The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1900-05-31

~oor Win Foe0Fd TIM factA~ 10 10 the onfy co
hooive, roaolutes and determlnod body a.
rpforsuers In tie nAttou. All otheSs ero
sporadic. II not untrustworthy. Those who
are allies will be lost. II merely urban
Or sporadic they win dwipdle or b utter
It was our purpose - point out the real,
radical difference between Populjsm and
Socialism--a chasm that cannot be leaped
by thoughtful, honest men without tire
mendous effort. or great self stultiAcation.
The basic principle of Populism II . sci
entiac fuii-leeal tender. paper money. With
out attempting to elaborate, We contend
that upon this idea turns and revolves all
else distinctively Populistic. We go fur
thar and aver that no man 10 entitled to
wear the insignia of Populism who can not
grasp, or IL not thoroughly committed to
this great central truth. Difference may
exist within the ranks a. to other things
or tenets Of party doctrines. but as to
this none can exist This h fundamental.
Now what do Socialists believe and teach
as to money? Recently the West Plains
Quill published q letter written by the ma
tional secretary of the Social Democratic
party In reply to some of Its structures or
interrOgations and while we cannot give
place to the whole we give his answer to
the question: why does the Social Demo-
cratic party platform fail to contain any
specific reference to the money question:"
Here Is the answer In full:
Nothing would be more inconsistent or
out of place in q Socialist platform than
specific reference to or program on the
money question. The reason for this Is that
Socialism involves the disuse of what we
understand as money. What will be used
under Socialism in lieu of money will be
some form Of a certificate of labor, which
every worker In the cooperative common
wealth will be compelled to have and which
will certify that he or she has performed
the daily number Of hours toll allotted by
the cooperation government to each worker
in the field of industry in which he chooses
to labor. The possession of this labor GER
tificate properly certified will entitle the
In the use and possession mot vesteO OF
any and all of the multifarious conveniences
and utilities CreQuired by each individual
to sustain life and happiness). which will
be provided by the cooperative common
wealth. Socialists regard money as We
hicle or instrument OF capitalism, created
for the purpose of making profit or more
capital, in the exchange of privately (in-
dividually) owned property. Nearly all
property is social. like land. machinery.
mines, railroads, etc. Socialism involves
the abolition of capitalism or the private
individually ownership to social property,
and the substitution thereof of the public
ownership and private individually use of
social property.
OF course II private ownership Of social
property is abolished Gas Socialists propose)
any token such as money (which expresses
private ownership loses Its function. Pub
lie ownership Of social property (Which
would include all the means of production
and distribution) would abolish rent inter-
est and profit, and as these things, together
with the issuing of money, constitute the
chief function of banks, 1t naturally fol-
lows that Socialism would do away with
banking systems.
The Social Democratic party, in its plat
form, declares In favor of conQuering the
public powers now controlled by capitalists.
The constitution of the United States
makes the issuing of money a public power.
The Social Democratic party platform de-
clares for common ownership of the means
of production and distribution. Money, as
a medium of exchange, Is the greatest means
of distribution we have.
The Social Democratic party platform de-
clares for public ownership Of gold and sill
yer in their qualities as redemption money.
which are the root of modern banking and
usury. The public ownership Of gold and
silver mines would destroy the private
monopoly of money, which, like all other
ownership of public lsociaD property.
There you are, fellow Populist Can you
swallow that? If SO, you are no .POpulist.
If that is right Populism is wrong. If
Populism Is right, then Socialism Is wrong.
They are. so far as the money question
IL
Populist, when he comes to. look square at
this Socialist proposition and contention
must recoil.
We contend that their position is indie
feasible upon any theOry-even upon that
of the destruction OF all modern civiliza-
tion, and the complete establishment of
their idea of a cooperative commonwealth;
for even then there must be something
current having the exchange qualities and
testaEentary functions of money No civ
flization can stand without this 1t may be
| of high or low order of function. but it
must be something, or instead of the
dreamy, glorious cooperative common
wealth we will revert to barbarism and
cannibaHsm:
There are some truths in the foregoing
quotation; but the negation Of individual
property rights is advocated. No Populist
/ believes that. The negation of all money
Is traverse of all Populism. Their idea
is of a labor certificate of stock in the
company of existence In answer to this
1t is sufficient to say that with the birth
of every child comes this certificate, how
ever much its holdings may be limited by
greed and government thereafter.
Hence, we conclude that no man can be
both Social Democrat and Populist at
one and the same time. 1t Is not only
paradoxfcaf 1t is antithetic
Let progressive Populists put away all
such absurdities and go to work for the
sublime, practical truths Of Populism like
men and patriots, and the world can and
| will be made better. We are neither fools
nor revolutionists. We are progressive evo-
lutionists, and believe in social order.