The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1900-06-14


ism ma Populists III d teachers 81 r.
form. We are certainly meving q rapid
rate. Keep It up. Both porfiee er0 de-
| handing direct legisla1ion- the boGt thinl
Tor AZ that We can get--any and everything
/ we w1ne.
We cannot expect to elect our ticke2 til
year. But stop fighting everything except
the two old parties and II four years more
We can all get together and sweep the
earth up with both old parties.
Yours forever n the great battle Of re-
form.
j, W. cRoNCH.
Honest criticism should never be con-
sidered abuse when expressed in temperate
and unimpoverished language We realize
that Socialists are working for many Of the
same ends We seek. and for that reason
We have no feelings Of hostility toward
them. Az long as they rest their entire
demands upon direct vote Of all the peo-
pie no Populist can consistently night them
as we would both the old parties
Since both Socialists and Populists rest
their demands upon the same popular vote
1t seems to us very probable that in 1904
the two parties will be found working as
a unit.
This. however. does not bar US from call
columns to such Socialistic theories as in our
opinion the masses win never approve. and
1t must be plain that without such approval
these theories can never be formulated into
laws.
Like an attorney arguing a case to Jury.
we argue before our readers the cause of
Populism wherever 1t differs from Socialism.
Socialists would abolish private owner
ship Of the home. and as Populists we stand
for the home and for all those sentiments
that cluster around the home, and which
we believe could not exist with the title
vested in the state. We give the reasons
for this faith that is in us and it should
not offend any Socialist Let him present
his side Of this same question and then let
the popular vote decide and we will cheer
fully abide by the decision.
II we remained silent while they were
playing upon the prejudices of tenants,
tramps and owners OF heavily mortgaged
homes it is possible that a majority vote
could in time be won over to state owner
ship Of land and abandonment of homes
With homes abolished one-half the worlds
best literature becomes meaningless and this
argument alone should make the nations
hesitate. It Is our duty to point out what
we believe would be calamity and Is in
no sense necessary to reach the end aimed
at by Socialists.
To us 1t seems absurd for Socialists to
claim that they would secure to every
man a home by taking from every man
the home he may now own. Socialists as
a class are open to the same criticisms as
was for years applied to r. G. Ingersoll.
Socialists tear down and destroy without
building up. They are destructionists.
They are too indefinite as to all the de-
tails of the new order of things proposed
by them. They place too great emphasis
on the anti. and have given too little
thought to the pro.
They tell us that Socialism would bring
paradise on earth to all men, but the sue
cessive steps leading to that paradise take |
one through jungle of untried, unex- |
plored Socialistic theories that we fear |
might lead to the regions Internal.
AS long, however, as they are willing to |
submit their demands as whole or step |
BY step to popular vote we really have no |
light against them, although we feel it is /
our right to point out such steps as we be- |
i've unnecessary II not really dangerous