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About The Wealth makers of the world. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1894-1896 | View Entire Issue (June 27, 1895)
8- VOL. VIL GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP Am a Preyentlon to Private Monopoly Trusts Only n Outgrowth of Fvil Condition The following private letter from Sena tor Marion Butler, of North Carolina, to a friend in that state, contains bo many good things that The Wealth Makers reproduces it: Deah Sib: Yours of May 7th, address ed to me at Religh, has just been for warded to me here, where I am recuperat ing in the country. Several other strong books have been , published on the government ownership of railroads. I have several of them in my office at Religh, and if I were there I would send you a copy which would fully answer all your questions and meet all your objections to that plank in the People's party platform. Allow me to call your nttention to the historic fact that Thomas Jefferson and the other leading patriots who formed our consti tution were uncompromisingly opposed to all kinds of monopolies. They con sidered monopolies the greatest menace to liberty and the deadliest foe to free institutions. They took the position that any business which affected all or a great portion of the people, under cir cumstances where there could be no successful competition by men of small capital, was a government function and should be owned and operated by the government at cost, for the benefit of all the people alike. In short, they were opposed to all monopolies and they were unalterably opposed to allowing private individuals or corporations to have charge of or control any business that was a monopoly per se. They foresaw that private corporations would run uch a business, not for the benefit of the people, but would take advantage of their monopoly to bleed the people for the benefit of the few. The postal sys tem of this country is a monopoly per se, therefore, on this reasoning they decided that the postal system should be owned and operated by the government instead of by private corporations. If there had been railroads or a telegraph at that time our forefathers whould nave had them run by the government just as the mails ar", and for the same reason. If the same parties who are now running the railroads nad charge of the postal system, it would cost not less than ten cents and probably more to send a letter when it can now be sent for two cents un der government management. And be sides, the people could not get a post- office and mail line where they needed it until they convinced the mail monopoly , that such an office and such a mail line would pay big money into the pockets of the private corporation, or until the people would vote by townships and counties to tax themselves to raise thousands of dollars to give to the mail monopoly, as the people often have to do now to get a railroad. Thus you see that bad it not been for the wisdom and patriotism of our forefathers, we would today be cursed by a tremendous mail monopoly, which would be daily absorb ing the substance of the people on the one hand and building up another class of haughty and oppressive millionaires on the other hand who would be styled postal kings. But this is not the worst side of such a oernicious system of private monopoly. tor when the people would begin to com plain of the bad, expensive and discrimi- nating'management of the mails, and call noon their state legislatures and congress to regulate the price of postage tjj and correct other abuses, these, postal j kings would at once give a franking privilege (a free pass for their letters) to every prominent politician who would take it, just as the telegraph monopoly now does. Not only this, but they would in the next campaign use a part of the millions (they had wrung from the peo ple) to defeat every honest candidate, and if a majority should be elected against them, they would send a hord of hired lobbyists to our legislative halls to defeat the will of the people. The people might by a supreme effort get some law passed for theirprotection, or they might even get a post commission established with full power to regulate the price of postage, to force the mail monopoly to establish new offices and postal lines where necessary, and to deliver the mail oftener or in a manner more convenient to the people but from some cause, whether from a want of courage or be cause the mail monopoly managed to make friends with them, such a commis sion would never rise to the point of cor recting the abuses or forcing these corpo rations to do justice. But if they at tempt to dp it, a lot of newspapers which would be owned and run by the mail monopoly, would at. once commence a tirade of abuse and misrepresentation. They would brand them as anarchists. and make many good men believe that the commission were bad and dangerous men. Is thisnotexactly what the railroad