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The Commoner
VOLUME 10; NUMBER 1
12
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tlio comnilttoo on agriculture) in the
Jiouho. Tlio purpose of the bill is to
prosorvo water-shod by conservation
of, trees and roforestrfttioii whoro
jibcGSftiiry.
A. J. Hnlford, formerly n nowspa
flor man of considerable prominence,
and in recent years editor of the
Congressional Directory, died in
Washington, after sovoral weolcB ill
ness. Mr. Hnlford was a brother of
Major Elijah W. Hal ford, private
Bocrotary to President Harrison. Sov
oral years ago ho was connected with
various metropolitan papers as a po
litical writer in Washington. Mr.
Hal ford was a native of Ohio, and
was CO years old.
Tlio Plckott conservation bill, au
thorizing tho president to make with
drawals of public lands for purposes
of conservation, was passed by tlio
houso.
.The sonato committoo on public
lands purposes to make unpatented
railroad grant lands, which lie within
forest reserves, subject to taxation.
Senator Hughes has reported to tho
sonato tho Nelson bill, which would
roquiro tho railroads to supply tho
money for rc-survoys of such lands.
Thoro aro between four and five rail
lion acres of tlieso railroad grant
lands in tho United States. The
railroads having property that was
not taxable have been content to hold
tho lands for tho natural increase in
value.
A Washington special to tho Lin
coln, Nob., Star under date of April
18 says: "Congressman McKinley
of Illinois, who has recently been
through Iowa, Nebraska and Minne
sota, camo back to Washington to
day with gloomy news for tho repub
lican congressional committee. Con
gressman McKinley states with con
fidence that tho next house would be
democratic if tho election were to
bo held at the present time. He
thinks the chances for democratic
success in tho middle western states
have never been so dangerous to the
republican forces."
Miss Mary Kathorine Letterman, a
clerk in the state department, has
boon selected to servo as social sec
retary to Mrs. Taft. Miss Letterman
succeeds Miss Spiers, who resigned
after two weeks' service in the White
Houso. Miss Letterman is a native
of Pennsylvania and was. educated in
Franco.
Socialist Plans in Milwaukee
Victor E. Borgor, loading socialist
and ono of tho now aldormon elected
in Milwaukee, has given to tho Asso
ciated PreBS a statement outlining
tho principles that will guard the
Soidol administration during tho
noxt two years. Mr. Borgor's state
ment in full is as follows:
"A dotallod review of what tho
socialist-democratic administration of
Milwaukoo intends to accomplish
during tho noxt two jroars will be
contained in the mayor's inaugural
message. I wish only to state tho
gonoral principles upon which wo
wore elected on Anrll G. T. of course.
will not repeat tho platform.
"In tho first place, tho social
domocratic party of Milwaukee Is an
integral part of tho socialist party
of America'. In Wisconsin wo aro
officially named the 'social-demo-democratlc
party' which is tho cus
tomary international name.
"Tho socialist party of America
is. tho American expression of the in
ternational movement of modern
wago workers for better food, better
houses, sufficient sloop, more leisure,
moro education and more culture.
"The founders of the republic de
cltiTod for political freedom. But wo
call attention to the fact that since
should operate its public utilities, the
motive and the opportunity for brir
bery would be gone, even if minor
evils and breaches of trust might
continue, owing to the corrupting in
fluence of the capitalistic system
which makes money getting tho sole
aim of life.
"Tho social democracy therefore,
objects to moro competition in pub
lic utilities; more competition means
more corruption.
"We stand for the public owner
ship of public utilities; but until we
reach this, we will enforce the ut
most extension and possible service
from these utilities, as far as the
present laws will permit.
"We look upon the contract sys
tem also as a danger. It constantly
induced contractors to bribe city offi
cials on one, hand and to exploit their
workmen on the other. Moreover, it
is always in tho interest of the city
that citizens earn decent wages;
therefore, instead of contractors, tho
labor unions ought to be encour
aged. "The city should stand pledged,
so far as the charter permits, to em
ploy only union labor, at eight hours
ployed can solve no industrial prob
lems, but it is the least that can bo
done as a ifiiimane duty toward those
in distress.
