Willmar tribune., 1903-01-17
QUITE P0PULISTIC.
Republican Editor at Lskefield Sees
That Control Of Public Utilities
Must Rest with tho Peopls.

Some of the republican editors are
beginning to perceive the difference
between complete socialism and gov
ernment ownership of public utilities.
The former would make all mankind
mere cogs in q vast social machine;
the latter would hberate the greater
part of mankind from the slavery of
monopoly. The following clipping
might have been written by populist,
but it wasn't. 1t is from the pen of
the editor of the Lakefeld Standard,
strongly republican paper. Although
he speaks of socialism throughout the
article, every populist will recognize
in everything he endorses part of our
platform, while the things he thinks 60
too far are the distinctive theories OF
the socialist party. 1t is not fashion
able yet to endorse populism under is
right name; it must be disguised under
some other name. He is not absolute
ly certain whether government owner
ship or government control will be the
remedy adopted, but he sees nothing
wrong or revolutionary in either,
which is certainly remarkable, coming
from such a source. In the latter part
of the article he claims that it is re-
publicanism. We'll, who cares what
it is, just so we get it. On account OF
the length of the article we are com-
PEELED to leave out some parts, but
here are the important points in it:
He who advocates socialism in its
entirety is considered visionary; yet
we have but to stop and look around
US to realize that socialism has entered
into the general policy of the Ameri.
can people to very considerable ex-
tent. Public service corporations are
giving way to municipal service in the
matters of furnishing water. light and
transportation. Our postal sy stem is
socialism pure and simple. Our edu-
cational system has been developed
along the liues advocated by the So
cialist. The very general demand for
government ownership of railroads,
coal mines, etc., is socialistic de-
mand. But, whilst the tendency is in
this direction, the American people as
2 whole are q lorg way from being
willing to try the experiment of social
ism on large scale; they content
| themselves with the demand that the
government perform or control such
| work as it is reasonably certain can
be done more efficiently by it or under
it's control than by individuals or cor
porations, acting without restraint,
and in this category will be found the
operation Of railroads, express com
panies, and the production OF such
articles OF general necessity as are in
their nature monopoly, or have be-
come such by the process of combina-
tion and the killing Off of competition.
And this brings US din ec:ly to the
question that confronts the American
people today-the question of the trusts
| and how to control them. 1t is NJ
longer a question Of whether we will
have trusts. We have tt EN-. They
are the natural product of our com
mercial system; ruinous and wastefu]
competition brought their own remedy
| in combination. They are the natural
result Of ou~ commercial system, jus,
as machinery is the natural result OF
| our progress in mechanics. They are
the natural result of evolution in com
merce; they are here, and they are here
to stay. The question now is, what
will we do with them? Neither of the
lac 4 ;rr roli<;oo1 "a ~<;os ho.