The Green Forest tribune., 1894-05-31
THE DRIFT OF POPULISM.


AS an Independent paper we
have endeavored to make no fight
against the principles of any party.
1t is surely, or ought to be, the
desire of all parties to conduct the
affairs Of our government to the
best interests of the whole people,
the methods of bringing about the
best good to the people, being the
only difference in the parties
We have heretofore looked upon
the Populist party, under its various
names. as a party that declared
that the old parties had departed
from the true doctrine of the
government, and that it was the
object OF the new party to revive
again the Jefsersonian, or Wash
ingtonian idea of government.
Whether it is true or not that the
old parties have in a measure, or
wholly, departed from these land
marks, we do not propose to the
orizo upon, but are willing that
the Populists II ay think so and that
they may work with all party zeal
for their restoration, but reading
some of the recent Populist litera-
ture we are convinced that their
movement is in an entirely different
direction, that their principles are
none other than Socialism.
1t is nard for one who is loath to be-
lieve otherwise than that, as
whole, our governme ent consists of
the most patriotic people that there
is in existence today, that even in
our own beloved State there is
movement on the part of some OF
our people to drift into Socialism
which is only q mild term for An
archy.
This is nota charge made against
the Populist party, but It's an
open fact which they do not pre-
tend to deny.
A friend handed us copy OF
the Coming Nation," Populist
paper,-not to convert us to its
teaching, but to show US what it
did teach. This paper carries the
definition OF Socialism at its mast
head, and here is sample of it's
editorials:
Socialism favors government
set to do true work-constructi
work. Socialists would stop all
work done by government which
brings no returns and get useful
work done. Bad government
more than anything else defeats
progress, and government is bad |
because the work it is doing is
bad"
Il own up! I am not chris
tain, for I take interest on money;
[ make profit out of labor; I
take rent; [ claim the ownership
of land. | cannot be christian un-
til the conditions are changed that
compel me to rob my brother in
these ways. The christianity of
Christ was a protest against hui
man slavery; the slavery interest,
the slavery rent, the slavery
wages, the slavery of counting by
hipocracy, the slavery of bullying
arrogance, the slavery of sham"
If an anarchist is executed for
throwing dynamite, as was the
case with Emile Henry in Paris
the other day, they hold him up
as a martyr.
1t does seem to us that if our
people fully understood that were
the principles of this Socialist
move paramount in this country,
the United States would soon be
the hot bed of anarchy.
We write this article with all
good feeling for those of our
friends who have affiliated With
this party, and we do not write it
in tho interest Of any political
party, but simply to call attention
to tendancy that if indulged in
sufficiently will destroy our govern
ment.
The ballot box is the place for
us to make olr demands so long as
we believe in representative gov.
ernment.
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