The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-02-13
SINGLE TAX hGhIN.
AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM
EX.GOV. WAITE.
He Takes No Stock i'm
the Fad.
Other Matters Discussed by the
Grand Old Man

them that he wrote to the governor for
permission to print extracts from them,
believing that these inside views of one
of the greatest and noblest men in the PeO
pies party would be acceptable to all our
readers.-Ed. Rep)
Ny Dear Friend Donnelly: I am much
interested in your "skinning' of the single
tax fad. l could never understand why
the landlord could not recoup the tax on
land values as well as all other taxes;
but Henry George, ct id omne genus, SO
claimed. There is pretty strong society
of single takers in Denver. They circulate
a paper called the Agtator. which is said
to be printed, however, in st. Louis The
society is composed of pretty good fellows.
and besides being single takers, they are
also Populists, so | have not antagonized
their theory, but have rather ignored it
outside of the Omaha platform.
LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.
But there is a elan of so-called reform
crs with whom l begin to have no patience.
1t is the so-called labor organizations of
Colorado. In state the Miners Union
and the X. or l.. in the mining regions,
and in the west part of the state must be
excepted; but the Trades Union of the
state. and even the K. of l.. in Denver,
Pueblo, and also the A. r. L. of the east
half of the state cannot be relied upon to
support the Populist ticket In Denver,
which is the headquarters in our state Of
the Trades Union, claiming to be non
they
They come to state conventions, pre-
sent eight hour plank, anti-child labor
plank and other reform measures outside
of the Omaha platform. but in accordance
with its trend of principles, and demand
our Endorsement. stating that they repre-
sent a membership Of many thousand work
ing men. as they do. Well, we take them
in. expecting that we are thereby to secure
their political support. But we get fooled
every time. Their leading men go also to
the Republican and the Democratic state
conventions, and get similar favorable ac-
ton for their particular dogmas; and then
they say to their followers: Now, boys
we have fixed things. 1t makes no differ
ence which ticket you support; all the po-
1itical parties are in our favor. Vote where
you can get the most for your vote!' And
so Denver. a large majority of whose cti-
zens are laboring men, though not all the
laboring men are members of the Trades
Union, and Notwithstanding we made a
member of their society our candidate for
lieutenant governor and had given the
cream of the city appointments to MEM
berS of their organization, voted at the last
election almost unanimously against the
Popuist ticket, running the Republican
of the entire Republican majority in the
state. The fact is the so-called leaders of
the labor organizations in Denver and too
many of the members, are in 1T simply
from selfish motives; it is to keep up their
own wages; every man for himself and
the devil take the hindmost." The leaders
are chronic Office-seekers, ready to unite
with either of the old parties or a "citi-
Zens movement that promises temporary
success.
All the reform accomplished by the
labor organizations of Denver in the last
campaign was that the standard price of
the ballot raised from 81, the hereto
terribly discoura ging.
STILL HAS FAITH
But when l consider that $1,000 Demo-
Gratis, who, in 1892 voted our ticket, last
fall voted Republican, running the entire
D !" sGa tn vote ~, in the state down
in the state is only 1000. near
1y as many Prohibitionists also voting
Republican, that all the inundated vote,
and 1T was many thousands in the state
voted Republican, inundated principally
by threats of bankers, money loaners, man
ufacturers, superintendent merchants and
managers of all kinds (even the superin-
tendent of the Northern Pacific Railway
shops in Denver, in the hands of a United
States receiver, declared to workmen that
II the Populists carried the election the
shops would shut down and every man be
discharged), and that every purchased Bile
vote was bOught-the Italian vote saw 7 600
the Mexican, 10000 Out included to some
extent in the former Democratic yote) and
the hired-girl vote, 500 of which was no
more competent to vote than so many
children years old. l say when I re-
member all this l am not discouraged
Three-fourths of the hired-girl vote in the
state was Republican, and, besides that.
all the lewd and criminal vote of the large
cities was Republican, am amazed that
I'VE were only beaten 1900 in the state
INTERNAL. TREACHERY.
Worst of all, we have had rampant trea-
son in our own camp. Tom Patterson pro-
nounced himself Populist and the Rocky
Mountain News claimed to be a Populist
organ. But it is all a sham Patterson
and the News Democrats and their
adhesion to the Populst party was never
purpose
leading the Populist sheep into the Demo-
cratic fold.
we lost the fight last fall, but are not
discouraged. The general result is full of
encouragement. In round numbers the
state vote is as follows: Republican. 90 600.
Populist, 5000; Democratic, 5000; Prohihi
tlonists, 1900. In IA counties the Demo-
cratic vote is less than the Prohibitionist
me Populists are a solid fighting mass
Every voter can be depended upon and
cannot be bought, sold or intimidated.
while the Republican forces are already
dlscordant; more than half of them are
swiss voters, voting not upon principle
but for pay. Promises for office were
made with the most reckless profusion and
not one in 80 can be fulfilled
THE LESSON OF THE CAMPAIGN.
The lesson / learn from the late cam
paign in Colorado, where the bulk of the
labor organizations, the lewd, dissolute and
purchaseable were against us land yet we
came whiting $4,000 of carrying the state.
and in the teeth of tidal wave in favor
of the Republicans. which gave them vic
tory even in Missouri is, that our strength
is with the great middle classes We have
already five-siXths of the weIl-informed