corporations, telegraph monopoly and express companies are doing. If it was necessary for the government to own and operate the postul system, to give the people a good mail service at cost, to i protect their rights and to prevent the i creation 01 ncn monopolies that would "Corrupt the government, is it not a hun j died times more important for the trans portation of the country to be managed in the same way that the people may en joy the same beneficent results? If the government owned and operated all these other businesses which are also monopolies per Be, as it does the mail system, and we had an honest financial system, there would be more wealth in this country, and yet there would not be a half dozen millionaires in our borders. Of course we would have some poor peo ple as we have now, and some would be richer than others; but there would not be a single man or woman in America who is able to work and willing to work who could not make a living. We might say that there would not be a single trust in America. Trusts are only possible wnere the above evils exist. In short, a trust is only the product and result of alio wing private corporations to have a complete monopoly of our money and transportation. I agree with you that the financial question is now paramount and should be made the one overshadowing issue in the next campaign. But I entirely dis agree gith you that we should altogether drop the railroad plank from our plat form. The correct solution of the rail road question is almost of equal import ance to our people as t he correct solution of the financial question. The great panic which we have passed through, and from which we are still suffering, and the great scarcity of money have forced the financial question to the front, and awakened thousands of people to the im portance of a change, who had never be fore read our platform, and did not even know that there was anything the mat ter with our financial system. Thus the opportunity is ripe for concentrating under one banner, every patriot in Ame rica to overthrow the money changers who, for thirty years have been infesting and corrupting the temples of our liber ties. When this victory is won, then I shall favor making a war to the finish on the ereedy, Kraepinsr, private monopolies, which today are using and abusing the great functions of government that should be owned by our people and used by the people. I f this is not done, even theughweget an honest financial system these great railroad kings and monopo lists would continue to absorb the weal tn and substance of the people, until they would absolutels own and run the gov ernment forever. It is true that it is not popular just now to advocate the gjov eroment ownership of railroads, but it is never popular to advocate any great re forms, however righteous, until enough of the people are awakened to its neces sity to frighten the politicians, time servers and newspapers of the old parties who have been fostering the evil and fattening on it, at the expense of the peo ple. You doubtless remember that a few years ago. when I was president of my State Alliance, my speeches and edito rials against the national banking sys tem, and in favor of a financial reform, were sneered at and ridiculed by all of the old party politicians and newspapers; They called me a silver crank, and said that they were opposed to 58 cent silver dollars, and inflation of the currency. Every leading Democratic paper in the state claimed that there was more money in circulation than ever before, and pub' lished long statements of figures doctor ed and patched up by the secretary of the treasury to prove their claim. Jiivery day their columns were filled with argu ments to try to show that a farmer could buy more with a dollar than ever before. Then they were asked to explain the cause 01 the bard times. Une day they would say it was because the people were too lazy to work; the next day they would say that the people had worked too much and made an overproduction, You remember this very weli, and so do the people of this stat6. Yet now nearly every one of these papers and politicians have suddenly changed front and ar loudly denouncing the same financial evils that we denounced then, and are trying to holler louder for financial re form than even the most ardent Popu list. These men have not changed their principles for they have none. They are simply trying to fool the people in another way. By the time the financial question is settled the increasing greed and oppression of these railroad mono' polies will become so apparent and intol erable to the people, that they will rise up and demand a just and adequate re- torm ot these abuses as strongly as tuey are now demanding financial reform. When that time comes the same news papers and politicians who have so sud denly changed front on the financial question will then, with equal dexterity, change Iron ton the transportatiun ques tion, and for the same reason. By that