Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-31
Ptoissscr Heron, Of Iowa College.
Declares President 4 Traitor
TO the Country.
And Says He is Performing Actual
Treason Every Day Of the
War.
Popultsts Nominate q State Ticket
and Adopt . Set Of Res.
olutions.

z Ou tue pOpuIlStS OF iowa at their con-
vention yesterday, and he found in
them one Of the most sympathetic au-
diences he ever addressed. He ground
out all the stereotyped phrases which
go to make up his bitter TRADE against
all things that are, and the populists
applauded every one OF them. He said
that actual treason against the United
States has been committed by President
Mckinley; that governments. all
through the ages, have been nothing
the real traitors in the United States to-.
day are the commercial classes. whose
weakling and plant tool the president
Isl" that the war in the Philippines is
waged in order that commercial COM
panies may find q market for the prod
ucts OF American toll, which the Ameri-
can people themselves are too poor to
buy; that 1.-The policy OF commercial
ism and expansion which the American
people are pursuing today is the same
policy that destroyed Rome and practi-
cally every other great civilization that
the world has known" and 1.-The Ameri-
can people now find themselves be-
St0yS0 tau0 RICJAACO DIS d IldIlOl ny luSlE
government
Those are the sentiments which the
socialist agitator expressed, and which
the populists Of the state, in conven-
ton assembled, applauded till the roof
OF the Flynn Hall resounded with the
echoes.
Mr.. Heron said other things, the
substance of his remarks, further than
those already quoted, being as follows:
BY way OF prelude, shall say do
not wish to hold this convention re-.
sponsible for the views I shall express.
come to you merely to give you my
views.
Social reconstruction may not come
now. 1t is not quite time for that. This
system In which we live has gone be-
yond the stage Of mending and oreprov-
ing.
1T can not be mended; 1t can only
be ended. Antitrust legislation has
nothing to do with the solution OF this
problem. The great political parties
know that their antitrust planks mean
absolutely nothing. (Applause.) We
have come to the end OF this historic
stage in methods of construction. The
individualistic method Of distributing
the worlds goods has come to an end
We have arrived at one of those SUI
preme moments when an old world is
about to be destroyed and new world
is to be erected; when the method of
competition for individual wealth has
come to an end. Great individual
wealth was never earned and never
produced by an Individual. It has all
ways been stolen. Wealth is always
produced by society. and it belongs to
society. (Applause.)
Behind the trust question are sew
eral things. First the worlds private
use Of natural resources. All men have
an equal right to the resources Of ma
ture. It is irrational to suppose that
some men may be born into vast in
heritances, and the bulk of men born
already disinherited. All trusts rest in
the private ownership of natural re-
sources. If a man owns the face Of the
earth, he owns the men who live on it,
II all the air was owned by men, these
men would own you! We can live on
the earth only on the terms of those
who own the land.
ut IL Of no consequence whether a
man owns you in fee simple, or whether
he owns your labor power. You are his
slave, economically and morally.
certain systems Of taxation. All despot-
ism rests in the power to tax. The
trust is first the creation of govern
ment; afterwards the creation of taxa
ton. Government in all history has
i been that by which the people have
been oppressed. Government must
give place to free and independent ac-
ton for and by the people. Government
in the United States has been social
system for the few. The United States
Is giving steamships to the Rockefellers
and paying them to run them. The
people ought never to surrender their
power to representatives, but should
keep 1t always in their own hands. The
principle of association is q good one,
but 1t must be broadened.
ITO solve this trust problem, first of
all. we must begin with the land. There
is one principle OF land naturalization.
The other is the principle set forth by
Henry George. Henry George and his
people are socialists. though they may
say they are not. / believe that Henry
George, standing as a great prophet of
God, saw SO far as he saw, great ele-
ments and principles, with a great
heart for the peoples welfare. / believe
socialists would be wise in adopting
Henry Georges land taxation principle
Lots In Des Aloines are worth more
than lots hundred miles away, be-
cause the people are here. Society is
here. and the worth is enhanced. The
land now belongs to few who never
make anything of themselves except
nuisances to society.
IA society based as society is based
today is doomed. tGreat applause.) The
system OF taxation in the United States
is a system of robbery and perjury. We
should abolish these hordes Of para
sites, including revenue collectors and
lawyers, who collect taxes and live Off
OF land cases.
take the railroad systems. Do you
know what tremendous power that
places in the hands of individuals? Mr.
Rockefeller never earned cent in his
life. but through vast system of leger-
demain his fortune was produced. Not
by industry, but by despoiling other
people of industry.
1T is utterly preposterous and amaz-
ing. men. that you are SO Internally stu
pid as you are. (Repeated applause.)
It is elementary immoral and dangerous
that great transportation system
should be owned by private individuals.