People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1894-09-21
the dangerous doctrines being in
stilled, and picks out the most dan


gerous ones:
We are told that the state must fur
nish school books to the children and
prescribe what sort of histories they
must read-putting it into republican
or hostile government to inject all
sorts of heresies into the school cur
riculum, People are informed on the
stump that the government should own
all the railroads, all the coal mines,
that land is common property, belong,
to the state, and no man is entitled tn
more land than he can cultivate for his
own private use-the rest should be
parcelled out among the people.
That in its zeal for the success CT
its party the Savannah Press should
indulge in such gross misrepresenta-
ton of the opposing party is sad
commentary on its spirit of fairness
1t cannot be that the Press is really
so ill-informed as not to know better.
The populist state platform simply
provides for defrayiug the cost of the
school books by the state, which
would effect saving to the people
Of at least 80 per cent on their pres
cnt cost. The various county schoo
boards now prescribe the text books
to be used, and the adoption of the
populist plan would not produce a
change in that respect. II a "repub-
iican or hostile government" were to
rule us, it's school boards and super
intendents would prescribe "whai
sortgof histories our children must
read. with the same ease whether
their parents paid one dollar for the
text book at trust book counter, or
fifty cents for the same book In the
tax collectors office.
The school book hobgoblin of the
Savannah Press is a transparent alb
surdity. Nothing more. But its
statement in regard TO the populist
land plank is something worse.
Where will it find authority for its
assertion that the populsts teach that
ono man is entitled to more land
than he can cultivate for his own
private use? The land plank of the
Omaha platform reads as follows:
The land, including all the natural
sources of wealth, is the heritage OF all
the people, and should not be monop-
olized for speculative purposes, and an
alien ownership of land should be pro
hibited All lands now held by rail
roads and other corporations in excess
of their actual needs, and all lands now
owned by aliens should be reclaimed
by the government and held for actual
settlers only
Evidently the Savannah Press has
never read that platform, Or it would
not have been guilty of the false as
sertions it makes. BY no ingenuity
of twisting can it be construed to
justify tho Press exposition That
land should not be monopolized for
speculative purposes" does not mean
that a man can own "oaly what he
can cultivate for his own private
use"
Millions of acres Of land arc held
by railroad corporations which were
secured by lobbicd legislation; mil
lions have been acquired by alien
owners, fraudulently in many cases.
That these should be reclaimed by
the government and held for actual
settlers under tho provisions of ex-
listing laws does not mean that they
shall be contiscated and "parceled
out among the people"
Let the Savannah Press inform
itself, and not be guilty, ignorantly
or otherwise, of such barefaced
perycrsion OF truth. Then, perhaps,
it will be able to take becoming
part in a "Iriendly campaign" the
purpose of which Oh the part of the
populists is the betterment of the
present condition of the people.
ScaIawag" Regime VS.. That Of the
"Men Who COntrol.0
On the 18th of this month Judge
Thonas G. lawson, congressman