Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-06-18
Definite Principles.

According TO the peoples parry prov
forms one Of the ''great economic
questions" is land. What this new
party proposes to do by way of leglsla-
ton to effect the farmers land Is left
very indefinite. 1t is true that in their
platform they say they oppose "alien
ownership of land and also favor the
forfeiture of all unearned railroad land
grants to the government for the use
of actual settlers. But these speclhc
doctrines are stolen bodily from both
democratic and republican platforms,
and cannot be appropriated by this new
organization as an original party pollcy
in relation to land.
The true reason why the word
Gland" was inserted in the peoples
party platform as one of the great
economic questions now before the
people and the world" is studlously
kept in the background by the leaders
of that party. One of the tunda-
mental doctrines of the union labor
party, and especially that faction OF IL
headed by Henry George, is that there
should be no such thing as private
property in land and that all taxes Oh
every description should be paid by
those who have the use of land. 10
induce this factionSof the union labor
element to join the peoples party,
this little word land was inserted
in the St. Louis platform as one OF the
"great economic questions of the day I"
The leaders have very little to say
upon the "land' question in the west.
To promulgate the doctrine that a
Kansas farmer should not hand down
to his children an absolute right and
title to tue farm that 1t cost
the better part of his life 10
improve and beautify would be polltl'
cal suicide, and it would be equally
suicidal fsr the politician to tell these
farmers That all the taxes required TO
run the national government should be
/ collected from assessments upon real
estate. Yet such is the Infamous doc
trine taught by Henry George and his
followers, who now camprise no incon-
siderable minority of the peoples party.
This doctrine is very popular among
those who through Incidence or misfor-
tune have no land of their own. 1t
relieves them from contributing any
thing to the support of the government,
besides it increases their chances to
lump" some temporarily unoccupled
tract of land which has been made
productive by the skill and hard labor
of others. 1t seems incredible that
the farmers of Kansas would associate
themselves politically with such land
mendicants as these, but the peoples
party of this county and state have
elected TO office number Of gentlemen
who preach the nefariOus doctrine that
there should be no ''priyate property in
Iand'' and that all taxes should be
collected from those who have use of
the land. We're it necessary we could
name a number of such in this county
who are bright and shining lights in
the alliance and hold prominent posi-
tions in the councils of their party. 1t
is, however, just to the farmers to
state that this, class Of individuals is
landless and unless the farmers con-
Guide to give them an official lift they
will probably always be renters, and
consequently always opposed to the
private ownership of land.
1t may answer for democrats to
preach protection in the east and free
trade in the west and south, but unless
these republican farmers who voted
with the peoples party last fall have
lost their former political manhood
they are going to know definitely what
the peoples party proposes to do with
"land" before they vote with that party
again. And when they learn that the
word "land" was inserted in their
platform as the entering wedge to
Henry Georges theory of land confs-
icatiOn, they will probably awaken to
the fact that the interests of the far
mer are not with those who have no
interest in land. The members of the
peoples party with democratic antece-
dents are expected to shut their eyes
to all questions of principle or policy,
but those who have stood by the prin-
ciples advocated by Lincoln, Grant,
Garfield and the hosts of republican
statesmen that have adorned the his
tory of this country during the past
thirty years will, unless their tactics
have changed, demand of their party
leaders definite principles.
Il
The Eight Hour Law.
The malicious mischief caused by