Willmar tribune., 1903-06-27
WILL NOT ENFORCE LAWS
Tho Trust Msgnstes In the Old Parties
Do Not Enforce Laws that Hurt
their interests.

their Interests. +
Why insist on building up the peo-
ple's party in order to get the trust
question settled? Are not both of the
old parties protesting that they will
settle it?
They are, but their protestations 20 =
for nought because neither one pro-
poses to 60 to the root of the matter.
The republican party has too many
prominent trust magnates among it's !
leaders to be able to accomplish any =,
thing OF permanent value. In the first
place it does not propose any legisla-.
tion that seems to fully cover the case.
In the second, such laws if passed
must be enforced in order to be of any
value, aud it is too much to ask that
a party led by Hanna, Elkins, Platt,
Quay, Root and others closely identi-
fed with the trusts should enforce any
Legislation inimical to the interests of
the trusts.
We cannot expect anything really
effective from the democrats, because
that party still believes in letting the
central government exercise as little ),
power as possible. Add to this that
the party now recognizes as leaders
such men as German, Hill, Olney and
others OF the same class, as close to
the trusts as the republican leaders
named, and it ought to be plain that
there is no room for hope from that
quarter. -
Why expect that new party will do
better?
Because the peoples party proposes
to place the government nearer to the
people by giving them the initiative
and referendum, thus enabling them to
force through such legislation as they
want and preventing such as they do
not want This is The most important
part OF our program. 1t will settle the
vexed problem of strong central gov
ernment without robbipg the people of
their power.
10 settle the trust and MONOPOLY
problem it is necessary to give the
central government powers much
larger than it has hitherto exercised.
But under the present system of legis-.
'ation this would he dangerous. With
the government in the hands of the
plutocrats the power given to crush
monopoly may be used against the
tpeopie. es-sss7fss..s>
1t was the dream of Jefferson to es-
tabl1sh government in which none
but the powers expressly delegated to
1t should be exercised. The usurpa-
tlan OF power by the English govern
ment was the cause of this fear of a.
strong central government, Jefferson
could not foresee in that era of hand
labor and consequent individualism
that the time would come when strong
central government would be needed
to check the tyranny of the rich. But
that time has come. The true solution
of the problem of government is to
make the government as strong as is
necessary to check every enemy of the
people, and then put the government
so near to the people that their ene-
mics cannot obtain control of it. That
is the solution offered by the peoples
party. Neither of the two old parties
has committed itself to this plank,
and will not, because the plutocratic
leaders will not consent to anything
that would make the parties useless to
them. It we had this method of
direct legislation there would be no
necessity of talking of organizing q
new party to settle the trust question.
The people could then vote on So
luttons for the problem independent
of party lines. They could expert
ment until they found the right So
luton. The bosses would lose their
power, and independent voters would
be the rule instead of the exception.
Government ownership of railways
and other large public utilities would
be safer proposition under such
system, because there would be less
tendency to use them as part of q
political machine. It would be easier
to elect good public servants because
the plutocrats would have less interest
in controlling elections when the elect
ions would not give them the power to
dictate legislation. #r ".>>~
People may differ some as to the
extent to which government ownership
should 60. If they get the power these
questions can be- settled one at q time,
as they come up, and no man in vot-
ing the peoples party ticket will need
to bind himself to any certain degree,
except to try government ownership il
restrictive legislation fails. But the
main thing is to give the power back
to the people, and that is the purpose
OF the peoples party. ~ e.,
Warning to W. G. r. q. Women.
When we hear white ribboner be.