Evening journal., 1907-02-05


how much The 'fblatherskites" would
stand. figuring and capitalizing Gods
water just as those other gifted and
capable men" used to capitalize the
working value OF the negro. The state
ment made I'm the daily papers by the
Water Department, says: "the transfer
would convey all interest in the Bran
dywine River now owned by the Jes-
sup & Moore Company, Bancroft ano
Sons Company, and the Lea and Sons
Company to the city" What rights
have these particular men or their sons
in the Brandywine river that God ere
ated and constantly supplies with
water over Smith. Brown or Jones and
their sons? And again. "The discharge
Of the Brandywine through Lea's rae,
phgures 7O,OOO,OOO gallons daily, result
ing in 142 H. p, which valued at $50
per II. p. amounts to s99lO. and that
capitalized at per cent gives the total
value of the water rights S165,7OO."
Rightsl We hear and read much Of
"rights"-of the rights of property
and the rights of individuals, and 1t IS
proper and desirable that we should.
| But who is it, or what is it, that en-
ables any man or set OF men to accum-
]
! society-the state-the law. And, what
is law-the decree of the state. And,
what is the state ?--organized society.
/ And of what is organized society COM
posed2-of human atoms-of men. Ana
what is the 'basis-the only excuse 70,
organized society? Jeffersons immor-
tai words in the Declaration of In
dependence makes IL clear-"We hold
these truths self evident: That all men
are created equal That they are en-
dowed with certain inalienable rights.
among which are life, liberty and pur-
suit Of happiness. OF what life does
the declaration speak k?-This swiftly
Passing human life here and now Can
men live-have iife-without water?
| Who made the law that man must have
water or die? God! Has God for
gotten or neglected to furnish water for
/ the hundred thousand human beings
in this city? MOI billions OF gallons
he sends us in his loving kindness All
property rights legal rights and civil
rights rest upon natural rights-the
rights of man as man. Legally, that
work Of God, the Brandywine River,
/ belongs 10 a few men, just as legally
! i.000,OO negroes belonged to and were
the slaves Of q few men. Morally, and
without the moral basis law is a farce.
the ownership Of man and of rivers
are on a nar-they are crimes against
! God ard man. 1t IS not to be wonder
Ell ai t1ai men who were upholders Of
! that -covenent of Ucn"-chattel sl1v-
/ ery- also uphold the ownership Of riv-
urA such men never learn They
/ would own the sunlight and the air
/ if They could get their dollar-chasine
! claws on those elements of nature. But,
| FOR men who pose as Republicans. who
hold high position in the party found
al by Lincoln. Garrison and Wendell
Phillips, to so act, it is appalling
When at last st dawned upon Wen
dcu Phillips that human slavery was
sanctioned by the Constitution OF tn
United States he said Il believe the
Holy Bible outweighs the statues
denounce the Constitution. I person
anv secede from the Union. I will
close my law office, for as an attor-
ley I must swear 70 support the con
stitution. I shall never vote until I
can vote against slavery I damn the
Constitution"
The people have labored under the
delusion that the Water Commissioners
and Chief Engineer were public ser
,ants, hut IL is manifest that the litt'e
fingers Of a few gifted and capable
men" weigh more IN their judgment
than do the loins Of a hundred thousand
'blatherslSites." and one must confess
that in a measure their Judgment is
! justified. when 4 is considered how SUI
pinely the people support directly cor
poratlon newspapers by subscribing to
them and indirectly by patronizng the
advertisers in corporation organs Can
we wonder at the Indifference of tn.
politicians? The Evening Journal
stands by the people.
No one can he surprised at the attis
tude of Every Evening. It's position
OH such matters is well known. But
the Sunday Star.-well, the "blather-
sixties" had really hoped it would do
better for the plain people, but alas,
the Star seems to think the job is a
good thing" I agree with the Star,
IL is a good thing for the gifted and
capable men," but the people? Well
that distinguished representative Of
the gifted and capable men," the late.
not much lamented. Vanderbilt, on one
occasion said. ''The people be d-d. %
And the people are being d--d fairly
lwell.-but. the signs Of the times in
dicate that some Of the gifted and
capable men" will be d--d in this
world belong long. and surely If there
is a hereafter they will also be d--d
in that. And right here a word to the
''moral teachers" in church meeting
house and synagogue. You marvel why
many men do not so TO church. You
difeuss the growth Of skeptcism. but
wth such Protestants as Baer such
Catholics as Ryan, such Hebrews as
schiff. holding high place in the tenn
pies, the plain citizen who knows he
will he denounced and jailed II he shall
steal bag OF coal. "a loaf Of bread or a
pair Of shoes, is inclined to grow skep-
tical. Those "gifted and capable men. "
posing as "captains Of industry" may
V ell be described in the words Of one
OF the worlds singers, Through life's
dark road his sordid way he wends, the
Incarnation Of fat dividends" When
the average money -made-dollar-ch
er. has finished his career. is through
with his capitalizing the value OF Gods
land and water, timber, oil, coal and
iron, and when he has been duly plant
ed with all the trimmings that are
usually given to the man with bar
rel then II the truth was inscribed on
the towering shaft that holds him down
there would be these words "He built
God a church. and laughed his words
to scorn."
Yours truly.