time, if not before, the people will have become so thoroughly disgusted with the hypocrisy and perfidy of the two old par ties that they will have gome almost en masse to the People's party; and then the government will be saved and free dom and prosperity will be restordd. INTERESTING PARAGRAPHS The best money for the people is the money tho Danxers light the hardest. No man ever shows how mean he can be until he finds himself rich enough to be independent. Strange as it may seem the Populists never gain ground until they learn to stand their ground. When themoney sharks learn that the People have found them out there will be no money sharks. It's not a lack of money but a lack of men who have money that's hurting business just now. The poor have rights that the rich al ways respect under the law, but it is be cause the rich make the laws. 1L LINCOLN, NEB., THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1895. Labor is the father of capital, but the child won't acknowledge that its parents have any influence over it If some old party men didn't so earn estly denounce the People's party it wouldn't be half so thoroughly adver tised. The evils that monopoly is hatching out will fortunately frighten it to death when they come home full grown on a visit. ,v Land is the heritage of ths people, but the bankers know only too well how to get possession of the birthrights of the majority. Tbebankerscan always find arguments against the financial policy that will en able the people to get along without bor rowing. We never realize how cheaply we have sold ourselves until something comes up to convince us that we are owned by the railroads. There are smart men in the old parties but they unconsciously talk in a way that encourages the masses to join the Peo ple's party. Everything is possible for those who work, and everything remains in a state of possibility for those who won't work intelligently. When the head is full of honest ideas and purposes the bocket-book is apt to be empty if there is a capitalist in-the neighborhood. The only way to avoid repudiation according to the theory of the goldbugs is for the people to deed their lands to them and then die. ( . The silver dollar may only be worth 50 cents, but we have.to pay interest upon 100 cents for every silver dollar the gold bugs lend us. The true Populist admits that we are all creatures of circumstances, but jumps in to create the circumstances he is to be the creature of. The money-barons believe in the com mandment "Thou shalt not kill," for they can hire Pinkerton men and gather guns for that purpose. Rockefeller says he wants to be worth $500,000,000 before he dies, but he will find this sum contemptibly small for his wants in his future world. The people pay more than the railroads towards supporting the government, and on top of it all the people pay all the ex penses of the railroads. "A stitch in time saves nine" for the money lender, while the people who do the stitching are going around with the seats of their breeches out. The railway magnates believe that all transportation should be in the interest of the people, but they are the only peo ple they regard as such in the case. The effort to explain the principles of the People's party to some men is tanta mount to an attempt to load a22calibr rifle with a 48-calibre cartridge. The railway agent at your point can afford to sympathize with you, for ho realizes that hiscompany employs lobby ists who know how to secure the sympa thy of the law makers. The commandment, "Six days shalt thou labor," was promulgated before the days of gold-bugs. The seventh day is now necessary to work out the interest upon money due the capitalists. , Our forefathers got rich because they believed that it was "better to go to bed hungry than to rise in debt," but mono polists intend to see that the people are kept poor by making them do both. The $500,000,000 Standard Oil King Rockefeller is going to accumulate repre sents 500 days work of 1,000,000 men at $1 a day each, to say nothing of in sufficient food and poorly clad children. Forty years ago the American people crushed out slave power, but it required four years and bullets to do it; the peo ple wi!i soon wipe out the money power and but one day and ballots will be suffi cient. The working class have just as much right to assume that their earnings shall not be reduced below the cost of living, as manufacturers have to say that wages must not be advanced beyond the limit of profits. It is a noteworthy fact that the Income Tax has made paupers of the very rich, the only difference between them and the country poor, being that one class lives in the poor house while the other reside? in mansions. If we get cheap dollars we can pay our debts, but that will be repudiation accor ding to the goldbugs; if we don't get cheap dollars we can't pay our debts and the goldbugs say that is repudiation. Money put to bad use is bad money; money held in reserve is no