The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-09

of which would be of incalculable bene-
fit to the mass of the peopie.
The peoples party is against the
alien ownership, or domestic monopoli-
cation of land. It has never declared
for the common ownership of land, that
is, taxing the whole value out of 1t, but
is perfectly willing to give aid and
comfort to local trials Of the scheme
and watch its effects. If it proves eff
fective in destroying monopoly and spe-
cial privileges, it will be glad to adopt
it. The whole political economy taught
by Henry George is part and parcel
of the populist doctrine and has been
from the beginning. Populists have
not been convinced that the remedy"
proposed was sufficient. ana or late
years the single takers have become
energetic advocates themselves OF the
p0pulist remedies, such as the govern
ment ownership of railroads, telegraphs
and telephones.
The members Of the peoples party
stand as unit for the referendum, in
iatitiative and recall. They would be
willing almost to make campaign on
that alone
In all the fundamentals Of govern
ment popullsts are Jeffersonian demo-
Gratis, just as Lincoln was. They want
equal rights for all and special privl-
Ieges for none They are not socialists
for they do not believe in the collective
ownership of all means OF production |
and distribution. They are not repub- |
licans, for they are opposed to great
standing armies and navies, to bank |
money, to trusts, to the concentration
OF wealth and almost everything that |
the republican party mas stood for.
They are not democrats, for they are
opposed to "redeemable money" that |
is swapping one dollar for another dol |
lar for the benefit of the banker, and
especially are they opposed to the re
publican wing of the democratic party, |
run by Belmont and Taggart.
1t will be seen that there is clear
line Of cleavage between the peoples
party and all other parties. Every
time any man undertakes to put into
effect any Of the demands of the peo-
pies party the whole population seems
to endorse him and stand by him. Even
the little tentative things that Roosc-
welt has done toward opposing trusts
and the domination or railroad corpo
rations, has put life into the whole
American people and as rar as those
acts are concerned, they are all for
Roosevelt
Another thing is evident. IF any
change in the manner of administering
the government is effected for ths bet
ter it must be done by adopting these
populist principles. There is no other
Aodu W 1ClOIm IL uuSb D6 TeIOTIu
along populist lines or no reform at
all. What thing can be done for the
benefit of the whole people that is not
indicated in the populist principles? It
is just as impossible to put out plat
form of advancement and reform, not
containing the principles of the pao-
pies party as it would he to set up a
moral code and leave out the ten com
mandments and the Sermon on the
Mount. That is shown by the fact that I
the Bryan democrats frs stole a part
of our platform and now Roosevelt is
stealing a part Of it.
One might just as well try to invent
another set of mathematical axioms
than those Euclid, as to substitute an
other set of principles upon which to
found good government for those found |
in the peoples party platforms. The