The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-05
Opposes Corporation Campaign Con- tributions, Endorses Uniform Di- VorCe Laws and FaVors Right
 ofAppeal by Government
 In Criminal Cases.

kind The sinister demagogues and fcol- ish Missionaries who are always eager 10 undertake such campaign of destruction sometimes seek to associate themselves with those working for q genuine reform Ill governmental and social methods, and sometimes masquerade as such rctor.n- CTS. In reality they are the worst en- emies of the cause they profess to ad- vocate, Just as the purYeyors Of sGnsa- tonal islander in newspaper or magazine are the worst enemies Of all men who are engaged in an honest effort to bet ter what is bad in our social and gov ernmertal conditions. To preach hatred of the rich man as such, to carry on q campaign of islander and invectiva against him. to seek to mislead and inflame to madness honest men whose lives are hard and who have not the kind of mental training which will permit them 10 ap- preciate the danger in the doctrines preached-all this is to commit a crime against the body polite and to be false to every worthy principle and tradition of American national life Moreover, while such preaching and such agitation nay give a livelihood and a certain notoriety 10 some of those who take part in l., and may result in the temporary political success of others, in the long run every such movement will either fail or else will provoke a violent reaction, which will itself result not merely in undoing the mischief wrought by the demagogue and the agitator but also in undoing the good that the honest reformer. tho true upholder of popular rights, has painfully and laboriously achieved. Corruption Is never so rife as in communities where the demagogue and the agitator bear full sway, because in such communities 9ll moral bands become loosened, and nys- teria and sensationalism replace the srlrt of sound judgment and fair dealing as between man and man. In sheer revolt against the squalid anarchy thus pro- duced men are sure in the end to turn toward any leader who can restore orGer, and then their relief at being free from the intolerable burdens of class hatred. violence and demagogy is such that they can not for some time be aroused tO in- dignation against misdeeds by men of wealth; so that they permit a new growth of the very abuses which were m part responsible for the original outbreak. The one hope for success for our people lies in a resolute and fearless. but sane and cool-headed. advance along the path marked out last year by this very Con gross. There must be a stern refusal to be msled into following either that base creature who appeals and panders to thf lowest instincts and passions in order to arouse one set of Americans against their fellows, that other creature equally base but no baser, who in [ spirit of greed Or to accumulate or adt to an already huge fortune, seeks to eN- ploit his fellow-Americans with callou- disregard to their welfare of soul and body. The man who debauehes others In order to obtain a high office stands on an evil equality of corruption with the man who debauehes others for financial profit; and when hatred is sown Inc crop which springs up can only he evil.
 The plain people who think-the me- chanics farmers. merchants, workers with head or hand, the men to whom Amcfi- can traditions are dear, who love their country and try to act decently by their neighbors owe it to themselves to ie- member that the most damaging blow that can be given popular government IS to elect an unworthy and sinister agta tor on a platform of violence and ny pocrisy Whenever such an issue Is raised
 in this country nothing can be gained by flinching from it. for in such case de- mocracv is itself on trial, popular acll- government under republican forms Is it. self on trial The triumph of the mob is inst as evil a thing as the triumph of the plutocracv, and to have escaped one danger ayails nothing whatever 1T we succumb to the other In the ehd t3c honest man. whether rich or poor, who earns his own living and tries to deal justly by his fellows, has as much to fear from the insincere and unworthS demagog, promising much and performing nothing or else performing nothing put evil. who would set on the mob to plunder inc rich. as from the crafty corruptionlst, who. for his own ends, would permit the common people to be exploited by the very wealthy If we ever let this govern ment fall into the hands of men Of either of these two classes, we shall snow our selves false to Americas s past. Moreover. inc den1agogue and the corruptionist of- ten work hand in hand There are at this moment wealthy reactionarles CT such ohtuse morality that they regard the public servant who prosecutes them when they violate the law or who seeks to make them bear their proper share of the public burdens, as being even more obiectionable than the violent agitator who hounds on the mob to plunder the rich There is nothing to choose be- tween such reactionary and such m agitator; fundamentally they are alike in their selfish disregard of the rights or others; and it is natural that they souiu join in opposition to any movement or which the aim is fearlessly to do exact and even justice to all.
 Railroad Employees Hours and Eight
 Hour Law.
 call your attention to the need of pass ing the bill limiting the number of hours of employment of railroad employees The meausre is a very moderate one and can conveive of no serious objection to i- 1t should be our aim steadily to reduce the number of hours of labor, with as a goal the general introduction of an eight hour day There are industries in which II is not possible that the hours of labcr should be reduced; just as there are com munities not far enough advanced Tor .,ob o movement to be for their good. or