money, but to demonstrate these truths the capita lists have absorbed all the money, be cause they know the working people will find a better and different wav to invest it. Is it limited intellect or restricted mor als on the part of congress that can see its way clear to make a silver dollar out of 50 cents-worth of silver bullion, and yet cannot see theadvisability of making a paper dollar legal tender? Or is it that our old party lawmakers are willing to compromise at 50 cents on the dollar? Vox Populi. The Omaha Platform Reviewed We demand a national currency, safe, onnd and flexible, issued by the general government only, etc. From the very fact that our country is undivided the necessity arises that our money should be national. If individuals or sepera testates were permitted to have seperate money which they could retire or multiply at their will, it would pro duce a condition of confusion and anar chy, which, sooner or later would result in financial ruin. It would not be safe or sound, because the stability and useful ness of money depends on the ability and determination of the power that issues it to enforce its payment of debts, and states or individuals would be unable to do this if their money was circulated out side of their own jurisdiction and unwill iug if at any time it would suit their own interests better. It should be a "full legal tender for all debts," because it would be unjust to the debtor if there was a class of debts for which there was no legal tender. And when but a small part of the money is legal tender for all debts, it gives an un fair advantage to those whom chance or cupidity has given possession of it, over those who need it to discharge their obli gations. "Without the use of banking corpora tions." ' The present financial Bystem by which the money necessary for the payment of debts it nd for making purchases must all pass through chartered banks, and still with no legal obligation resting on the banks to furnish it when required, is an insult to t he intelligence of the people, an inexcusable and unfair system of class legislation, and gives the bankers power to cripplo the government and oppress the people at their will. A system by which a government financial agent for each market town and center of trade should be elected by the voters thereof. Agents to give good and sufficient bonds for the safe and honestly conducting the business, and to be paid a salary for the same. To receive all legal money on de posit which may be offered by individuals, or corporations and to give certificates therefore in the name of the government. To receive for the government such addi tional amount of money as might be necessary to supply the dera ands of the people, and when required, to loan the same to those who required it for legiti mate business or use, taking ample and sound security therefore, and charging just such a uniform rate of interest through out the country as shall be esti mated from time to time as necessary to meet the expenses of the same. This would be a system carrying out the letter and spirit of the Omaha platform. Such a system would put the money of the ;ountry under the full control of the people and the people's government. The reference to the Sub-Treasury Plan of the Farmers Alliance is unfortunate in that it is imperfectly understood. A rough draft of a plan was made by Ma cuneof Georgia from a southern stand point and presented by him to a secret session of the first St. Louis Industrial Conference held in the winter of 1892. This was confessedly imperfect and was only presented for future consideration and discussion. But it was stolen by some enterprising reporter and appeared in the leading dailies the next morning. This is what is referred toby onrenemies But the latter plan, as recomiiienle above, which is a Sub-Treasury Plan, hm been substantially adopted by our owi and other states. The demand for increasing the circulat ing medium arises from the fact that t lie period of greatest prosperity in thit country, and in f ranee was when at leasi that amount was within reach of th people. Railroad and telegraphs next week. 11. In a republic there is a peaceful remedy for every wrong except that one wliic'l gets a million dollar railway franclii from a 50 cent politician in exchange foi free transportation and make the $5. 