The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-08-02
From tue DEIRorT TRIBUNE, July21.
COMMUNISM BOLDLY PROCLAIMED N

COMMUNISM BOLDLY PROCLAIMED IN
THE NATIONAL" PLATFORM
Since the wide publication of the Ionia coun-
ty address, issued by the secretary OF the Iona
county National" Executive Committee, in
which address was communlstic declaration
in favor o. limiting by law the number Of acres
any farmer may own. and providing by law that
all land owned by one person above that
number OF acres may be taken at valuation
determined by some rule" whether the owner
IS willing to sell or not, the . National organs
aud leaders have been trying to soothe the
alarmed farmers and TO break the force of that
address by saying that 1t wasn't authorized by
the Ions committee. though the committee
objected to it. has never repudiated II or its
author and permitted il to circulate as though
It was authorized. The excuse is made. also.
that lhese Communistic sentiments are held by
some. but not indorsed by the party-that We
must look in the party platforms only for what
the party is committed to. The Daily Green
back Dollar. of Port Huron. after making the
bIasphemous declaration that Jesus Christ was
Communist. on being called to account by a
cooler headed - National, made various feeble
excuses, defended Communistic principles, and
added:
We DO not understand Communism as a
forcIble DIVISION OF property. Nor do we I'M
derstand Communism as part OF the Green
back principles.
1t is complained OF Us because we did not
quote the last Of the above sentences Well
we quote it now. and refer its writer to the
New York National Greenback platform for
proof that Communism is part of the Green
back principles. That convention put forth
it's platform Wednesday last, at Syracuse
The fifth plank Of that document reads as
follows
g. The increasing poverty OF the working
classes IL attributable. IN great part, 10 a mon
opoy OF the soil. the natural source Of wealth.
and therefore we demand the adoption of land
limitation laws.
1t ia evident that the author OF the Ionia
address knew what he was about. and knew
that he id speak the real sentiments OF at
least strong element in the q" National
party. and that party in the great State of
New York is not afraid to speak right out
what t is aiming at and means to haye-by
law-as soon as the party obtains power to
make laws. Here is what the Ionia adj
dress sald-see how exactly it foreshadows
and agrees with the New York " National "
platform
Our people must demand and insist that
some certain number OF acres OF land must be
the maximum number of acres any one midi
vduai may hold absolutely. All land owned
by one person above that number OF acres
NAV BE- taken at valuation determined by
some rule
Our people" means the " Nationals ." and
" our people" have demanded it in the New
York National" State platform. The farm
ers OF Michigan will note it and it will be use
less to try any longer to explain it away.
In this and other states, OF late, the farmers
have been attacked In another way. They
have bad their resping machines broken and
burned, and have been warned not to use labor
saving machinery on penalty Of having their
barns burned. These outrages were never
heard OF in the United States until the I" Ma
tonsl party commenced Its work OF sowing
class prejudice and stimulating Communism.
The National" organs are busy trying to
deny shat the doctrines OF their party or the
harangues of their lecturers aud speakers are
responsible for these events. But two facts
are patent. These outrages never occurred
till the National party was formed; they
have occurred since, and occurred right where
the" National doctrines are most rampant.
Second, the " National platform Of New York !
has plank which viii. n Us effect on those