The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-31

LOOKING BACKwARDS.
The platform of the Peoples party will
not "hold water" The purchase Of the
railroads by the government would cost
$4,000. 900. 600 We have been nearly
twenty-eight years trying to pay of war
debt that was originally about quarter of
this sum, and we have only paid off lit
tie more than half of it. OF course. we
will never consent to burden the people
with any such enormous debt as that con-
templated by the proposition for govern
ment purchase and operation Of the rail-
roads. The government cannot in honor
and honesty confscate the railroads and
the people cannot afford to buy and OPP
crate them. The government operation of
railroads would so increase the number Of
government officials, high and low, and
employees that 1t would be impossible to
disiodge corrupt administration save by
revolution.
The sub-treasury bill was made the sub
ject of q unanimously adverse report in
this congress. 1t is in violation of the
constitution; it is class legislation; it
would lend the money of the whole people
on doubtful collateral to farmers. People
having a particular kind OF property to
deposit could get money at per cent.
from the government and let it at higher
rate to other persons. If there should be
. reduction in the value of the goods after
they are stored below 80 per cent, the
government would lose; if the value in
creased, the government would get none
of the profit
Concerning this scheme Democratic
Congressman McMillin said;
The Inauguration of the scheme would be the
SPECTATORS delight He could carry $4,000
worth OF wheat with less than $96 900 cash, AMI
pay the governments only per cent. interest
The great increass in the number Of ofYicials
would make IL almost impossible to dislodge a
corrupt administration. No provision is made
issued under the bill. and the banks would
have power to force the destruction of any part
OF she government money.
The governments Of the United States
has not the slightest shadow Of right to
lend tho money Of the people to any per-
son or class Of persons for the benefit of
their private business; tho government
can appropriate public money for objects
that stand for tho public veal; the gov
ernment can lend the credit Of the nation
to aid tho completion of vast transcon-
tinental railroad. like the Union Pacific
or . work Of great national consequence,
like the Nicaragua canal; 1t may substitute
lines Of ocean steamers to the end OF in
creasing the general trade of the nation
and building up its commercial marine in
terests in our great fight with foreign coun-
tries for the trade Of the world. and on the
same broad principle of national ad-
vantage il may help the Worlds fair, since
this gigantic enterprise is of vast ad-
vantage to the prosperity and general well
fare of the whole people, but the United
States cannot lend dollar to any midi
vidnal or class of individuals to help them
in the transaction of private business; to
increase its gains or limit its losses; nor
can the United States issue legal tenders,
which are forced loan from the whole
people. for the benefit of any private busi-
ness, or any particular class of people.
The Peoples party begin wrong to &C
complish anything; they should begin by
upsetting or eviscerating the constitution
of the United States and completely
changing our form of government from
that of q government of individualism,
which governs best when it governs
least" TO a government of paternalism or
state socialism.
Under the constitutional monarchies OF
Europe the drift 10 paternalism and state
socialism is natural, because under abso-
Lutte despotism the people had been &C
customed 10 have the state confiscste the
individualism Of the citizen, his liberty,
his life, his property, his freedom OF
choice to live and move and enjoy his be-
ing. but the United States began a new
departure from despotism; 10 stepped
clear forward and rested its new exreri-
ment upon individualism instead o!
paternalism for success, and because OF
this stimulus 10 the development of self
reliant. sef-governing individualism
rather than the paternalism and state So
cialism Of Europe, We have In s century
passed all other people in the race for
prosperity. peace and Happiness.
The Peoples party legislation proposes
that We shall retrace our steps; we shall
surrender oil We have gained and subs,i.
tute for the individualism tina, has made
America great the patesnalisn that Ia.
made Europe's signing millions anxious
30 find under our banner freedom and a
felicity that is unknown ard unatt.inahls
under their own Gag.
In a~ord the Peoples party is Look
ing Backwards" when every true Amer
lean looks up and not down: forward and
not back and while ready TO lend another
Q hand believes in self-suppor,. self-de
velopment. the survival Of the fttest by
individual effort. rather than in the sur.
vivsl of the un6tsest through the sv.
tsmstic paternahsrn and state socialism
that seems TO hs the impending fate O
Europe.
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