The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-06-02

slave trade. Nor aid these in q politi-
cal warfare against the purposes Of
God.
We therefore subscribe ourselves
members of The public ownership
party, to be organized to favor the in
itiative, the referendum, the direct
mandate, primary nominations and
the election of senators by direct
vote of the people; and that all. gen.
eral public necessities and utilities
shall be owned and operated by the
federal government; and the local
ones by the cities or municipal gov
eminent, and that othei property shall
be subject to private requirement aud
ownership, the same as now, and to
this end we would have our mineral
land laws repealed, and our others at
once SO amended as to retain to the
government all public necessities in
future grants and patents Of all pub
lie land, thereby rendering 1t impos-
sible for syndicates to keep out geol-
ogists exploring our public domain in
order to gratuitously acquire these
public necessities In advance of survey
in order to enslaye the future genera
tons, as is now being, and for long
time has been, done, with the knowl-
edge Of the government and the pub
lie, with no legislation or effort to
prevent. Further, we oppose any sub
sidy to the Hill and Morgan steamship
lines. Our ocean and lake lines, with
our local and terminal grain eleva-
tors, should be owned and operated
by the government as necessary
part of transportation. To secure
these ends we join to organize this
public ownership party.
Dated at. North Dakota,
this ...... day of ..........., 1904.
Names PRECINCT. p. O.
The remainder of the supplement is
taken UP with one of the grandest and
most complete arguments in favor of
public ownership that The Indepen-
dent has ever had the pleasure of
reading, but it is entirely too long for
reproduction In orr columns. AS a
matter of fact, it should be published
in handy pamphlet form for use as
campaign document
Some time in early February Gen.
eral Standish sent The Independent
copies of his supplement. Nc public
ity was then given to 1t because at
that time The Independent regarded
| his efforts to organize public own
ership" party as sort of ross-fre
4 which would interfere with the work
OF uniting the two wings of the peo-
pies party. But now that the call
has been made for the Springfield con-
ventiOn, there is no objection to dis
cussing his proposed plans.
General Standish, in a personal let
ter to The Independent, calls atten-
ton to the fact that the peoples party
never had place as such upon the Of
fetal ballot of North Dakota, but
started out with the narle 'indepen-
dent in 1890 and retained it up to
1900, when the party identity was
lost "in the fusion movement with
the Bryanites.' Accordingly, his pro-
posed name of public ownership
party, could cause no confusion in
North Dakota because there never
was a peoples party there.
He objects to the Omaha platform
because ut suggests in effect that the
government shonld have as absolute
control and ownership over land as
over money anu transportation
which in our day cannot be brought
about. !. Aside from this the Oma-
ha platform was drawn by in ell!gent,
well-meaning laboring men with lit
tie or no legal talent 10 aid them;
and no party heretofore has been able
to draw platform that was good for
IA years without some suggested
amendment or Improvement
The Independent comedies that each
succeeding four years gives rise to
new issues, or changes IN the old ones
which necessitate amendment or mod.
iiication but General Standish mis-
takes the fundamentals for the whole
platform. The demand for $50 pei
capita, for example. Is open to crili,
cism: but the real essence OF .he Oma-
/, ha platform In that congress shall TO.
sumo. or. rather assume. It's constit,i.
tion prcrogative. the power ito coiu
money and regulate the value there
Of" Fifty dollars per capita may
, or may not be the proper amount: NO