The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-07-16

pendent prior to the Denver confer
ence in which the preliminaries toward
bringing about a revival of populism
will be discussed. Many Of our far
eastern subscribers will barely have
time to receive this paper before they
would be required to start, if they at
tend. Next week the entire issue will
be turned over to the socialists and
known as the Karl Marx Edition. It
will not be SO complete paper as
was the Henry George Edition-but
will give our readers a tolerably fair
idea Of socialist aims, ted in their
own language.
Very many populists imagine they
are socialists, or at least sOcialistic.
This comes from the fact that men
more or less clearly recognize that all
thought regarding society and govern
ment ranges somewhere between two
extremes, which may be termed indi-
vidualistic and collectivistic, or anar-
chistic and socialistic.
In the very nature of things it is
impossible to completely separate these
two extremes. To separate the posi-
tive and negative poles of the magnet,
is to destroy the magnet. Each ex-
treme is necessary to the existence Of
the other.
Notwithstanding this, it is possible
to distinguish between these extremes
and to classify men accordingly as they
lean toward one or the other. In this
sense, most populists are sociailistic,
although not few of them lean the
other way. But no populist can truly
call himself a socialist who does not
accept without question the three fun
damental principles of Marxism: (a)
The theory of surplus value; CD the
"class struggle and the historic mis-
sion of the workers.; and (c) the
materialistic conception of history, or
economic determini5m.
The coilectivist, or socialist, holds
that human nature may be changed
by change Of environment; the indi-
vidualist, or anarchist, holds to the
opposite view and contends that a
change of human nature must precede
the change of environment. The lat
ter advises introspection and self puri-
fcatiOn of the individual in order to
make society better; the former holds
that the individual will grow better as
society grows Better, and that society
cannot grow better except as condi
tons for making living improve.
Regardless of the sneers which ex-
tremists have for the eclectic" The
Independent, speaking for the great
mass of populists, admits the truth OF
both contentious, but denies the cor
rectness of either as an absolute fact.
Hence, the populists stand as mid
die ground between the two contend
ing schools"
1t will be useless for those who at
tend the Denver conference to make
any attempt at uniting ali classes and
conditions of persons, except the trust
magnates. That conference will be
made up largely of men whose inter-
ests lie with the "bone and sinew'' of
America-the farmers, small business
men, and so-called Independent pro-
ducers, who employ a few wage
workers and work with them. No
great employers Ct labor will be there
and it is doubtful if many employees of
the great industries will be there. 1t
will be essentially what the socialists
call middle class conference. com
posed of men who are neither rich nor
poor.
In such an event, the duty of the
conference is plain: To formulate
plans looking to a party expression OF
the economic vell-being Of the So