000 farmer pay 3 cents a mile for mini; through his own land on the cars. Killed Hit Bride of TUlgh. Bostojt, Mass., June 26. Frank Brown, an Italian, who was married last night, fired four shots at his bride this morning, one of them taking ef fect in the left side. After the shoot ing Brown fled in the direction of Chel sea, since which he has not been seen. The victim died soon after. Tain of Oklahoma Property. Guthrie, Ok., June 26. The terri torial board of equalization has com pleted its work, the total assessed val uation of taxable property in the terri tory, exclusive of railroad property, teinffo36.821.654. N, E. A. at Denver. July 5th to 12th, 1805 The quickest time and best train serv ice is offered by the Union Pacific System Low rates and liberal arrangements for a charming variety of Excursions to Western Resorts, comprising a tour through the famous Yellowstone Nation al Park; trips to San Francisco, Port land, and Salt Lake City; the famous mountain retreats of Colorado, the Black Hills and renowned Hot Springs, South Dakota; the Summer School at Co lorado Springs, and other attractions S ee Union Pacific agent 1044 O street. ZIRHUT IN CUSTODY. Absconding Bank CaahUr Brought Baek to Face tho lfualc Will J. Zirhut, cashier of the Bank of Milligan, Fillmore county, who ab sconded last January and left his bank a wreck, arrived in Lincoln Monday evening securely handcuffed and was taken on to Geneva. His arrest in Baltimore was chronicled in these columns and advance notice of his ar rival in Lincoln brought ont quite a number of people who are interested in the case. He reached the city at 5:55 on the Burlington train from Chi cago, und was in the custody of C. O. Morgan, who brought him back on a requisition issued by Governor Hol comb. When the train pulled in Zir hut was looking out of an open win dow in the smoking car. After a time spent in Lincoln he was taken to Gen eva and placed in jail. , "Pora" Mapla Syrnn. Several well-known business men of Hastings were taken in last week by an oily-tongued gentleman who was Belling "pure" maple syrup at $1 a gallon. One gentleman took $6 worth another 83. But when the goods were delivered one of the victims, who had grown suspicious, opened a jug and Sampled it. It tasted about as much like maple syrup as any mixture of sugar and water could be made to taste without coming in actual con tact with the original article. . When he discovered the cheat he made a bee line for the hotel and caught the seller before he got out of town and got his money back. A Fatal Bolt. Frank Kilkenny, seventeen-year-old son of Larry Kilkenny, a farmer living two miles east of Shelton, was killed by lightning during a thunderstorm Monday afternoon. The boy had been cultivating corn and he and his two sisters who were with him had got into the wagon to go to the house, some distance away, when the storm carre up. The two girls were rendered Snconscious and both horses were illed. The girls recovered conscious ness soon and went to the house and reported that their brother was dead. The boy's clothes were nearly burned Off and his body was badly scorched. Wanted 'Em Inoenlated. E. Wrigley of Harbine sent Secretary of State Piper a nice little bottle Mon day neatly wrapped and upon being opened the contents proved to be an assortment of chinch bugs and earth. A postal card accompanied the pack age and contained a request for the secretary of state to inoculate the pests and return them. His inoculator was not in working order, therefore he telephoned the state university experi ment station and in due time Mr. Wrigley will receive a nice package of inoculated bugs which he can turn loose in his field to spread death and destruction among all the other little bugs. Two Sew Storms. Two terrific electrical storms passed over Pierce Sunday morning about 1 find 4 o'clock. The last one seemed to be most violent, the sky being contin ually filled with a reddish pink flame, much like the electrical flame on a dynamo. Crash after crash of thunder succeeded each other in rap d succes sion and brought the soundest sleepers ont of their slumber as ' well as out of bed. It is pronounced the worst elec trical storm ever experienced in Pierce. It was accompanied by a heavy down pour of rain and a strong wind. So far no damage to crops by the storm has been reported. Prlie Fight at Fierce. The scrap at Pierce Monday night between Bill Smith of Denver and Bob Bodke of Norfolk resulted in a serious accident. Smith won the first rounp easily. In the second Smith over reached and landed with his wrist on Bodke's neck, resulting in a broken arm for Smith. The Denver man fought the third round with his left hand, but the Norfolk slugger landed a hard one on Smith's jaw, laying him out. j Fir at Braver City. Three wooden business buildings in Beaver City were totally destroyed by fire at 1:30 Monday morning. The fire originated in the second story of a vacant Store and had gained consider able headway when discovered.. The other buildings were occupied by a millinery store aud a shoe shop. Loss is about 82,000; no insurance The origin of the fire is unknown. A Bad Boy. Arthur Snyder, a boy who has made a local reputation as a thief, broke into Robert Spencer's livery barn at Hastings Monday morning and stole a gold and a silver watch. Last week he forged a note for $8 on Spencer and had it cashed at the German National bank. His thieving has cost his father nearly $200. in the last year and he says now that the boy will have to go to the reform school. When you feel "as cross as a cat," a dose of Ayer's Pills