The independent., 1903-07-09


All progress is spiral. Or to change
the figure, there are periods of appar-
ent rest-even reaction-in every vital
progressive movement, just as in the
movement of a wagon wheel as the
vehicle moves forward. That part OF
the wheel in contact with the ground
is at rest; Immediately behind there is
an apparent backward movement;
while at the top ne forward move
ment is most rapid; yet notwith-'
standing these seeming contradictions,
the whole wheel is moving forward.
Popllism was nearing the top of the
wheel of political progress in the
years 1890 to 1896; it was moving
downward from 1896 to 1900; the years
1901 and 1902 represent the contact
With Mother Earth and the apparent
Teactionary movement; and the years
1903 and 1904 will undoubtedly show
return to the conditions beginning
with 1890.
For several years The Independent
has been calling attention to the diff
ference between the growth of par
ty and the spread of its principles, and
citing the peoples party as an exam
pie Of party disintegration at the very
time when its principles were being
accepted by millions of people, many
CT whom hardly knew of the existence
of such party-or, knowing it, held
prejudices against it because of the
persistent lying of the plutocratic
press.
Populists have never been divided
upon the three great fundamental re-
forms of money land, and transpOr-
tation. Hence, populist principles have
found acceptance far and wide. One
energetic populist in community is
the leaven for the whole lump. But
populists have been seriously divided
upon the question of party policy
and that alone. Schisms in the repub-
liean and democratic parties are fun
damental and can never be wholly
healed The populist schism can be-
and it will be.
AS an educational factor the pop
Elist movement has more than paid
for the money and time expended in
it's organization ever if it should Who'll
1y cease to exist as a party. It is
have been had a different party pol
icy been followed-in fact, no man
knows, but can only guess. 1t can
not be proven that fusion destroyed
the organization, = because the only
vital peoples party organization in
America today is in Nebraska. where
fusion (or more properly eo-operatiol)
has been followed since 1894 with the
exception of one year. Yet it is doubt
less true that where fusion with the
democratica party was practiced, the
tendency was for the greater organi-
zation to absorb tie lesser.
However. our duty, today is to look
to the future. The question is, Is
there room for political party rep
resenting the small home-owners, in
dependent business men, farmers and
ether producers of the country. who |
have not been absorbed in the great !
trust building movement of the past !
few years?
Logically the republican party rep
resents the great aggregations of cap |
ital (and wind and water) known as
trusts. Every supporter of that par
ty is either (a) trust magnate who
knows where his interests lie; or (b) |
misguided wageworker or small
business man or farmer who fool
ishly imagines that his interests are
identical with those of the beneciar-
les Of special privileges.
Just as logically the democratic
party, ought to represent the small
home-owners, ETC., mentioned above: