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Vol. XIV.
LINCOLN, NEB., JAN. 22, 1903.
No. 35.
THE PEOPLE'S RULE
George Fred Williams Engaged Building
up a Mew Political Organization
in MaasaehusetU
For the .past year it habeen evi
dent that the people of the east are
just beginning to take an interest in
the study of economic questions, and
that conditions there are similar to
tuose prevailing - in this " state In the
early nineties. The Independent's sub
scription list is growing in New York.
Massachusetts and other eastern states
in gratifying manner, and the letters
it- receives from the east show that
populism is spreading rapidly.
George Fred Williams, whose mani
' f esto to the Gaston democracy of
Massachusetts was published in The
Independent some weeks ago has giv
en out a statement of and program for
proposed political organization and
action in Massachusetts, as follows:
V "THE PEOPLE'S RULE."
Great social, political and economic
changes, involving incalculable conse
quences to humanity, are now being
forced upon us, and in them the peo
ple's interests seem to be feebly guard
ed. There is, therefore, supreme ne
cessity in our politics for the im
pulse of a public opinion, directly,
boldly and decisively expressed.
.We believe this impulse will be fur-"
nished by an organization of voters oC
all . parties, with a new purpose, a
new method and a new program. We
suggest:
The purpose to restore, extend and
effectuate the sovereignty of the pop
ular will.
The method to force our principles
upon the parties andinsist upon their
loyalty thereto.
, 'The program three articles of
faith:
First, direct legislation, or the right
of the people at the polls to vote laws
or veto legislation.
-Second, th& ownership by the peo
ple of all public utilities.
Third, a restriction upon the power
of judges in equity to take the liberty
of the. citizen - without trial by jury.
' We do not propose a new political
party, but an" organization within
which members of any party may un
ite to bring their party to the sup
port of our principles.
. We would organize for the distribu
tion of literature, for full and free
debate, and for questioning and
pledging candidates, to the end that
our politicians, officials and legisla
tures may be turned from mastery to
service of tle people.
The name of the organization shall
be "The People's Rule." The various
organizations shall be known as
"councils," and be identified by the
name of the political sub-division to
which they belong.
The council units shall be towns an l
wards, but a provisional state council
shall be formed at once to promote
immediate local organization, secur3
state headquarters and perfect a plan
for adoption by the members as a per
manent state council.
v Unions of local councils may be
formed temporarily or permanently in
any political sub-division of the state.
'A citizen of the state may become
a member by signing his name and
postoffice address to the pledge printed
below, and sending the same to the
state treasurer with the sum of 2T
cents. ,
Any member paying the established
dues shall retain his membership un.
til he resigns, violates his pledge, Ot
is removed by vote of a majority of
the local council of which he is a
member.
The principles and policy of 'The
People's Rule" shall always be sub
ject to a vote ; by , ballot, and to the
will of a majority of all members vot
inc'. ;.: ; 1
Pledges with dues may, until further
notice, be sent to Edwin Stanley Mac
Farland, at 209 Washington stree.
Boston, and whenever there shall be
members equal to 1 per cent of the reg
istered voters in any town or ward
notice will be issued to them to or
ganize in such town or ward.
PLEDGE OF MEMBERSHIP.
" I hereby apply for membership in
the People's Rule, and pledge myself
during my membership to work for Its
principles and policy.
P. O. Address..
- Full name ,v.
v Ward of city............
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11 iu.
i .01 9
The Contest for the Control of the
Government Next Year Will be Be
tween the People, and Organized
Greed in the Form of Trusts
THE COAL FAMINE
IN WHICH ARMY WILL YOU ENLIST
The Independent Begins the Battle for the People
Now and Invites the Assistance and Co-Operation
of Every Patriotic and Liberty-Loving Citizen
00,009 FRESH RECRUITS ARE WANTED
To Assist in Spreading Educational Hatter and Per
fecting the Organization Until It Reaches Every
Hamlet and Precinct in the United States
Recruiting Coupon Subscription Books Unparalelled Offer for New Reader
The chaotic condition of American political parties was never more evident than
now. No man can foretell what the platforms will be. No man knows the party
alignment. The republican party discipline, once such a power for success, has
received a severe blow what with the "Iowa Idea," reciprocity, and. inability or
disinclination to cope with the trusts. The democra.ic party is in worse condition
with Ks shrewd, determined traitors to democracy at the helm in so many states.
