Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (April 30, 1903)
14 THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT. APRIL 30, 1903. a TURNING POPULIST 'Roosevelt Taming FopalUt," Sort The Werkijr People President Roosevelt, now "swinging the circle" in the west, delivered him self of a speech in Armory , Hall of the University of Minnesota on the 4th inst The leading topic of this speech was the Cuban treaty. Prais ing its virtues, Mr. Roosevelt said: "In the next place it widens the market for our products, both the products of the farm and certain of our manufactures, and it is therefore la the interests of our farmers, manu facturers, merchants and wase-workers." Free silver was not the feature of populism; neither was free . coinage. These were but external manifesta tions of populism. The essence of populism was the economic theory that the ratio of the good things in the hands of the wage-earner depend ed upon the quantity or volume of the same good ; things in , existvnee. Proceeding from this theory, popul ism demanded an increased volume of circulating medium (money). It reasoned: "Money is a good thing, it is wealth; the less there is of it, the smaller its volume, all the less there will be for the wage-earner; the larger its volume, all the more will fall to the share of the wage-earner. Increase the per capita of circulating medium." The theory, as everyone posted on economics knows, was an absurdity; and none felt the absurdity more keenly than the workingmen present at populist meetings. Indeed, these workingmen, though utterly untutored in statistics, were themselves walk ing evidences and advertisements of the absurdity. During the previous thirty years, the volume of clothing, of boots and shoes, of everything that Is desirable tc sustain life, had in creased greatly; it had increased not only absolutely, but relatively, and greatly over the increase of popula tion. Did those workingmen enjoy any increased per capita of these good things?. None better than they knew that their "increased per capi ta" consisted not in more trousers, shoes, hats, food, etc., but in the re verse. They had an increased "per capita" of patches on ' their, trousers, of holes in their shoes, of air-shafts in their hats, of 'hollows" in their stomachs. They were living "exhibits" giving testimony On the subject, that, the share of the worldngman in the good things in existence, whatever that share may depend on, does not depend upon their volume conse quently does not depend upon the "widening of the market" for them, which is the same as sayiag that it does not depend upon the affluence (the "interests") of the manufacturers or employers. Th Weekly People (S. L. P.), New York. (The People's conception of popul ism is a wonderful admixture of truth and error. It is true that "free silver was not the feature of populism;" that was simply an incident; the money question was the real issue. Primarily it is true that in order to have "good things," good things must be in ex istence, but populism never ' assumed' that the existing distribution of good things is equitable. On the contrary, 'it was a protest against inequitable distribution- of these good things. "Money is a good . thing, it is wealth," says the People. Now, the latter part in a socialist idea not populistic. Money IS wealth in the hands of an individual, but from the standpoint of society, populism de nies that "money is wealth." That is to say, an increase or, decrease in the denominational sum of money (usinj this term to mean coined metal or paper bills) would make no change in the sum total of cattle, sheop. hogs, grain, .manufactured products, etc., ia existence; but -it-would -make -a Change in the "price" of these things. .Populism- never taught that au in crease in the denominational sum of money, would change the value of commodities, as ascertained by a com parison of the demand for one with that for the other; but that it would result in an increase in the "price" of commodities, or their "value named in terms of money," because the value of money would be decreased, as to each dollar, by reason of the increased supply. There is, of course, the ad ditional factor, the velocity of money, or rapidity of circulation, to be reck oned with. - Now, populism asserted that an enormous debt hangs over the people of this country national, state, coun ty, municipal, school district, and in dividual. That ever since the con traction In 1866-67 the tendency in legislation had been to make the dol lar rlpnror - nYirt itma onVmnfO iha value of the obligations held by the interest-taking class. The cry for 31o Better Dressed fa Ipiettei I flay L can be found than those who