"Free education is essential to a
high civilization. Free books aro
much a part of free education as
free teachers and free school houses.
Tho social democracy demands that
books and school utensils be fur
nished free to all pupils attending
the public schools.
"This naturally leads us to the
question of taxes. If corporations
bore their share of taxes figured
even at the present valuation ;tliG
taxes of all citizens . could be re
duced 20 per cent, and there would
still be enough money left in the city
treasury which could be used for
public improvements of all kinds.
"Public health requires more at
tention to factories and workshops,
better plumbing, more public baths
and a system of public street closets,
such as is found in European cities.
"Public health also demands an
extension of the free medical ser
vice. At the present time, mariv n.
disease and even epidemics get their
a day, and should require that the I origin from the fact that poor people
velops that the battle for human
rights has become a battle to deter
mine which form of government we
shall have in the future plutocracy
or democracy.
"Political liberty alone has be
come inadequate; we must have both
political and economic liberty. 'To
secure this is the aim of the social
democracy. "In city affairs, wo stand for the
public ownership of municipal utili
ties. We are well aware, however,
that Milwaukee does not enjoy self
Buvorumem, ana mat, as a rule, no
steps can be taken in that direction
without an appeal to tho state legis-
luiuiu m ixiauison,
"In municipal affairs, tho social
democracy stands also for radical
change that will bring about means
of production into the hands of the
people. It believes in soif a..
mont for the city, the initiative, the
referendum, and the right to recall,
m , Jlia1, uua equitable taxation, in
efficient sanitary inspection .on work
shops and houses and in the public
control of tho food supply in' the in-
iicbi8 oi tno public health and in
the highest development of a reason
able Till hi 1f anKlrtnn At 11.. ..
call attention to the fact that since time the anTi . tue proper
Wo call attention to the fact that
measures wo urge are in no way a
complete cure for existing evils, nor
arG thy nGcessarily socialistic meas
ures. Thev are tn ho vamaA i,
, ' - - - "W "1-lltU 1UIUU1
same of all contractors doing city
woric.
"The money made out of the city
by contractors will better go toward
the relief of the unemployed:
"First, by the improvement of the
streets; second, by the establishment
of public coal and wood yards, and a
public ice house.
"In this climate ice is as neces
sary in summer as coal is in the
winter. These necessities should be
sold at cost. The city could easily
harvest an abundance of ice during
the winter months, thus employing
many citizens who would otherwise
have to receive public aid. We re
alize that giving work to the unem-
shrink from consulting a Dhvsician
"because of the expense, until it is
too late.
"This is a general outline of the
principles that will guide the social
democratic administration.
"As to the working details we
shall have to refer to our platform
and the message of our mayor, Emil
Seidel.
"We are hampered by an obso
lete charter and laws made in favor
of the capitalist class, and the capi
talist class only, but we again prom
ise the best administration this city
has ever had, and as far as human
effort can secure it, we will-make
good our promise."
in Industry has taken place. For
merly hand labor and individual ef
fort produced the necessities of man
kind. Today machine labor and so
cial or associated labor are the
moans of producing those necessi
ties. And while in that former time
it was tho imperative duty of the
government to protect the individual
in possession of tho property he had
produced so today it is enuallv the
duty of the government to protect
associated labor, that is to say, tho
whole body of working people in
the possession of the products of
their toil.
"Tho present system of social pro
duction by individual ownership has
produced two classes the property
less class and the capital class. Tho
middle class, once tho backbone of
this great nation, is fast disappearing
in tho mill of competition and the
issue is now between the first two
classes. All attempts to obscure this
issue or to delay the settlement aro
futile, for all other issues will be
speedily absorbed by it. Thus it de-
Boys and
for These
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Ihe main spring of corruption in
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