The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-06-14
EVILS OF THE TRUSTS.
The Destruction of the fiddle Class
The Corruption of the People
and of Public Officials.
Communicated.

The agency of the trusts in destroying
the middle classes ought to be enpha-
sized as one of their chief evils. Patriots
and statesmen in all lands and times have
recognized the superior value to a coun
try of what are call its middle class. Their
worth has been the poets theme
princes and lords may flourish, and may fade,
A breath can make them, as a breath has made,
But bold peasantry, their countrys pride,
When once destroyed can never be supplied"
There are reasons why the middle
classes are the best citizens of state. The
man who has nothing will have no less in
some other country, nor, if he remains Ill
his native land, has he any especial reasons
to be attached to existing governments or
social conditions; from pecuniary stand
point, he has nothing to lose and he may
gain, by changes connections, or revolu-
tons. He is not, by ties of interest,
attached to the institutions of his country
as the the man who has something Is. 1t
we 90 to the other extreme, to the men OF
great wealth, we find men who are indie
pendent of their own country or its social
conditions, as long as their country does
to suit them, well, but if it fails to please
them they can make themselves just as
much at home in some other country that
suits them better. They are citizens of
the world, too big for any one country.
But the man who has something and
not very much, the small farmer or bus
mess man, is attached to his country by
every tie that binds men to home. He IS
the conservative citizen. He has some
thing to lose by changes or disturbances,
and yet he has not enough to brave the
risk and expense of taking his family and
little belongings into some other land
His all is wrapped up in his country, for
he owns part of it however small. he
will willingly pay his full share of the
expenses of the government; in war he is
| his country's best defence; i'll peace his
voice will always be heard pleading for
the ancient landmarks which the fathers
set up; little too old fogish oftentimes,
but always safe.
But how rapidly are the trusts decimat-
ing the ranks of the middle class. They
are passing away, by the hundreds and
thousands, one here and there up into the
ranks of plutocracy, and thousands down
into the ranks of servants, of those who
have nothing.
No public official was ever corrupted by
the middle class, for two reasons: the
benefit to each individual of any act OF
public official is too small to suggest the
use Of bribery and the means of the mid,
die class are too little to be spent i'll that
way. But when trust can make mil
lions from the act of Congress or other
public officials, it eau we'll afford to spend
hundreds of thousands to corrupt the
official whose action is desired and the
official, being of weak human nature, toe
often succumbs to the great temptation
The corruption of officials would soon be
remedied, were the people incorruptible
but the great corruption funds of the
trusts can be used aud are used as we'll tc
destroy the virtue of the great body Of
the people, as to corrupt their public
officials. Thus some of the evils of the
trusts have been mentioned; they are toe
apparent to require argument or enlarge.
ment What is the remedy, or what are
the remedies?