The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-02-02

we're rejected Win ScOTn OF nelu up, W
ridicule. The consequence is that when
in the evolution of human affairs,
great economic changes are immanent,
the whole population is profoundly ig-
norant of all the great principles I'M
derlying government. Instead of being
prepared to take charge of, and direct
the new economic forces, that have re-
suited in making the whole business
world subject to railroad managers,
that have made the American citizen
pay twice as much for his goods that
his foreign rivals had to pay, that has
concentrated the control of credit and
money in few Wall street banks, the
mass of the people are totally ignorant
OF those subjects.
That ignorance is most profound
among what are called business men,.
They do not even understand the ordi-
nary terms everywhere used in the
discussion of political economy and
sociology Three men have come into
The Independent office during the week
to inquire what the editor meant by.
the word "proletariate" and letter
was received from another The said he
was not populist or subscriber to the
paper. but some one had handed him
copy asking for an explanation. Now
that word has been usei in political
economy from the beginning to desig-
nate the propertyless class, yet these
men who have large political influence
and must soon cast their ballots in
answering the question, what shall be
done for the tens of thousands of starry
| ing propertyless people IN the great
cities and elsewhere, did not know
even the meaning of the word
If when distress shall come, and the
Irroletariate is increased 70 millions in
numbers, as. surely will De, the case, if
bank imitation, rebates and tariffs go
on unchanged, the people rush to So
cialism and disorder from lack of cor
rect information, these scoundrels who
have suppressed free speech in the peri
odical literature 81 the times may wish
that they had never been born There
| is no safety for nation in modern
times except in the fullest discussion of
every economic fact and tendency II
there had been free press, the things
that lawson and Russell have been
writing about never could have trans
pred.
There is not great newspaper today
that will send man to Washington
with instructions to write up the facts
as they exist. Two or three monthly
magazines have lately entered that
field and they had to defy the threats
OF suppression and libel persecution.
AS the traveller in Arkansas said: "The
ground is hot and hell is not mile
away" They had all better watch out.
&SS$S%
San Domingo has new dictator His
name is Col. Teddy. The new dictator
promises to pay off a foreign and do
nestle debt of $20,276,75O, nearly all
bearing four per cent interest and sup
port the government on an income of
about a million year collected by
means of a tariff. Col. Teddy has al
ready sent lot of warships and mar
ines down there. Meantime some of
the United States senator's are growl-
ing because Col. Teddy made treaty
and ratified it himself without referring
III. to the senate. Teddy claims he
had right to do that because he called
the contract protocol" instead of
treaty. There was rumor of an up
rising in San Domingo, but the new
dictator has put close censorship over
the press and no one knows what is
going on down on the little island.