The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-07-21
phones. street railways, waterworks,
and electric light plants.

land grant titles. to the end that any
unearned grants or land now fraud
ulently held may be reclaimed and
held for actual settlers; system OF
government irrigation, and a gradu-
ated land tax similar to that now in
operation in New Zealand.
Fourth-Amendment to the ma
tlonal constitution, providing fol- the
popular election OF president and
United States senators, and for fed
eral initiative and referendum
To this might be added equal suf-
frage and state control Of the liquor
traffic on the South Carolina plan;
but these matters come within the
jurisdiction of each state and can be
handled in state platforms. Ii ObIec-
ton be made that the money plank is
not specific enough, answer can be
made that it clearly states the pop
ulist principle of money. which is the
essential thing at present. Agree on
principles and then make any pro-
posed system Of details square with
that principle.
Thus if the principle of stable
measure of value" is agreed on, no
system can then logically be pro-
posed involving any great expansion
or contraction of the currency. The
Omaha money plank, specific as 1t
may seem to some at first reading, is
| not really SO; as note the demand for
not less than $50 per capita mot linn
tied in the other direction, however,;
| its demand for flexible" rather
than stable money, and it's half
committal to the sub-treasury system,
| all of which had tendency to lend
color to the dangerous imitation"
charges of the old parties
And why should we spend good ink
or lung power on demand for an In
| come tax when a graduated land tax is
much more far-reaching in its nature
and has the merit of being collectible?
You may ascertain the income of a
public official, but how about mon
| ely loaner? In this part of the foot
stool few money lOaners make returns
| to the assessor. A man may, and
some do, buy thousands of acres of
unimproved land and hold for rise;
| for years perhaps deriving not one
cent Of Income" from their property,
yet they are worse monopolists by far
| than those who loan their money or
invest in some legitimate business.
sincerely hope the platform may
not be burdened with inheritance
| tax" imperative mandate" lthan
which short terms in Office would be
much more practically and many isms
which might be named, which. al
| though possessing merit enough the
Oretically to make them debatable
questions. yet would serve to divide
| the masses.
One question | have Intentionally
| omitted until the last; | refer TO the
ever-preSent tariff question. Because
OF division in their own ranks the
populists have practically lodged this
question. But can they do SO longer?
Should they?
Either high tariff is right or it
is wrong. Free trade is either Just
or it is unjust | speak now of its
effect on nations, not individuals.
Personally free trader of the Henry
George degree of radicalism, would
yet hate to see free trade embodied
in a platform if it meant the disrup-
ton OF our party, for there are so
many more important questions upon
which we all practically agree, and as
Richard T. Ely says of the tariff: ut
is Of real, but not of vital importance"
Still lodging looks cowardly and it
may be hoped that the genius of the
Springfield convention will rise equal
to this riddle of the sphynx. it is pos
sible that plank on trusts will give
the opportunity.
The Independent is a rock in a
weary land. 1t is like the Scotch
Presbyterian church cited by Buckle,
that. despite its faults. kept alive for
more than a century the spirit OF dem
ocracy and opposition to kingship.
The Independent has done much very
much. 70 hold up the banner of pop
ulism since the unfortunate but in
eyitahle disruption of 1896. Let MS
rally to the support of our best paper.
GEO. 0GLE,
! Mc'alla. ore.
tMr. Ogle's excellent suggestions
will save The Independent the trou-
BILE cl writing much editorlally on the