The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-09-17

Hon. Bradford Peck, president OF the
Cooperative Association of America,
having headquarters at Lewiston, Me-,
is agitating the question of holding q
convention at Faneuil Hall,
Host0n, some time this fall, and is in
ysting signatures to an open letter ad-
dressed to the men and women of
America, asking small contributions to
a fund for defraying the necessary ex-
pcnses OF the Feneuil Hall meeting.
In this open letter it is rscounted
that the wonderful discovery of the
force and use of electricity, and, the
invention of powerful and productive
machinery has evolved new economic
condition in our national life by the
unity of commercial industry into
trusts and combines, and combination
las superseded individual effort"
These conditions the letter con-
t.rues, ARE In line with the law OF
evolution, and but the natural out
come of competition founded upon
Individual greed and war, manifested
oE the one hand by gigantic specula-
tive combinations controlling the
means of production and distribution;
while on the other hand is the mani
festation of the federation of labor
organization, composed of the larger
part of the workers who furnish the
necessary life energy for constructing
ard operating the vast industrial ma
cEinery controlled by capitalism. As
q final result of such condition We
have reached crisis in our national
life, and it behooves every intelligent
citizen to come forward and help
solve this mighty problem Of labor
and capital"
Evidently Mr.. Peck does not take
much stock In the 'inevitability" of
tbs cooperative commonwealth as
preached by Wiltshire and others, but
holds with such men as w. j. Client
that we must be up and doing with all
earnestness IL we avoid the 'benevO-
lent feudalism" now staring us in the
face.
Mr.. Peck has written "A Forecast
OF the Coming Political Party" which
will bear careful reading. 1t indi-
Gates what he hopes will be the out
come Of the Boston conference. He
says:
All great achievements are heralded
by some mighty and powerful dem
onstration, as in the case of TRUTH
manifested in the living Christ. The
people were attracted by voice cry
| ing out in the wilderness, announcing
tie coming of the wonderful Counselor,
the veritable Prince of Peace. This
living example awakened humanity to
nobler aspirations, and through each
81 cceeding generation column of de-
voted followers has been reared until
at last the great multitude is awak-
ening to a recognition of the spiritua!
truths manifested by the self-sacrific-
ing individuality whose consecrate1
lives of daring all things, suffering
every known persecution and even
facing physical death that the law OF
evolution might revolve it's progressive
way, and all of this has resulted in a
new economic condition, and individ-
ual effort has been superseded by CON-
b;nation and concentration.
The republican party was heralded
by the early abolitionists, whose
voices were heard crying out in the
| wilderness, until finally the people
were awakened by the manifestation
of spiritual truth and righteousness
portrayed by the self-sacrifice Of the
Individual for humanity, and as you
know, this resulted in throwing of the
yoke. of chattel slavery.
Once again, VIZ hear the sound Of
the mighty trumpet and on every hand
throughout this broad land of ours
We hear voices crying out in the
wilderness, with the same manifesto.
i ton Of conservation for truth ant
righteousness. only that the call il
louder and more extended than evel
before known. They are calling yot
to awake and unite together for saliva
ton. No longer is 1t possible for In
dividual, small business concerns t.
compete against the mighty combina
tons, and there is but one alternative
and that is, to trust yourselves in
community of interests of the people
ty the people, and for the people. lie
us then unite our forces into a nationa
party that we may forever sweep ava.
this accursed chaotic condition Of com
|, petition of individualism and capital
ism which has led men to kill one an