The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-07-21
The Referendum

Ju0 uVlVivuuVm
The letter below was written for the
symposium in The Independent OF
June 30, Just prior to the Springfield
convention. 1t was delayed in trans
mission and reached this office too
late for that issue. In view OF the fact,
however, that the executive committee
is clothed with power to adopt some
rational plan for the future organiza-
ton of the peoples party, DR.. Cor
don's letter is timely yet. He says:
Editor Independent: You ask me
as to the outlook for populism. Ihere
can be no doubt of the ultimate TIL
umph of populism. 1t proposes the
reasonable instead of the unreason-
able. it would put justice in place OF
injustice, good instead OF evil, ana
the universal history of all such agl-
tations is final and complete success.
1t is not necessary to say why this
has been SO. For some reason 1t is.
The world may not know exactly why
nothing is ever settled until 1t is set
tied right, but it is one OF it's axioms
at last; and, knowing this, it knows
there can be no end to just cause
cant down it, you can't evade IT., you
can only give it at last what 1t has
asked and not till then will it leave
you in peace.
Reforms against long established
prejudiceS move slowly. The old must
be overthrow, before the new can
come. And the time is long. because
man-not God-has Willed it so.
To this rule populism is no excep-
ton. Indeed as far as immediate sue
cess is concerned it has moved slower
than many reforms for three reasons:
First-Populism is directed against
systems that mean money to those
manipulating them, and nothing rem
ders Shylock so keenly and instantly
alert as an attack on the sources OF
his gains. "Sirs, we know that by this
craft we have our wealth." said the
jeweler of Ephesus to his fellow
craftsmen Fagin cares very little
exchequer and you will have a fight
worth seeing.
Second-Populism is handicapped by
the pet notion of all reformers OF this
day that there must be no more revo-
lutions that hurt anybody. A reyclu
ton is needed, say all, but it must be
pacific revolution
Here is the situation: The pluto
crat is in. The people want him out
But they must not hurt him in getting
him out. Not dollar of his ill got
ten gains must be taken from him
nor drop of his precious blool
spilled. Necessarily there has been Z
halt while some other plan than the
old-fashiOned rough and tumble scrim
mage-that means bloOd-can be de
vised for getting him out. What this
is to be does not readily appear. Those
who want a pacific revolution have
not informed us. Perhaps they dt
moment for it's application has ar
rived Whatever it turns out to be, i
must be slow measure, and therefor,
populism is moving slowly.
There is another cause that has re
tarded the growth of populism. 1t ha:
been in the path of all reforms Thi
Is the unfortunate impression mel
have that the oppressed are objects o
Gods pity, and that in his own tim
and way-but not till then--he vii
liberate them.
Both are lamentable mistakes. bu
man can only grow out of them
he ever gets out at all, and the grow
ing out of mistakes and growing int
truth makes the march of reform
slow one. Man must rid himself @
this fatalism before he can move rap
idly in reform. He must learn tina
it is his way--not God's--hs choic
and not divine decree-that has give
this world all it has of wrong dom
and consequent unhappiness | hav
noticed that when man gets despeI
ately in earnest, when his coat come
OFF and his sleeves go up Gods tim
has come for something to happier
In reality God must wait on our tim,