The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-11-02
PROF. GEORGE D. HERON
MACHINERY of REPREsENTATIyE
GOVERNMENT BECOMES COR
RUPT AND OPPRESSIVE.
TO BE FREE, PEOPLE MUST GOVERN
THEMSELVES.

can daily published at Des Moines,
of Prof. George D. Heron, delivered at
the recent Iowa Populist state conven-
tion, which was indeed powerful effort
and one of the most able reform
speeches that has been delivered of late
OF this address the Register says:
George D. Heron turned himself
loose on the Populists of Iowa at their
state convention yesterday, and he found
in them one of the most sympathetic
audiences 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 ap-
plauded, every one of them. He said
that actual treason against the United
States government had been committed
by President Mckinley; that govern
ments, through all ages, have been moth
Ing but the oppressors Of the people;
that the real traitors in the United
States today are the commercial classes,
whose weakling and plant tool the pres
ident Isl that the war with the Philip
pines is waged in order that commercial
companies may find market for the
products Of the American toll which the
American people are too poor to buy;
that the policy Of commercialism and
expansion which the American people
are pushing today is the same policy
that destroyed Rome and practically
every other great civilization that the
world has known; and the American
people now find themselves betrayed
and perjured as a nation by their gov
ernment."'
Mr.. Heron said other things, the sub
stance of his remarks, other than those
already quoted, being as follows:
'By way of prelude, 1 shall say, do
not wish to hold this convention re-
sponsible for the views I shall express
my views.
ct cannot be mended; it can only be
ended. Antitrust legislation has moth
ing to do with the solution of this prob
lem. The great political parties know
that their antitrust planks mean abso-
lutely nothing. We have come to the
end of one historic stage in methods of
construction. The individualistic meth
cd Of distributing the worlds goods has
come to an end. We have arrived at
one Of those supreme moments when
an old world is about to be destroyed
and a new world erected; when the
method Of competition for individual
wealth has come to an end. Great in
dividual wealth was never earned and
never produced by an individual 1t
has always been stolen. Wealth has al
ways been produced by society and it
belongs to society.
Behind trust questions are several
things. First, the worlds private use of
natural resources. All men have equal
rights to the resources of nature. 1t is
irrational to suppose that some men
were born into vast inheritances, and
the bulk of men born already disin-
herited. All trusts rest in the private
ownership Of natural resources; If man
owns the face of the earth he owns the
men who live on it. If all the air were
owned by men, these men would own
you! We can live on the earth only on
the terms of the men who own the land
ut is 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.
Trusts, again, have their origin in
certain systems of taxation. All des-
potism rests in the power to tax. The
trust is the first creation of government;
afterwards the creation of taxation.
Government in history has been that
power by which the people have been op-
pressed. Government must give place to
free and Independent action by and for
the people. Government in the United j
states has been a social system for the
few. The United States is giving steam
ships to the Rockefellers and paying
them to run them. The people ought |
never to surrender their power to repre-
sentatives, but should keep it always in |
their own hands. The principle of as
sociation is a good one, but it must be |
broadened.
"To solve this trust problem, first of |
all, we must begin with the land. There
is one principle of land naturalization.
The other is set forth by Henry George. |
Henry George and his people are Social
lists, 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 elements and principles, |
with great heart for the peoples well
fare. l believe Socialists would be wise
in adopting Henry Georges land taxa
tiOn principles. Lots in Des Moines are !
worth more than lots 100 miles away,
because people are here. Society is here
and the worth is enhanced. The land
now belongs to few who never make
anything of themselves except nuis-
ances to society.
"A society based as society is based
today Is doomed. The system Of tax