The peoples party is united on questions of. principle, but at present is. divided on
questions purely of party policy. This makes it in somewhat better shape for
presenting a united front to the enemy next year if the mid-roaders and fusion
ists will get together on a program for securing what they are united in wanting.
The socialists are even more irreconcilably, divided, and one faotiqn contemptu
ously refers to the other as "kangaroos." . . . . . . ; . . ; :. , r v
-Such a condition indicated a .great deal of independent thinking on tho part of,
voters of all parties. It may presage the final overthrow of party politics and the
inauguration.' of direct legislation, ;. In any, event there" is .doubtless a, majority
among the .'American voters, upon whom the party, yoke setsVery lightly voters
who will vote with the political party in 1901 whose platform promises the most
for good government and whose candidates are such men of integrity as to causa
no doubt about fulfilment of the platform promises if giFen power.
Questions of grave importance press upon the American people for solution.
The great questions money, land and transportation pointed out in the Omaha
populist national platform of 1892, are still unsolved. Growing out of and inci
dental to these is the trust question, which bids fair to overshadow all others.
The republican party is showing itself utterly incompetent or unwilling to cope
with the trusts. With one faction of the democratic party in power the result
would be no better.
The Independent is a people's party paperor "populist." if vou prefer the name"
It stands for the reforms demanded in the national platforms of the people's party
It stands for the public 'ownership and government operation of the railroads (and
kindred utilities) as the lirst step in breaking tho backbone of the tru&ts. It
taid.s for postal savings banks to safe guard the . savings of America's bone and
iim-w--ue men ana women who labor with haud and braiu. It stands for the
oveirmif-iit i-t.uo of all money, whether gold coin, silver coin or paper notes, every
dollar to be a full legal tender, without the intervention of private banking insti
tutions of any kind -the second step in trust smashing. And it stands for a grad
uated income tax to gradually supplant the iniauitous tariff-r-the final blow in.
rendering trusts harmless.
There is no present need for any man to change his party coat. Let him cal
himself republican, democrat, populist, socialist, or what not But if he believes
in the things briefly sketched above believes they would inure to his benefit and
the benefit of all who work at useful labor let him enlist as one of The Inde
dendent's "Recruits for 1901" Let him agitate these questions. Talk about them
to his neighbor. Read about them. Think about them. Don't worry about "what
v -,:t1 - Ci it-l O :n: n . - . .
aiij iuat win imo toio ui noon, ocvcu ui oigub minion voters an wanting
public ownership of railroads can't be kept divided forever.
The Independent will be modest in setting its mark. It will not ask for a
"million" new subscribers because it does not believe it could reach that in years,
if even But it does want 100,000 picked recruits for 1904 men who know what
they want and how to ask for it, and feels sure it will get them. It wants to en
list them for the war an army of sharpshooters, every man of whom will before
election day 1904 get ten other men to vote-with him for government railroads and
government money, an income tax and "down with the trusts." . '
RECRUITING COUPON BOOKS. ,
For the convenience of those who will assist in pushing the work of education
and organization, The Independent has prepared Recruiting Coupon Books of dif
ferent sizes, containing 5 or 10 or 25 detachable private mailing cards, each card
good for a "recruit" subscription to The Independent until after tjie election in
1904, (22 months from this time).
NO MONEY IN ADVANCE. .
We are williDg to trust you. Send your order for the book and we'll send it to
you. You can pay for the subscriptions after you have secured them. It costs
you nothing to try. The charge is $5.00 for a book of five; $10.00 for a book of 10
and $25.00 for A book of 25 coupons, payable after coupons are sold. Join as a
charter member enlist today.
Remember. Each and every recruit coupon is good for a subscription to be sent
to any address in the United States from now until November 17, 1904. Only $1.00
each in lots of five or more, payable after you have sold them. First orders in get
longest subscription, as back numbers cannot be promised.
