Omaha daily bee., 1891-05-17

them) should not have as perfect a right u
| as few of themr
Mr.. Bellamy handles the subject editorially
| in this way:
=, The joint committee on manufactures in
| the Massachusetts legislature has reported
| Diiis granting special permits to five or six
| towns to manufacture their own gas and
| electricity. This is understood to be the out,
come OF conference of republican leaders ia
| meet the popular demand for municipal
| ownership 1t IS agreed by old hands at
| politics that 1t will not do to go into the next
campaign handicapped by a blank refusal to
| listen to so reasonable demand. But ara
not the ropu bicanS weak in their programmed
| In allowing one town to buy gas or electric
| light plant do they not admit the principles
for which all good nationalists contendi IL
seems TO us that this, the latest move of tha
republicans, is the best kind of an argument
! in favor of IA general statute under which anv
! city or town can vote to buy, own and run q
lighting plant"
Boston is probably the most monopoly.
cursed town in the country in
ties; The city is gridironed BY the
trolley system of electric roads, all coE-
trolled by the West End company. Governor
Russells expose of the lobbying methods of
this corporation at the state house last year
secured his election. The concern doesn't
own the legislature now, but 1t has for years
controlled Boston's local government and, it
must be confessed, the newspapers almost
without exception, Its franchises bring no
revenue to the city save the ordinary taxes
upon its visible property. But Boston has
not secured rapid transit yet by any manner
of means, while the accidents caused by the
use OF vastly more powerful electric currents
than ever were used in this CITY make an an,
pallng list. There is a great deal of popular
resentment In Boston which has not yet found
opportunity to express itself, and the nation
lists propose to take advantage of it when tho
flood does break loose. Thus recent promo
SltlOn from the West End ,yhi oh
would cause a New Yorker to open his eyes
wide with amazement impels Mr.. Bellamy to
remark:
'President Whitney of the West End rail.
road OF Boston proposes that If the road can
be guaranteed exclusive control of the street
railroad system for fifty years, free of taxes,
tributes or levies, 1t will undertake to pro-
vide rapid transit for tho city. Otherwise,
he says, nothing will be done. IL Mr.. Whit
ney would only consent TO have plaster cast
of his cheek taken for the worlds fair at
Chicago 1t would dwarf all the other exhib-
its.n
The Christian socialists, who, by the way,
include most OF the nationalists, for their
ideas are much the same, recently established
an organ called the Dawn. This is its odd
prospectus
''Christianity without socialism VIC be-
lieve to be lie; socialism without Chris.
tanity we consider n fatal mistake. We pro-
pose to adhere uncompromisingly and unfal-
teringly to both, and on that line to publish
as frequently rs we can. This is all we shall
promise and we shall not 90 INTO debt Per-
haps this is just as well Any who desire q
weekly can find IL in the New Nation. The
less frequent issue will give us greater OPP
portunity for lecturing ana writing in other
papers, and so, while keeping up our own
monthly standard, enable us to do more and
better outside work TO spread the cause"
The nationallsts have great hopes in con-
nection with the third party convention to be
held at Cincinnati May 10 They win be well
represented there, and they will make every
effort to incorporate some 1f their ideas in
the declaration of purposes which they ex-
pect will be promulgated.
A colony of nationalists in st. Louis are
about to start a cooperative store with tho
aid OF a capable merchant who Is TO Join tho
colony. The plan will be to sell goods at tho
usual prices and deliver them at the resi-
dences of customers, and at the close OF
every three months give the net profits of
the business TO each customer as "a dividend
in an equal per cent on his purchases and on
whatever amount he may invest in the capi
tai Of the store.