The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1900-06-07
California In 1892 helped to organize the

Ill
second with Eugene Hough as a member
Eugene HOugh was then Socialist in the
broadcast sense OF the term. He came into
the Populist movement, believing then. as
do now, that Socialism is the only solu-
tion for the financial cannibalism under
which we live. and will continue to under
Populist administration, such as the Rep
| resentative recommends. But he saw clear
ly that the public mind was not yet ready
to accept the panacea, and that even Popu-
! lism was SO far in advance of public opinion
that many years OF propaganda would be
required to educate the people to the i'm
portance and advantages of socializing pub
lie utilities. He then looked upon the Pop
ulist party as merely recruiting officer to
the Social Labor party. look upon it as
such now. Mr.. Hough left me and moved
on the front recruiting stations re-
manned at the halfway post, namely, in the
Peoples party, where my tent will remain
until new developments convince me that
the public mind is ready for the advance
movement. and that my efforts will bear
better fruit In the front rank than those
on middle grounds
read Caesars Column" Golden Bot
tie" and the Representative for many
months. l have watched your course. l
! have admired your intelligence and revered
you for your courage, and always pre-
sumed that you see the future away of in
the political horizon as I do. I am sorry
to see you lend your columns to discourage
the only solution for the ills you are fight
ing.
Your journal says that the Socialists be-
lieve in socializing all utilities. but that
the Populists believe in socializing only
public utilities, but individualizing private
industries. I deny the allegation. On that
point the Populists are divided
The present system of cOmmercialsm in
the United States employs over SOC, 900
commercial drummers, at a cost OF $40 per
day on an average, at cost to the con-
sumers OF the commodities of $30O0000 per
day. This sum. multiplied by 1865. i'm
poses a cost to the consumers of 81 .095. OOO.-
900 annually Suppose the Populist party
will have succeeded, and as you represent
refuse to socialize the mercantile branch
OF American industry, what will 1t have
done to get those commercial parasites off
from our backs? The insurance and real es-
tate agents constitute an army as large,
and far more worthless than the commercial
drummers, who produce nothing but misery
to their patrons. who are utterly worthless
to the community Under your plan, what
will you have done to keep their hands out
of our pockets?
l am no longer a journalist. I am now
an honest farmer. I raise pumpkins as
large as haycocks. l send my pumpkins to
San Francisco. The steamship company
takes out Of the worth of that pumpkin 10
cents 1t delivers to the commission mer-
chant the pumpkin. He sells it. and he
charges me cents for carriage and 10 cents
for selling 1t. The retail grocer sells the
pumpkin at a profit Of 10 cents. The con-
sumner has bought the pumpkin at IS cents.
and I, the honest decrepit old farmer who
produced 1t, receives for it 10 cents. Now,
pray tell me how we are to get rid of these
middlemen under individual operation of
farms, individual commercialism, Wholesale,
retail, commissions or what not!
Where will you draw the line between pub
lie and private utilities? Every inch Of rail-
road, every pound Of products, commodities,
every foot Of man, hoof Of beast, every
other thing rests on mother earth. Not so
much as pinhead can be manufactured ex- i.
cept from the products Of the earth. All
then where can you cite us greater public
benefactor, public supporter than old
mother earth? Is she not q public utility
in the broadcast sense of the term?
A century and q quarter ago the heroes of
that day and generation rose up in an armed
rebellion against despot for less oppres-
sion than the one now eating the very vitals
out Of civilization in this and other coun-
tries, and at the mouth of cannon and at
the point Of sword and bayonet drove him
back to the tungles Of his lair to watch with
Jealous eye the strides Of this infantile
nation towards greatness. But the courage,
the patriotism which inspired those heroes
seems to be foreign to the average Ameri
can OF today. Ruthless hands are sowing
seeds of despotism In the green fields of
Columbia. Tie same despot is invited to
return and set up q government of imperi-
alism. dictate laws for the government Of
our people, direct the distribution of half
million ohices. local. state and federal.
Shall he come? Shall he set foot upon soil
which nurtured Z Washington, who sent
him home with the Americans sword buried
deeply In his vitals? Shall he come and
sit In triumph upon the grave of q Henry,
who stamped his foot upon the floors Of
the Virginia halls Of the highest conven-
tons. and with clutched fists. uplifted eyes
lighted with more than mortal flame, ex-
claimed In tones that were heard around the
world and shook the English throne: "Give
me liberty or give me DEATH" Shall he
roam over country which entombs the
ashes OF Jefferson. who penend the i'm
mortal Declaration Of American Independ
ence. and who bitterly protested against the
provisions In our constitution for the ap-
pointment Of the supreme judges and max
ing life tenure Of such appointment, and
said: Gentlemen Of this convention. when
you do that you will have set up a monarch
ical government and surrounded 1t with re-
publican institutions" Shall he come to
plant his flag on the grave Of the immor-
tai Lincoln, Americas last and only states
man since his time? Every party, except
the Social Labor party. invite him to be
present In some way or the other.
tho tAvr,a