The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-05-26

that there are, besides the college
settlement, five other clubs or assoc
Citations, numbering about a dozen
people each, who meet at stated times
in this city to study and discuss po-
litical economy and sociology. They
are all composed Largely OF working
salaried men, there being only four
or five professional and business men
il the whole lot He says that there
is not republican regular attend
ant among them. Once in a while a
re, .lblican is induced to attend. He
asked one of these republicans why he
did not continue to attend. The an
Swer in substance was. X can't IN
derstand what they arc ,alking about
half the time 1t would take four
years OF study to acquire the knowi-
edge necessary to comprehend tie
terms they use. Take the socialists:
what do they mean by surplus val
ue,' fixed economic law 'exploita-
-ticn,, "a labor fund, anG all that sort
Of thing? What do those other fell
lows mean when they talk about mar
ginal cost bank reserves 'expan-
sion of credit the unaccoHnted for
millions in the exports and imports.
Life is too short for me to get ONO
all those sort o. things.
But, said the socIologist, 'tney
also talk about trusts, public own
ership, taxation, special privileges,
the purchasing power OF money, its
relation to wages, real wages, an1
many other things in which ] should
think that you would be interested
There you are again." replied the
republican. heal wages What do
you mean by real wages? Are not all
wages reaP?'
Il will try to explain said the So
cioiogist. Suppose that an English
workingman and an American work
ingman both get S. week wages
The Englishman pays one dollai
week for rent and the American pays
two dollars, and in the same propoi-
ton for all his living expenses, az tire
end Of the week has not the English
man really received more for his la
Dor than the American? Real wages
may be said to be the ratio that the
laborer receives above the cost OF sub
sistence."
THAT is the worst ret I ever did
hear" the republican replied.
WELL said the sociologist, they
talk about intemperanCe, saloons, the
police control of the social evil, tax;
ton, the factory girls, the conditions
surrounding the women In offices, n
the department stores, the condition
OF the jails, your system OF private
detectives sanctioned by state law, the
poor. how they are cared for, the re-
formatory work in the penitentia,y
and places for detention for criminals,
the character Of the men on the police
force, the beautifying of your parks,
what is best To be done about the
reservation" on the bottoms, the con-
dition OF your schools"
"Ohi for heavens sake stop. You
will drive me crazy" said the repub-
lican. II never had anything to do
with any of those things. ] don't
know anything about them. | don
want to bother with them. 1t IS as
much as can do to make a living"
After relating this. the sOciolcglst
asked us how we would classify man
like that and now mahy such there
were in the stale of Nebraska. We
told him that in The Independent they
were classified as "mullet heads" and
according to the election returns
there were little ove' $4,000 Of them
in the state.
$><S>>2
Massachusetts sends one-third of all
the millionaires in the state-thirtecn
AS delegates TO the republican ma
tional convention and mary Of these
are multi millionaires. The starving
thousands who are now out Of work In
that state, made desolate and poor by
the government policies these million
aires advocate, will rally at the polls
next November and vote 10 give the
control of the government into the
hands of the very men who have ac-
cumulated their millions by exploit
ing the common people. Why can a
party committed to the interests Of
the very rich get the votes OF those
millions who have little or no pop
erty az all? Can any one tell? The In |
dependent gives II up. The small prop
erty owners outnumbcr the million
aires many hundred times. They could |
ut any time take charge Of the govern
n al. La. hal