Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1895-06-19
lis PoPuLlsT DOCTRINE.

ID. Willis while visiting in Seattle,
Washington, gave the natives who re-
quired, a brief outline of the govern
ment management of his country in
contrast with that of ours pointing out
the places wherein we are defective.
1t is this kind of talk which makes
Plutocracy hunt it's hole.
I'm travelling through this country
and Canada L am greatly impressed
with your condition. The fabulous
wealth Of some of your corporations
and citizens, while almost in the shad-
ows of their mansions live people who
have not the bare necessities of life are
conditions made by legislation. You
made grave mistake when you gave
so much of your land and other natural
resources to private corporations which
have become private monopolies and
who will drain you worse and worse ev-
cry year until the end, which no man
fully knows. We made the same MIS-
take, but years ago through the teach
ings of John Balance, discovered it,
and now have that mistake almost rec
titled. In our country we have two
parties, viz, the liberals and the con-
servatiYes. The liberals are the class
who believe in legislation for the bene-
fit Of the poor and letting the rich take
care of themselves, while the conserva-
tives hang around the van and shout:
No mol You'll ruin the country We
have killed the monopolies and there
fore have no corruption in high places;
dishonest act by public officer not
having been heard of for years. The
government OWNS and operates both
the railroads and telegraph lines which
are run entirely in the interest of COM
MERGE without profit to any London or
New York aristocrat.
The land, too, is practically free
from the land monopolist, as we have
graduated land tax law which ex-
empts homesteads, to certain num-
Der of acres, from taxation. Every
acre, however, above the homestead
limit is taxed and the larger the hold
ings the higher becomes the rate of
taxation. All lands not in use are al
so taxed and the government stands
ready to buy land of any character at
its assessed valuation. 1t is then cut
into homesteads and sold for the same
| price TO any one who wants to buy,
provided they pay 6per cent per annum,
of which per cent applies to a sinking
fund and pays the entire principal in
thIrty-three years. The government
will always loan money on real estate
to individuals to the extent of three
hfths of the valuation of such real es-
tate at the rate of five per cent per an
mum. We also collect graduated in
come tax and have given the option to
cities to practice single tax. We have
no monopolies, and better still, we
have no paupers. This may seem
strange to you but nevertheless it is a
fact. If a man becomes destitute we
set him to work on five acres of land in
one of the three villages" reserved
for that purpose. He builds a house
cultivates the soil and otherwise i'm.
|
services the government pays him in
money. After the Iirst year he be
comes self-supporting and begins tC
reimburse the government by making
small payments annually, until after &
number of years the property becomes
his.
Neither have we such thing as
pensions. When a man goes to worl
for the government he is required tC
take out life insurance policy, which
he usually takes In the government
company because of the much lowe
rates. If he is killed or disabled hi
family draws the face of the policy, blu
if he lives to certain age it becO me
an annuity and pays him certain pre-
MUM yearly, the principal payable t,
his heirs after death. The banks, too
are under the supervision of the gov
eminent. When the Australian pani
occurred it frightened the depositor
in the bank of New Zealand, but tn
government Immediately took charg
; OF it and guaranteed it for 100000
|, pounds which restored the ConGdenc
of the public and we had no bank fai
ures. The government is still in pos
session and whether it will remain S
or not will be determined at this ses
sion of parliament.
1--WE have adopted what we call tn
, cooperative contract system on a
4 nnhlin xu0rkc That 10 uorly fo +
done by the government is divided b
the engineer into small contracts who
are numbered and any one desirin
Q work is assigned to one of them. b
o large wages while poor work ma
Il makes less. Eight hours constitutes
Z day on all public works. Our factorit
s and business houses are, of course, ru
: by private firms. Yes, we have strike
e occaslOnally and how to prevent thel
u is the most knotty problem we hay
9 vet had to solve. We passed compu
II sorry arbitration law at the last session
: but whether that will solve the prof
: lem is too soon yet to decide. We hay
6 an excellent public school system wit
y compulsory attendance for all childre
: under fifteen. They are eXclusiVel
o secular, no religion of whatever natul
9 is allowed to be taught in them.
!, IGNORES 1T.
: 1t is not at all strange that an az
l. miniStration appOintee is nrtOly Sc