The representative., 1897-10-13


have at heart are all the time increas-
ing in numbers, growing more ignorant,
miserable, degraded and starved, less
skillful and constantly less able to as
sumo governmental control. The Peo-
ple's party is accused OF standing as
the champion Of the middle classes. It
does, but only for the purpose of pull
ing down from his unfair advantage
ground the plutocrat, while with the
other hand it is pulling up the fallen
brother. Truth is genrally found, not
in either extreme. What party will
help the whole people If not the party
which represents the golden mean?
Your poor overworked laborers, Mr..
Socialist, are not able to conduct this
country to success and secure equal
rights of the whole people, and the plu-
tocrat will not. Therefore the party that
represents the middle class must do it.
Socialism is impracticable in that 1t
anticipates that those who have been
failures under our puesent system can
make a success Of what it Is charged
the ablest have failed to perfect. When
Socialists all agree upon a definite pro-
gram that will be acceptable to the
majority Of our people to say nothing
of their own party let them present it.
But they dare not now, knowing that
1t will open too much disaffection and
dissatisfaction. Nor has the time come
for such radical change as they de-
sire in all the departments of industry,
at least in this country, which is
fact that the majority OF Socialistic
emigrants fail to realize. The Social
istic program is impracticable also be-
cause many of the very working men,
on whom they must depend, are fairly
satisfied with the capitahstic system.
These self-satisf1ed hirelings Of capital
lists, either from fear of losing their posi-
tions, bribery or intimidation, or else
because Of their personal contentment,
50 long as they are provided for, no
matter how their brothers suffer, can
not possibly be got to come to the polls
and appropriate capitalists. On the
other hand while such selfish laborers,
who prefer "a bird in the hand to two
In the bush,' cannot be got to go with
the Socialist ''the whole hog or none, .
they will be and are induced to vote for
moderate reasonable and practicable
measures, advanced by the Popu1ist.
They would vote for instance, when
the POpulist party believes the time
measures as, settling disputes between
working men and employees by arbitra-
tiOn, measures to give legal support and
increased powers to trades unions, tax
ing of inheritance, labor assurances, and
above all, the best for the present ma
terial benefit OF the laborer the COM
pulscry gradual decrease Of his working
hours. The Socialist desires to force
the sentiment of the country. The
Populist is educating the people to q
higher sentiment. They declare that
their party does not believe in reforms.
The Populist wishes the reforms be-
cause, before a cooperative govern
men can be successful, the people them
selves must be educated to standard
which will make them competent for
such a vast enterprise. In other words
the Populist aims at making selfrell-
Mt rofhnp
than grown children. The Socialist,
like the Jesuit fathers in Peru years
ago, would vainly expect to make a
self-governing public out Of barbarous,
savage Indians. Sociological questions
are not yet settled beyond doubt, and
therefore what folly and how imprac-
ticable to expect to put them en- masse
into practice. Socialism has emphasize
ed in righteous manner the need Of
justice, but some Of the rabbid and
materialistic Socialists fail at the same
time Of applying justice to the upper
classes which they demand for the la
boring people.
Finally while I appreciate the object
for which Socialists strive, but, as a
Populist, materially differ from them
in their methods, I must conclude this
paper by the statement of how I abso-
lutely and wholly differ from them.
And it is where the admitted logical
conclusion of Marks Socialism ends in
a black and hopeless denial Of the spir-
itual or religious world. On that point,
in the face Of nineteen centuries Of in
tellectual judgment, and the great
miracle of Christ's moral life on earth,
know there is no need to argue. Call
1t supposition if you please. 1t is a
far more reasonable supposition than
that matter always existed without be-
ginning or end. Voltaire and his In
fluence have long since died. Darwin 3
missing link will never be found. En-
vironment does much in moulding the
brain, but soul and mind can never be
evolved from dust. Impracticable as
Socialism is in it's economic features it
is absurdly impracticable in expecting
to answer all questions OF meekness,
purity, patience, hungering for knowl-
edge and righteousness by answering
"a question of the stomach" A merely
earthly paradise would be only a fools
paradise. Wealth can never buy pure