The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1910-09-09
NEED OF INSURGENT POLITICS
Robert Moran Writes Letter to Judge
Miles Poindexter on the Theme
of Good Government
Rosario, Wash, Aug. Do, 1910.
Hon. Miles Poindexter, Spokane.

pressed with the honesty of purpose
expressed in your speech at Friday
Harbor. Certainly such doctrine for
government cannot fail to receive the
support of the majority and insure your
election.
Every good American should wish to
see the integrity and authority of the
United States maintained and perpetu-
ated on the lines laid down by the
founders of the republic. They should
want to have it maintained as a govern
ment that will give the greatest free
dom and comfort to all its citizens.
History shows that the government of
the United States during the past 20
years, with a continually increasing
speed, has drifted from a government
for all the people alike to that of a gov
ernment for continually decreasing
number. AS that number decreases,
their wealth and influence increases.
1t is now apparent to thinking people
that unless there is change, consti-
tutional government will fail. 1t is
useless-it is worse than that, it is
childish-to close our eyes to this. 1t
is also useless and wrong to attempt to
stop the great moral wave now sweep
ing the country under the leadership
of what is foolishly called insurgen-
cy."
That for which the progressives
stand is what the people want and will
have. AS see the truth, the
American people are now, thru the re-
volt of the republican party, attempt
ing to form a true government for
themselves, government that will best
serve to give to each his just share of
what nature put into the public store
house of this country, the mines, the
timber and the soil.
The cry that conservation will stop
so-called development would De true if
we considered only the commonly ac
cepted meaning of that term; that is to
say, it will stop the acquisition Of the
remaining heritage of the American
people by few private interests and
corporations.
There are no issues now that justify
the perpetuation Of either the republi-
can or democratic parties under their
present control but there will be re-
publican party that will form a govern
ment for all the people. If any other
party is formed it will be for the class
es.
The United States was the richest
country in natural resources the world
has ever known, and its natural wealth
has been a free for alp grab. The
larger portion has fallen into the hands
of, comparatively speaking, very few
individuals and corporations. During
this grab" period, everybody has
naturally been more or less prosperous.
The problem of raising revenue for the
conduct of the government has been
an easy one, and the principal function
of the government has been acting as
receiving and disbnrsing agent. So
far, with few exceptions, namely peri
ods of war, there has been no direct
tax on the people for the support of
the national government, the revenues
being received from internal revenue
taxes and duty on imports, the latter
made possible by the workings of
high protective tariff system. The re-
suit of that almost impregnable tariff
wall has been to stop competition from
abroad, and consequently to build up
in the United States some of the rich
est and most powerful trusts and com
binations of capital of which history has
any record. Some of these command
wealth that almost equals the financial
resources OF the government. This
great aggregation of wealth, under the
control of few men, has been almost
wholly acquired during period of
about 25 years. The basic value of
this great wealth is largely the illegal
CQulolllOu VI lIlC JuOilS ieill0oS WIN
their rich store OF minerals, coal, oil
and timber. This has been the rob-
berry OF natures storehouse.
1t has made possible the building of
railroadsswhose high earnings, thru the
charging of exorbitant rates, have in
vited and encouraged the raising OF the
capitalization of such roads to many
times their physical cost. A burden
some tax, levied in the form of exorbi-
tant and unequal rates against the pro-
ducer and consumer, has resulted in
order that dividends might be paid on
such highly watered stocks.
Under the protection of the high
tariff, trusts and combinations have
been formed which are today effective
ly controlling the cost Of about all the
necessaries of life. Small competitors
have been put into bankruptcy. Up
to this writing there has not been an
effective control exercised by the gov