The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-09-07

states but half the case, and that the
least. That man is lost to reason: he
prateth like a fool T.. A.. T.
TO THE LABORING MAN OF NEW
YORK.
You are on the brink Of sundry meet
ings" and much oratory. and declare your
selves also at the threshold Of some mighty
movement Of politics. You are to have
a new party; 20 your leaders tell the world.
This is right in impulse. As you plunge
with your interests into politics, carry
with you some modicum of wisdom by way
OF life preserver. Otherwise you and your
welfare may 60 to the bottom like anvils,
gaining nothing Would you scowl il the
Verdict presumed to offer you counsel?
You may take it or leave it, SO no harm
is to be done. DON'T FORM A THIRD
PARTY. You may do all that's to be done
through either Of the others. And with
third party. focking as it we're by itself
you court overthrow. Band yourselves
together, formulate your demands. If you
can enlist 5000 voters in the city of Great
er New York, you can have your way,
get all you ask. With $4,000 votes about
your standards, either party would follow
you like dog to do your will. Don't,
however, mistake your interest. Practi-
cally YOUR VEAL, and as well the veal
of every man. is LOCAL, RATHER THAN
NATIONAL. You will wax ebullient in
the next presidential campaign. So will
The Verdict for that. Yet note this the
question of who is president his politics,
and his views, whether they be white or
black Is with each of us, sentimental rath-
er than real. No president, no congress
can pass or make a law to touch one
half SO near as can state legislature or
city council. Every man of us is more
interested in councilman than congress
man, in mayor than president. Come,
therefore, close to your hearth, and your
home as you bend your brows to poll
tics. What would aid you? You want to
make money and save money. Well and
good! both are worthy hopes. And you
don't want to be made to strike, which loses
you time and wealth, and wins you disre-
pute and bruises Here's the Verdict's
thought of how to go about it, Demand
municipal ownership of all street railways,
whether surface, tunnel or elevated. Go in
for city ownership of the water, the tele-
phone and the lighting systems. You would
have right wages, right hours, no strikes:
Incidentally the city would be lighted and
telephoned and watered much cheaper than
now. Also folk would travel for simmer
fare, the city would have profit and taxes
go thereby down jocund Peg. Have the
city own the bridges, ferries, tunnels and
every gate of egress or ingress and make
it's profit.
These reforms would come slowly, pain
fully, like pulling stubborn teeth. But il
you'll get together and stand shoulder to
shoulder, the parties Democratic or Repub-
lican, must give way. THE TOWN IS
DEEPLY WHITNEYIZED. But II you'll
move unit and put your claims in
clear, crisp voice, you'll have them heap
ingly allowed. EVEN WHITNEY HIMSELF
MAY NOT WITHSTAND YOUR PRESS
SURE. When all is done, it is better to
no han tho
poration. And every sleek placeman, from
patrolman to judge, from beat to bench, as
he cherishes his teat of office, will tell you
go. Aside from city ownership of the en-
terprises named. strike trenchant blow at
the tax swindle. Defeitnerize the tax board.
II the twists and crooks Of our present tax
game, personal property escapes and real
property bears the load. Real estate is left
to pay the shot while personal property
escapes drought lattice of its own lies.
Which means that the poor pay the taxes,
while the rich go free. And the last mean
ing is that he who pays rent-whether he
be some abject wretch of the tenements. or
some man of better goods with Fifth ave-
nue. hab1tat-pays the taxes. You may take
1t as truth that each renter of New York
pays Is per cent too much-more than he
wculd-because Of this cheat of taxes. If
your rent Is 1920 year, full $50 of it is
Slapped and bled from you because the Car
negies and Morgans and Whitneys have
piled it onto you by their tax lodging. If
they paid all they should, your rent would
be $780, not $120 12month. Take your
claims to the legislature. The Verdict has
neither hope nor faith nor respect for the
state machinery at Albany. 1t leans not on
the legislature. less still on the governor.
Verify! the powers at Albany, singly or in
conjunction, have displayed themselves too
often as crooked as dogs hind leg. to keep
this papers confidence. But II those in
a oacf
craven. And you may scare them into
right doing Which, after all, sufices We
are after results rather than motives, and
a rascal forced to specific integrity, comes
for all but himself to be the same as an
honest man. Boiled to jelly The Verdict's
suggestions are: CITY OWNERSHIP, m
COME TAX, THE EIGHT-HOUR LAW;
and last, II you would be safe and have the
ribbons of control forever in your clutch,
THE INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM.
With this last you could pass laws or re-
peal laws, whenever governors and legis-
lators, through venality or ignorance, or
both. failed of you will and their duty.
Lastly. have confidence in one another. The
great wedge to rive and split labor today is
DISTRICT of itself.-The Verdict.
Much of the foregoing has a strong
flavor of Populism. We would, how
ever, warn our readers, lest in the sa-
worry decoction they be doped with De-
mocracy's gall and NORWOOD What
motive prompts the Verdict to speak so
much Of truth?
1t tickles the ear of labor to hear of
city ownership, income tax and eight
hours only of toll. The initiative and
referendum flashes across labor's vision
bright prospects of fair promises re-
deemed. All this reads like romance; it
is delusive as a dream. One in imagi-
nation sees the great city of New York
as it should be, far different from what
it is. With the golden, glittering prom
Use of self-made laws and the parting
Injunction to love one another, the
Verdict leaves it's readers feeling good
with the thought that among New York
papers labor has yet one friend.
But while this last taste was SO sweet
as to make one hunger for more, let's
begin at the beginning again.
Don't form third party" says the
Verdict. "Your veal is local rather
than national, and here is where we
first find dope. gall and NORWOOD,
even worse.
The Verdict and its ilk, its kith. it's