Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-09

In the little village of Chicopee Falls,
Mass, on a rainy day last week, a World
reporter found Mr.. Edward Bellamy, the
originator and leader in the growing
Nationalist movement. The celebrated
author of Looking Backward is a wiry
looking man, yet in his thirties. There
are but few strands of silver IN his dark
hair, and his frank face is Illuminated by
a pair of honest brown eyes. Every lin
eament bespeaks kind-heartedness and
geniality.
II was born" began Mr.. Bellamy, Sin
Chicopee Falls. My youthful days were
passed In much the same n as those
of the ordinary boy. | had my share of
toys and marbles, fights and kites, though
really | do not think the public will feel
interested In any portion of my personal
career. After attending school at the
old Union College in Schenectady for
some time, | went to Germany for a year.
upon my return l studied law in
Springfield and was admitted to the bar,
but did not practice. | went into the
Geld of journalism, and In 1871 became
an outside editorial writer for the New
York Evening Post. / soon severed my con-
nection with this paper, and became an
editorial writer on the Sprinnfeld Union.
My health gave way in 1877 and | went to
the Sandwich Islands, where | remain
ed a year.
AS AN AUTHOR.
4 have always written more or less for
magazines, and in 1871 produced my fI55
novel, "A Nantucket Idyl,' which was
published by the Putnams. DIR. Heidel-
hotf's Process came next and was publish
ed by Appleton in 1880. Four years later
the Ticknors produced Miss Ludington's
Sister My last book, Hooking Backward, ,
which appeared In 1888, was the outgrowth
of a deep conviction that the great mass of
American people are blind to the perils In
to which they are drifting. Up to the be-
ginning of the present year not over TO-
900 copies had been disposed of. In Jan
uary last there came a boom, and since
that time almost 100000 copies have been
sold. | have not expected any very great
peeuniary harvest, but | am gratifed be-
yond measure at the broadcast seeds of
warning which the book is sowing. The
work has been translated into German,
Danish and French, and the sales in Eng
land have been quite as large as in Ameri-
ca. Out Of this book has grown a party
whose aim is the naturalization of great
industries and the ultimate conduct of all
business by the people and for the benefit
of the people"
Mr.. Bellamy did not talk as a blind be-
lever in a visionary creed, but rather as
the calm apostle of a reasonable theory.
Continuing, he said:
1.-The coming party will be satisfied with
nothing but a fraternal basis of industry
and an equality of rights and advantages.
This is not a class movement. 1t appeals
to all business men, and no one is so much
interested as the small tradesmen them
selves. We are not at all rabid. We are
simply obeying a natural law of economics.
We do not want to hang ~monopolists and
capitalists, but we simply desire to put an
end to the system which permits them to
exist"
DO you think such a millennium as
you have outlined will ever come, Mr..
BeIlamy? p asked the reporter.
CONFIDENT OF HIS THEORIES.
Il do, and shortly" was the reply.
''Clubs are forming everywhere, and al
ready there are two or three hundred in
the field"
How will you bring abolt the great
changer"
by election and legislation" was the
reply. "Out in California they promised
to send an entire delegation of National
lists to Congress, and matters are working,in
a similar ratio in other States. There is
no chance but for a strong public move
ment and we believe it is coming. We do
not blame any one class for the exist
ing state of things, neither do we repre-
sent any. The plutocratic tendency is in
itself a revolution, and the constant
drainage of business out of the hands of
the small dealers Is threatening to the
public"
When questioned as TO the specific OBJ
jects of the movement, Mr.. Bellamy said:
I. We want the naturalization of all
railways. We propose that the Govern
ment shall take charge of the properties
and shall pay over to the present security
holder such dividends on a Just valuation
of the property as may be earned.
20. The naturalization of telegraph
and TELEPHONE systems in the same or some
other practicable manner. The English
Government purchased the telegraph sys-
ten outright. Congress could easily de-
eide the matter.
3. The naturalization of the coal
mining business of the country to the end
that all mines may be worked continuously
to their full capacity, the coal to be fur
nished to the consumers at cost and the
miners steadily and humanley employed.
No class of men Is SO damnably dealt with
as coal miners and there is no class of EN-
ployers who treat the public so rapaciously
as the coal barons.
Then we propose that the Post Office
Department of the Government shall con-
troll the express business of the country
on the same principles. The cities and
towns of the country should take charge.
as municipal functions, of the heating,
lighting and running of street cars, and
all methods of rapid transit. These con.
ditions. if carried out, would effect the
condition of 1000. 900 workmen through
out the country. Nobody wants harsl
measures, but the general public interests
demand a great change.
ULTIMATE STANDARDIZATION.
"Our obiectin urging these changes il
three-fold. First, they are in the line
with, and are Step-stones to, ultimate ma
tionalization. Second, they will benefit
the general consuming public by a great
er cheapness and efficiency In thest
branches of service. Third, they afforC
the means by which the condition of
vast body of workmen can be placed on
humane and secure basis, The first O
these objects is logical, and the two latte,
are merely principles of application"
What steps would you take to proven
political jobbery and corruption?" queri
ed the reporter.
1--WE propose the f~ollowinu plan wa