BEOiN THE WORK NOW.
Send your order for a Recruiting Book. Put it in your pocket. Carry it with
you. Get a new recruit at every oppoitunity. -You'll be surprised how soon you'll
need a second book. - ,
Address THE INDEPENDENT, Llucoln, Nebraska.
Mr. De Hart Dltcueaea the Coal rimlu la
. New York Attorney General Should
be Bemored
Editor . Independent: I started fa.
to write on the "value of money," but
the coal famine ha -become so acuta
that I must turn aside and notice this.'
The worst feature of the whole mat
ter Is, that the senate does not pass
the bill giving the attorney general
$. 0,000, witn which to prosecute the
trus's. The house passed the bill be
fore the hollnaye, but the senate want
to talk. , - -
; The attorney general, however, has
no 'xcuse for net proceeding against
the coal trust Lr sause Mr. William R.
Hearst of the New. York American
has offered to furnish, the testimony.
This will relieve the government of
any expense and the attorney general
cannot say that he is in need of funds.
It, therefore, begins to look as if we
ought to have a new attorney general.
Th- president, himself, seems to be
tn earnest, but t'Jere Is a lack of spir
it in congress as well as in the at-
turney. general's office. . There is alto
gether too much disagreement among
the meitbers of the house of represen
tatives. ' ,
That there is actually a coal famine
in New York read the following from '
the New York World of January 8,
which U corroborated by all the other
papers: V "
"Coal sold yesterday as high as $11
a ton. , Within a week the price may
exceed $18. The fuel famine that
marked the closing days of the strike,
before the advent of cold weather,
will, it is feared, be duplicated in a
form more, diPtiessing to the people,
because of the mid-winter season.
"The independent operators have
formed an organization for the pur
pose of squeezing the public , to the
utmost limit They, held a meeting
yesterday and fixed upon a minimum
price of $10 'alongside' in Jersey City.
That , means at least $12 to the , con
sumer 'in this city. No maximum
price was set v " i 'r
; 'The one rule of the independent
operator from now on is to get the
highes price he possibly can. .
"Coal that 'ordinarily pomes to New
York will ' te shipped elsewhere if
higher, prices can be obtained. This
means that the supply of this city is
to be diminished materially. New -England
cities have suffered from a
fuel famine more severe than that
which has afflicted New York. ; If
Boston is willing to pay $18 a ton, and
New York but $15, Boston will get the -coal.
The place that bids the highest
will be the market of the indepen
dents f,om now on.
"Coxe Brothers, which, next to Mar
kle t? Co., is the biggest firm of independent-
operators, took instant ad
vantage of the no-maximum-price
rule and showed what the public must
expect now that the independents have
abrogated their agreement with the
combined coal-carrying roads. Though
most cf the independents sold coal
at thi minimum price of $10, Coxe
Brothers fixed an arbitrary price of
$12 a ton wholesale, freight across
the river from the Jersey side not in
cluded. To make only a small profit
the retailer who pays this price must
charge his customers $14 or $14.50 a
ton. I
"No change was or will be made In
price by the regular coal-carrying
roads, $5 a ton in wholesale lots oi -the
Jersey side being the schedule.
Dealers, however, declared 'yesterday
that they get only about one-third of
their supplies from the combined
companies, depending for the other
two-thirds upon the Independents. '
"Some of the larger dealers get a
greater, percentage than this from the
regular operators. One of these said
he wqJd ; have, ;to, average -his prices "
to his ' customers.' If; he got half of
his supply at' $10 a ton wholesale and
the other half at $5 he would base his
retail price upon the wholesale price
of $7.50. He said that as the sources
of his supply would vary each day,
his price to customers would be con
stantly changing. : .
"Relative to President Baer's state
ment that he would blacklist any
dealer who was found selling railroad
coal at independent prices, a railroad
official said yesterday:
" 'President Baer Is talking through
his hat. It would bo impossible for
him to identify coal a man sells as
railroad or independent coal. The re-
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