The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-07-26
Plea for an Independent
Party.
Editorial in Hcarst's Papers.


American business men. workers,
farmers. and citizens generally, are
becoming less and less Independent,
PARTLY because they have been showing
less independence in their acts as citi-
zens and voters.
The powerful men that hate indie
pendent voting have always united,
worked and fought together.
They have known what they wanted
they wanted to crush the independ-
mt citizen and business man-and they
have crushed him.
The great industrial enterprises OF
The country are monopolies-any in
!ividual starting out in those lines for
himself independently, would be looked
upon almost as a maniac. He would
have no chance of survival whatever.
The great necessities in industry, in
al departments of human effort, have
been seized. cornered, made the basis
Of trust operations. The Independent
man has become more and more feeble.
He has been more and more realizing
that a clerkship is about the best he
can hope for in place of old time in
dependence.
To oppose the corporations and the
corporation-own parties that have
united to exploit and destroy indie
pendent men, the independent men
70
1t must be perfectly clear to voters
in this country that independence Of
bought, independence of intellect, re-
quire an independent party to give
them expression.
The independence league, has been
started and is being extended all over
the United States in order that men
who think independently, may come in
contact with each other and act to-
gether.
The republican machine and the
democratic machine are simply the paid
and controlled tools of the modern
-empting toads the great trusts.
When the lists of candidates are
made up. republicans and democrats,
it does not make a bit of difference to
he trust whether you make your cross
in the democratic circle or in the re-
publican circle On the official ballot,
you are voting for the trusts anyhow.
Whether you vote for the democrat
that trusts picked out or for the re-
publican that trusts picked out makes
not the least difference. The repub-
lican trust candidate may be a little
more shameless thar the democratic
trust candidate. or vice versa, but both
will obey orders. only more or less
shamelessly.
The country has got to have a new
party. The independent men who see
the possibilities of independent success
becoming daily fewer have got to unite
to assert and vindicatc the rights of
the individuals that should make up
the national government
Does any man who reads this hon
estly believe that he has anything to
say about the actual government of
| this country, the selection of candi-
| dates?
, Is he not told On a certain date that
he must vote for this democrat or this
republican, and doesn't he know that
machine politicians owned by the
trusts have nominated them both?
| All things become rusty and corrupt
with time, and political parties and
machines are not exceptions to this
dule. The two great political parties
of the United States have fallen under
the same corrupting influence The
leader in either party who processes
opposition to trust power is looked
upon as joke, even by the people in
his own party.
An independent party. an independ-
ent political move. to be made up OF
business men, farmers, mechanics and
all that believe in the right of the in.
repehdent citizen to play part in the
national government, could combine
with their votes to teach republican
and democratic machine politicians
united under the trust banner, a lessor
of which they are badly in need.