The independent., 1905-08-03
What Shall We Do?

Lincoln, Neb, July 3l.-TO the EdltOr ol Inc
Independent: The question which should deter
mine Marty action at this time is simply this:
Has the peoples independent party any reason
at this time to continue further party organlza-
tion or have the republican and democratlc
parties incorporated in their platforms the prin-
ciples we have been advocating TO such an ex-
tent that there is no use for separate party
organization?
The peoples independent party has for its
basic principle the naturalization Of all the nat
ural monopolies, that the largest returns pos
sible may be given as reward to Individual eHorl.
Those things which are necessary Iof the slow.n
and development of the country and for national
advancement should belong to, and be operated
by the government for the equal benefit OF all
the people These have been summed up under
the three heads of land, transportation ana
money
The party has opposed the alien ownership
of land anG all monopOlies therein. 1t has Op-
posed the private ownership of transportation,
secret rebates by which unequal advantages are
give L individuals and corporations, creatng op-
pressive mOnopolies in the necessaries OF lie,
the free pass most potent means OF corruptlng
legislatures AMI public officers 1t has opposed
national banks of issue whereby have been Great
ed money power able to control the natlonal
medium of exchange, thereby enriching the few
at the expense OF the many.
All these doctrines recognized today as
sound by the very best thinkers OF our times.
basic principles at different times we are well
aware In '96 it for the time being left dormant
the great principles underlying the money ques-
ton and expended it's energies upon mere in
cident of the question the free coinage of silver
And for this incident the other great questions
of land monopoly and transportation abuses were
for the time forgotten. 1t has been side-tracked,
on more than one occasion, from the transporta-
ton abuses through state laws and state COM
missions. That these experiments have all been
more or less failures every fair minded man must
admit In our own state the whole great ques-
ton of government ownership has seemingly been
forgotten in decrying one of the abuses OF cor
porate ownership, the free pass. Like the silver
question in money, the pass is only one incident
in the evil system of transportation. The inde
pendent party is not alone in it's advocacy of the
abolition of this evil, and need base hope
for continued existence upon an issue SO mar
row an evil which has really ceased to be an
issue in polite, at all.
Republican, and democrats alike vie with
each other in depicting in darkest colors this
one wicked phase of the private ownership of
which can demand the loudest, laws to eradicate
this enormous evil, and yet for nearly twenty
years the law which created the interstate COM
merce commission, has forbidden the free pass
Why make new laws upon this subject till the one
in existence is tried. The republican and demo
cratic parties both are trying to see which can ad
yocate the most stringent laws against rebates
Our law books already have a most drastic meas
ure upon that subject Why burden them with
others until these are at least enforced? If the
peoples party intends to live as potent factor
in the politics of the state and nation, it must
get back to the basic principles and not expend