The independent., 1903-06-11
AFTER ALL OF THEM
Mr.. Vance Discusses Governor Poynter's
Letter and Touches up the single
Takers and Socialists

Takers and Socialists
Editor Independent: Let me say
!! frankly that | do not believe politi-
cal conditions warrant either the op-
timistic views of Ex-Governor Poyn
ter respecting the future Of the in
dependent party, or his pessimistic
prophecies respecting that of the DEM
ocratic party. Mr.. Poynter forgets that
at another time in his life, when fill
sion brought grists to his own mill,
he was quite as ardent fusionist as
Mr.. Cleveland is now democrat.
deny Ex-Governor Poynter's right
to assume that the democratic party
will turn down Mr.. Bryan" that it
will repudiate the Chicago or Kan
sas City platform; indorse the re-
publican asset currency scheme, or do
any Of the foolish and wicked things
the governor assumes 1t will at its
next national convention In 1904.
| Hal there been no fusion with tho
| democrats in the past we would have
| never lad an Ex-Governor Poynter IN
Nebraska. Fusing with the democrats
on the part of the independent party
was not as fatal mistake as fusing
cans of the south. While 1t may be
physically possible to serve two mas
ters, it is difficult to carry transpar-
| encies in both the republican and
| democratic professions!
Reformation in government Is the
sole object of all good men. Mr..
Poynter proposes, If understand him,
| to bring about the reformation with
out disturbing either the trusts or tar
| iff robbers. Such reformation would
doubtless receive the hearty indorsc
ment of both Senator Hanna and J.
Pierpont Morgan.
The trouble with this dear country
of ours Is that 1t is suffering from IN
acut, attack Of republican blood poi
son. A bad complication of imperial
ism, tariff robbery, trust robbery,
gov nment by injunction, asset cur
| rency, and ge- eral declension Of
public morals and official honesty.
Our only hope for amendment and
| health lies In return to the sober
methods of the old constitution, to an
assertion on the part of the common
people of their constitutional right to
self-government. Let the 5 and tho
lawfully created corporation take it's
rightful place as the servant, and not
the master Of the man.
The Independent party should be-
ware the rainboW-chaser. The single
tax theory, while in many respects
ieautiful, has too much of the cuckoo
in it. 1t conflicts with that instinct
of nest and home building that is COM
| 10 oil ~ frJ
human. The adoption Of Henry
| Georgeism Ey the independent party
| will drive from it that great body Of
| conservative agriculturalists and me-
| chanics who own the little farms they
till, and their own cottages they live
in. A fusion with the socialists, to
which all this middle of the road fol-
ly and rainbow chasing is tending.
| will be as fatal to populism as would
| the nomination of Grover Cleveland as
| it's presidential candidate by the dem
| ocratic party. There is really nothing
| in socialism that appeals to the en-.
ergy, manhood or ambition of the av-
erage American citizen. 1t indeed
promises to increase wages and short
en- the hours of labor by the rules of
dIllHuttiCdl pfOSIeSSiuu, IL lceu,
clothe and educate the children" to
| furnish man with work while he is
young, pension him when cid, AM
bury him when dead.
But the average American would
hardly thank you for the black broth
with which Lacadaemon regaled her
| Spartan citizens &: her common ta-
| BILE. 1t is well in this connection to
remember that socialism as practiced
In Lacadaemon was founded on hui
man slavery, and is only possible
| where slavery exists. Wise and great
as was the grand old man, Lycurgus.
doubt the wisdom of experimenting
with his system Of government here in
| the United States. Democracy as laid
down in its national platforms of 1896
and 1900 was simply return to first
principles, renunciation Of the
Stuffed Prophet of Buzzard's Bay. The
| democrats who had the courage to re-
buke and condemn an administration
they had placed in power will scarce
| ly be deferred from following their
honest convictions.
AS to the governors denunciation
of them as "pie-eaters," my personal
recollections of the governor are, that