St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1892-01-07
CONCERNING LISM.
EDITOR OF THE CALEDOIAN :-Su

EDITOR OF THE CALEDOIAN Sup
posing that the CALIFORNIAN still sus-
tains it's ancient reputation for in
| dependence and for Thea ring all
sides" [ want to present to its read
ers few more thoughts about ma
tionalism. [ will put my name at
the bottom of the sheet, and you are
not under the least obligation to
lend endorsement to the statements
made.
First, l want to call attention to
the fact that the postmaster general,
in his annual report. gives full en-
dOrsement to the nationalistic
scheme for governmental control of
the telegraph and telephone lines of
the country.
From the outset, this has been the
first demand of the nationalist In
deed, this is the only reform, looking
toward nationalism, that is consid-
cred immedia tely possible. Mr.. Wan
namaker goes little farther, and
recommends that the post office de-
partment also take upon itself some
of the work done now by express COM
panies.
Well, well. 1t is not impossible
that the republican party, which has
been the party of progress ever since
1t was born, may so Ear absorb ma
tionalistic ideas as to render the for
nation of a new party unnecessary.
The establishment of an interstate
commerce commission is direct step
towards the naturalization of rail-
way traffic, and the logical sequence
would be the complete control of
the railroads.
But the chief object of this letter is
to correct some common misunder-
standings about nationalism-to tell
what it is not.
To begin, there is as yet no such
thing as nationalistic party
There is peoples party in Massa-
chusetts whose platform fairly re-
presents nationalism There is peo-
pies party in Kansas, the outgrowth
of the Farmers Alliance. There are
dozens of organiza tons, mostly of
the trades-union sort, whose trend is
towards nationalism but thus far
it cannot be said that these elements
that can be called a party calling for
votes from every state. Perhaps 1T
is not desirable that such a party
should be formed until the principles
involved shall have been more fully
discussed and aims formulated in
more clean-cut terms. Perhaps 1
should have said, until the aims of
nationalism are more generally I'M
derstood.
Nationalism deals with economic
and industrial questions. A nation
alist is one who sees the power and
wealth Of the country passing from
| the hands of the people into the
hands Of few, and who can see no
sure relief for this condition save in
governmental control of our indus
tries, at the same time making the
government in fact a government by
the people" Right there is bug
bear to many minds. We have come
to regard the "government" as big
Observation-Disclosures affair, as
if God lived in the capitol. People
are skittish about trusting this
ina ined Deity with too much pow
er. Well they may be, if this power
is to remain, as at present practical
ly in the hands of few railroad,
coal and silver kings.
But as a necessary concomitant to
the assumption of larger powers by
the general government, nationalism
aims to take the governmental
power from its present plutocratic
rulers, and to place it where it be-
longs, in the hands of the millions.
This must be done, first by Destroy
ing the possibility of favoritism in
the civil service and making service
depend upon merit alone, and second
by bringing the ballot box and the
functions Of government nearer to-
gether.
Sententiously, nationalism aims to
do away with private monopoly.
The Christian preachers stood in
their luxurious pulpits on Christmas