the fact that our people and ou'