Omaha daily bee., 1894-03-04
TINE BELLIMY PROGRAM

the Forum for March as to the program OF
the nationalists. Mr.. nellamy's c%Cuceit, like
that " many political romanclsts, Is that he
Is no, only The originator OF new ideas, but
the founder of a new party which is destined
ere long to revolutionize our government.
The fact that in the presidential election Of
1892 more than 1000, 900 votes were cast for
the peoples party, the platform OF which
embodied the most important features Of
nationalism, is pointed out as conclusive
proof by Mr.. Bethany Of the marvellous
growth OF his peculiar doctrines. This
reminds us very much of the fly on the
great wheel that imagined 1t was revolving
the wheel. The aggregate vote polled in
1892 exceeds 70. 900, 900, of which the populist
candidate re eived less than . per cent. Now
how many Of the 1.0I2,G Sl votes cast for
General Weaver can truthfully be classed as
B~ellamyites? There were in this conglomer-
alton the remnants of the old greenback
party, the free silverites from the silver
producing states, the democratic fusionists Of
Kansas. Nebraska and Dakota, who allowed
themselves to be counted with the %populists
IN order to help elect Cleveland. There were
the disgruntled southern democratic kickers
against the rule Of the plantation lords and
the disconnected working people, who wanted
to resent the Homestead Pinkerton butchery.
Of the simon-pure nationalists or Bellamy-
ties there were probably not more than 3 per
cent Of the total vote Of Weaver. In other.
words. out Of over IL, 900, 900 votes cast about
| 5000, a fraction over one-third Of 1 per cent
Of the total vote, may be counted as con
verts to the doctrines of nationalism as pro-
,,.v,J,1 10 M nnI1,rny MANY of tho re-
forms advocated by Mr.. Bellamy were adj
yocated by prominent men Of all parties
years before Mr.. Bellamy had ever thought
Of Looking Backward"
According to Mr.. Bellamy nationalism pro-
poses to deliver society from the rule of the
rich and to establish economic equality by
the application of the democratic formula to
the production and distribution of wealth.
To bring this doctrine into practical effect
Mr.. Dellamy declares that the nationalists
desire to see organized as public business all
the industrial and commercial affairs of the
people so that they may be carried on hence
forth by responsible public agents for the es-
pecial benefit of the citizens. In advancing
this theory Mr.. Belamy only reiterates the
doctrines advocated by eminent socialists the
Nblli ONtl " III last my Stdl9s
The essence of this doctrine is that all pro-
duction shall be for use and not for profit.
But how is this to be brought about in a
free country? Mr.. Bellamy not only insists
that the government shall carry on all life
and fire Insurance., own and operate all the
railroads, telegraphs, mines, steel rail mills,
and lumber mills, but also manufacture all
clothing, liquor and in fact all commodities
in general use. That means, virtually, put
ting all the ab'e-bcdied workers in the country
on the federal pay roll. When that comes to
pass there will be no incentive for individual
ambition or enterprise and no expansions ex-
cepting as the government would improvise
government works. There might be great
population centers like Pekin and Yeddo,
but there would be no great world cities like
London, Paris, Berlin, New York, Phila-
delphia and Chicago. With all the commerce
carried on from mammoth public buildings,
there would be no use for stores, warehouses
or other business blocks. A Bellamyite city
would consist of a central railway depot, a
grand postal and telegraph building, half a
dozen mammoth store and warehouses;, half
a dozen market buildings, a dozen liquor
dispensaries, twenty or thirty great working
mans and working woman's dormitories and
restaurants, thirty or forty school houses
and a few thousand dwellings, built for use
and not for ornament. Possibly there would
also be public baths, theaters and
resorts for athletic exercise. When
all these were once erected the
city could be fenced in. There would be
no material growth beyond the natural in
crease and incidental immigration. There
would be nothing for the building trades
and precious little for artists and profess
sional men outside of the schools and
academies. This would be an ideal state,
but not a state in which the masses would
remain contented.
From a political standpoint nationalism
would mean perpetual agitation and revolu-
ton. With hundreds of thousands of lu-
cratiye positions within it's gift, there would
be a fierce perpetual scramble by ambitious
politicians to get into power. This greed
for office and power might be curbed by life
tenure. but it could not be kept down.. be,
cause promotion to important public places
would be the only avenue for gratifying
ambition.
Another difficulty to be encountered at
~ outscl NOulu ne IN ulSpOSSeSSlnB the
land owners and redistribution of their hold
ings to the landless. The men who own
the soil will never yield possession without !
a bloody fight all along the line. Unless
these obstacles can be overcome Mr.. Bel
lamy's ideal republic will never materialize
and nationalism. like all other isms, win
find only a small number Of adherents.
That does not mean that no part of Mr..
Bellamy's program will ever be adopted in
this country. Some OF his ideas have al,
ready been accepted as sound and others
will, If they are practical, be given fair
trial. Municipal ownership of water works,
gas works, electric lighting plants, etc, is
in vogue in many American cities as well as
abroad. The postal telegraph, telephone and
postal savings banks exist in many foreign
countries and will eventually be established
in this country. The state dram shops have
been tried in South Carolina and proved a
failure, as any rational man might have
known they would. Furnishing liquor at
cost to consumers is not likely 70 break up
the liquor traffic or diminish the use of
liquor. On the contrary, the cheapening OF
liquor makes more drunkards. 1t will DO
many wears. hOWeyar before tho rnvarpmart |