will myke you feel as good-natured as a kitten.' Try them for biliousness. v. NO. 3 AROYALCOUPLEMADEONE The Dak of Aotto and Princess Helen of Orleans United la Marriage. Lohdoit, June 26. Prince Emanuel Filibert, duke of Aosta, nephew of King Humbert of Italy, was married ( to-day at the church of St. Raphael, ' Kingston on Thames, to the Princess Helene of Orleans, second daughter of the Countess of Paris and sisrer of tho -Duke of Orleans. The route from Kingston railway station to the church was spanned by triumphant arches, made dazzling with color by a multitude of French and Italian flags and ensigns and by es cutcheons representing the arms of Savoy and of the house of Orleans. Enthusiastic masses of people lined the ... streets of Kingston and cheered the ar rivals most heartily. ' Nine gentlemen of the Orleans household in full dress, black lined with blue silk, with gold buttons and white waistcoats and wearing many orders and other decorations, had charge of the church. There they re ceived the ladies and gentlemen, tho former in georgeous toilets and the latter nearly all in splendid uniforms, who came by carriages. ? In front of the alter were two gold chairs, upholstered with red velvet, for the use of the bride and bridegroom, and on either side of them were similar gilt chairs for the witnesses to the marriage ceremony. The family pews, draped with red velvet, trimmed with gold, were reserved for the members of the Orleans family and for the rela tives of the Duke of Aosta. The' duke of Aosta, in the uniform of his regiment (he is colonel of tho Fifth regiment of the Italian artillery), and wearing the order of the Black Eagle, entered the church at 10:20 o'clock and shook hands cordially with the duke of Orleans, after which he seated himself on the gold chair pre pared for his use. . Princess Helene of Orleans, occupy ing a closed carriage with her mother, the widowed Countess of Paris, crossed Kingston bridge at a quarter of 11, bowing modestly to cheers which rose from the masses of people lining the route to the church. As soon as the bride was at the altar the service commenced, both bride and, bridegroom making the responses, in English in clear voices. At the conclusion of the marriage ceremony, which only lasted ten min utes, the Duke and Duchess Aosta entered the sacristy, followed , by tho prince of Wales and the prince of Naples. There the books were signed and the formalities were completed. While the marriage is one of great , state importance, the groom being one step removed from the Italian throne and the prince of Naples being un married.love is declared to have played a prominent part in the match. The bride was collected throughout but her mother was deeply affected. ' EXPEDITION TO CUBA. ( Bevolntlonlats About to Send a Force From an Island In th Wt Indies," New York, June 26. The Cuban revolutionists, it is said, are about to send another big expedition to the island. This one will be under the command of Colonel Callageo, and will start from a small island in the West Indies, which is owned by an English man. The latter is in sympathy with the Cubans' cause. The landing will be made in Vulta Abajo. All the . arms and ammunition have already been sent to the island. With Cal lageo go 150 veterans of the last revo lution, as well as several West Point graduate! Six Gatling guns, six Hotchkiss one pound rapid fire guns, 1,500 Winchester rifles and 75,000 rounds of ammunition for the rifles and a large quantity of ammunition for the guns are to be carried by the expedition.. The work of landing this ' large cargo will be dangerous. Gomez has sent to the coast all the men he can spare to protect the expe dition. Three unsuccessful attempts, were made to secure a steamer in Florida, but one was finally secured from one of the West India islands. Revolutionists in the city are elated over the news that Cienfugos has taken arms. Cienfugos is a Spanish stronghold. There are five Spaniards to one Cuban. The Spaniards are the owners of all the large plantations in that vicinity and were giving aid to Compos. The insurgents decided to cripple them by . blowing up their sugar crushing machinery, which is very costly, with dynamite, and this they did. The destruction by means of dynamite of the two small forts in Santiago de Cuba, as well as the rail roads in that province, is reported by the insurgents. In Cuban circles the report that Bur medeze, with his band, had surrendered, is denied. Dr. Gomez Y. Castro said: "As a matter of fact it was he who acted as leader in the uprising of Cienfugos. A baad of seven men in Camajuania,near Holguin, surrendered but not in Camajuani in Las Villas." Consignment Sale, of fine Trimmed Hats, (from an overstocked milliner) of values from $1.25 to $8.00 at prices of 48c to $3.50. The Racket, 1016 P St, See our Campaigu offer on first page. The Wealth Makers from now till No vember 1st for only 30c. Every voter in Nebraska should read this paper.