Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-11-13
THE NEW PARTY.
A Secret Political Party with "a Double Par
poss-The progressive Democracy.

pObc--Ane AFoBFchriNb leiuptha'ys
New " rk sun.
II is announced with authority that the
knights OF Labor will henceforth form a
political party, to be called the Progress
sive Democracy.
The principles which this party has an
nounced so fer, are two;
1. Land--"We hold that the value
which attaches to the surface of the earth
by reason Of the growth OF population be-
longs TO society at large, and we propose,
therefore, TO abolish all taxation upon
buildings, improvements, and all other
things of human production, and by
taxation on tho value of land alone, -
provide for purposes- Of CONNIE R-Aecessl-
ty and benefit. In this way we propose
TO make 1t Improbable for monopolizers
10 hold land, mines, forests or city lots
which they are not putting to use"
2 State Ownership aud Management OF
Railroads and Telegraphs.- declare
war on that system which hands over the
public works 10 corporate control, and
permits such benelcent agencies as the
railroad and the telegraph to be made the
means of robbipg the producer and OF en-
abling railroad kings and stock gamblers
Thus 1t appears that, by putting all
taxation upon the land alone, The new
party intends to destroy its value as q
subject for the investment Of capital, and
TO prevent anybudy from owning more
land than the individu requires for his
own use and occupation or for the occu-
nation of his business and his family. In
other words, all speculation in land as an
article OF ordinary commerce Is to be
taxed out OF existence,
All railroads, telegraphs, telephones,
and other public works Of the sort are to
be owned by society at large and not by
private corporations That Is TO say, the
state is to be the only proprietor and
manager OF such public establishments,
and ii would seem TO be logicals conse-
auence that other great business and
social establishments like banks, insur-
ance companies, sugar retineries, iron
mills, cotton mills--ln short, every branch
of business, amusement or benevOlence
which admits Of being conducted upon 2
large scale, should also be owned ana
msnaged by the state.
| OF course there will be other principles
and other measures In the creed OF the
new party, but so far these two are all thai
| nave been officially declafed.
We state the propositions solely FOL
the purpose of bringing out a clear idei
OF the practical measures, 10 the promo
motion OF which the new party will de
vote Its energies, End II we do not cor
rectly apprehend and represent Its doc
trines or purposes, we shall be glad to b'
corrected.
We do not understand that when the
knights OF Labor enter into politics fol
the purpose OF realizing the programme
whose two primary features we nave nov no,
endeayored TO set forth, they VIII Tor ina
reason abandon the functions which theJ
have hitherto exercised Of regulating the
rates Of weges, the hours OF lao9r. ane 4,
whatever else concerns the relations o.
employers aud wages laborers, SO Jar q
their members and sdherents are con
cerned. They Intend to renail
at once political party, props,
eating and advocating their loeas
and measures OF public policy, ana
controlling labor organization attenaiue
70 the interests Of their order, ana fesis'