Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-08-15

lie property should be owned ant
operated by the public, and to be en-
tirely separated from private gain
; while private property, that which
produces by his own labor, should bt
the exclusive property of the pro
Queer.
If we draw the line between what
is public property and what is private
property, we will have no difficulty de-
fining the difference between populism
and socialism.
PopulistS believe in the present sys-
tenn of common schools. We believe
that public school house should be
public property, that all individuals
should have equal access to its use,
and enjoy equally in its benefits. We
believe that private ownership of the
house and lands upon which it stands
! would be against public policy. In so
far as public schools are concerned,
popullsts are socialists.
Again, pOpulists believe that the
streets Of our cities, our wagon road s
and bridges should belong to the pub
lie; the expenses of keeping such in re-
pair should be borne by the public
through taxation, and that all. people
regardless of trace, color or past state
of serYitude," should have an equal
right to travel over the same. We be =
lieYe it would be against public policy
to have these public roads owned by
private individuals, who, for private
gain, could extOrt tolls, or, if necessary
to force their demands, close them up
altogether. This may be socialistic,
but populists favor it.
Again, populists believe that the
postal system should be owned and
operated by the public. We believe
that to change it from its present man
agement and turn it over to private
parties to operate for private gain,
would, to great degree, destroy Its
efficiency.
Improbable lines would be discon-
tinued, the rights of individuals and
communities would be sacrificed upon
the alter Of greed and gain; postal
charges would be raised or lowered, as
would best serve the ends of the own
ers. We believe that the postofIice
system, as it is now being operated,
gives the better service and at less cost
than we would obtain under any sys-
tenn of private ownership.
To these, we might add our fire sys-
TENS, judiciary, the army and navy,
the taxes, the prison, the insane asy-
lums, and elections.
Probably no one will disagree with
us in the above demands, for they are
all in active operation now. Probably
no one would be willing to have any of
these taken out of the hands of the
public and turned over to private indi-
viduals to be operated for private
gain.
So, far, there is no issue, and the
only difference there is between popu-
lists and Others is that populists not
only believe in and favor continual
ton of the above systems, but 90 far
ther--thoy believe it might be ex-
tended to other public utilities to the
great advantage of all the people. If
to operate these constitutes social ism,
then we are all socialists.
Populis's believe that the telegraph
should be part of the postal system, to
be operated in the same way.
No pains or expense have ever been
spared to make the postoflice depart
ment efficient and its service cheap to
the people. The mails have never been
borne long distance on foot. The
horse was used to the end that speed
should be attained. AS soon as more
swift methods of transportation were
the horse was discarded.
Not content with the ordinary passen-
ger train running forty miles an hour,
special mail trains making the highest
possible speed attainable have been
in many places.
But for some unexplainable reason,
just at the point where real speed be-
gun, the department saw fit to stop
its Improvements. For instance, the
contents of letter leaving New York
can be delivered in San Francisco, by
telegraph, before the mail sack con-
tanning the letter could be locked and
put aboard train, after which it
a train, after which it takes about six
days more to reach it destination.
The wires are there, but they are
owned aud operated by private COM
panies who charge such extortionate
prices for the service that but compare
lively few persons can afford to use
them. II it is not dangerous social
ism for the government to send inteili-
gence across the continent sealed p
in an envelope, locked up in a mail
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