wear the cele brated Mayer Clothing". For 21 years we have sold it to thousands upon thousands of Ncbraskans and they will tell you that Mayer suits are always satisfactory. BeginniDg with Men's Clay Worsted suits at $5.95, wc offer the greatest bargains in men's up-to-date clothing we have ever shown. Our spring catalog and sample book is free for the asking and you will find it worth many mes its weight in silver coin if you have cloth ing to buy for yourself or your boys. Our HAIL ORDER BUSINESS is growing faster than winter wheat and we are confident we can please you at every point. You will certainly study your own inter est by seeing our samples and learning our prices before you order any spring and sum-. mer clothing. We also sell shoes for both sexes and all ages. Let us hear from you. INCOLN, - NEBRASKA more money was a protest against this tendency. Regardless of the eth ics of taking interest at all, there was the question of making a given rate actually higher by increase of the purchasing power of the dollar in which it must be paid. Since 1896 the fortunes of mining, coinage of the silver bullion on hand, and increase in national bank circu lation (to say nothing of the greatly increased velocity by reason of bank deposits) have brought about in great measure what the populists demanded. There is more money. It is cheaper. And prices are higher. It has not been done .in the way the populists asked, and its good effects will not be permanent; but for the time being it has been effectual and has vindicated the populists' theory of money. Why shouldn't higher prices for what a wage-earner has to buy be a good thing? Socialism teaches that as the cost of living is reduced, the capi talist gathers in still greater "surplus value" from the "surplus labor" of his employes. By parity of reasoning if the cost is increased, the "neces sary labor time" would be increased, the "surplus labor time" decreased (unless hours were lengthened), and, according to The People, this would benefit the wage-worker, because it would injure the capitalist! Asso ciate Editor.) "GOOD OLD DAYS" Regard for Tradition Undeserved The World Improve People are often heard to sigh for the good old days of the one-ring cir cus, but such a thing is impossible nowadays with so enormous a con cern as the Adam Forepaugh and Sella Brothers' Enormous Shows United. Their great tented ampitheatre is so large, in order to accommodate the thousands that attend at every per formance, that if the performance were given in one ring it would be beyond the view of a large part of the audience, so that in order all may be entertained three rings and two stages are employed, and in all of $15.00' T Billings. $20.00 Buttei Helena, Salt Lake and Ogd en. $22.50 To Spokane. $25 Portland, Seattle, Tacoma, San Fi ancisco and' Los Angeles, via the Burlington daily until June 15th, 1903. : L . j City Ticket Office Cor Tenth and O Streets Telephone No. 235 Bcrlingfon Depot 7th St between P and Q Tel. Burlington 1290. TRESTER SUPPLY COMPANY, BEE SUPPLIES. CATALOGUE FREE. 103 So. 11th St., Lincoln, Neb. them all sort3 of acts are nerfnrmpri by the very best specialists in their respective lines of work, so it is that every person, no matter where seated, is at all times within easy seeing dis tance of some circus specialty of high degree. Some of the features of the show are so great, however, that they cannot be duplicated, and they are presented by themselves, i These us ually, however,' have to be performed high in the air or on the hippodrome track, where they move all the way around so they can be seen in every part of the vast arena. There is no danger that there will not be enough for anyone to see, no matter whero they may be seated, in the Adam Fore paugh and Sells Brothers' Enormous Shows United, when it appears here on May 15. . Cash Buyers for Land We have three cash buyers for good ranch property. Also several parties wanting to buy eood farm innH of merchandise to trade for land. Sev eral first-class ranch properties to trade for farm land. The season is at hand now is the time to sell or trade property if you have a farm, ranch, . city property, stock of goods, live stock or any other kind of property to sell or trade, you had better list it now and list it with a firm that has the facilities to pro perly place your property before the prospective buyers. This is an op portune time to dispose of property to good advantage. Weber & Farris, Lincoln, Neb. 160 Acre Farm For $3000. . No. 682. 120 acres in cultivation? 3-room house, main part 16x24 with ell 14x12; barn 20x30; 40 acres la pasture; well and wind mill. Near town. Harlan county, Nebraska, Weber & Farris, Lincoln, Neb,