JUNE 1G, 1903.
THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT
RUSSELL CO, KANSAS
Chairman Bappaathal Giro Interesting
Aeeovmt of Political Conditions
as Ha Views Them
Editor Independent: Yours of June
8 duly received. I am still chairman
of P. P. of Russell county, as I hav
been for 7 or 8 years except for a few
; months. I am county attorney of this
county, elected last fall on the fusion
"ticket under democratic name. Our
people's party secretary for county is
F J Smith, who has been publisher of
the Russell Reformer since Jan 1,
1897. He is now county clerk, elected
same time and ticket that I was.
I hav receivd and read your single
tax, and other recent issues, and hav
been much interested in the views
presented. I do not yet see that the
"reorganizing element wil control the
next democratic national convention
"and platform ,tho they may hav such
' influence as . to discourage completely
"the populists, and all genuin reform
ers now in the democratic party. Your
idea of consultation wil do good. I
agree that "political conditions next
year wil demand " independent action
o: our part or abandonment of the'
reople's party organization." I also
believe that the abandonment wil be
!made. Indeed, I see but one useful
purpose in keeping up an organiza
tion, and that is, that we who think
alike populist3 who ar successors of
the anti-monopoly, greenback, union
labor, etc., movements, may go in a
body where our principles ar most ad
vanced, and where we wil count most
In promoting what we believe in.
This county always has been re
publican, and is likely to so continue,
except that very rarely we elect a
man or two on an opposing ticket
Last fall we elected four, which was
unprecedented in the county's history.
This year there is no election of any
kind, and there wil not hereafter be in
odd years in Kansas. Last year we
, fused with the democrats on a demo-
- cratic candidate for congress in this
Sixth district, and got beaten just
as we did when we had two candidates
dem. and pop. I had not thought
that possible til it occurd. Our old
time populists ar such stil, and ar
likely so to remain, tho many who
came from the republican ranks
originally ar distrustful of the democ
racy and its sincerity in reform move
.ments, and by their very distrust, they
aid the reorganizing democrats. I hav
no idea what wil be done in district or
state next year. But to me it appears
that the dissolution of the people's
party under that name is at hand
indeed is already accomplisht. If th
democrats next year take an honest
advanced stand as reformers national
ly, as well as state, etc., and put hon
est representativ reform leaders on
their tickets, the populists may as wel
meet and resolve to disband and per
manently join the reform democrats
?nd strive to make that party a radi
cal reform party permanently and to
keep it so, standing foremost for pub
lic ownership vithout definit limits,
ether than that money, transporta
tion, mines, oil wells, public utilities
of all kinds, etc., should one after an
other, as rapidly as possible, be made
public; or. it may be that instead of so
joining the reform democrats, the pop
ulists would do well to join the so
cialists in a body, and. tone down the
socialistic platforms to what advanced
populists think best to stand for. at
lb c present, time. '. '.' t . --- "L
If the reorganizers get ful or large
control of the democracy,, the only
alternativ for the populists is to join
the socialists.- In either case, the way
to do wil be to hold conventions, and
carefully consider and argue ths mat
ter, and then vote to dissolve and be
come democrats or socialists, as the
one or other mode seems best calcu
lated to secure speedily government
ownership of money freed from all
lanking intervention, public owner
chip of all railroad and steamship
lines, as well as telegrafs, telefones.
electric lighting, gas, water, oil etc.,
mines, with lands, 'and others means
of production and distribution to fol
low just as fast as their acquisition for
the public shall be feasible and shall
seem advisable.
This matter in its details is an un
tried one, and we might find it wel to
hav public ownership of one thing and
Tiot of another, and the limit wil hav
to be establisbt not by theories now
tut by slow and painful experimenta
tion in the years to come. Of course,
we want more democratic government
whatever be our political party status
, in the future. There is the initiative,
the referendum, the imperativ man
date, preferential ballot, proportional
representation, direct nomination by
public primaries for all parties, direct
election of all federal officers, as well
as state, etc. these things we believe
in as we believe in self-government.
!We hav no reason to favor a tarlfi! per
manently for any purpose, and should
welcome all movements for taxation
more nearly just than any so far in
practice, I incline to think that the
single tax on land vaiues would be a
great and useful reform, out ws should
certainly favor all possible opportun
ities for experimentation to permit an
actual test in the United States. We
always opposed land-holding for spec
ulation. Our continuous fusion In the past
has ended our party existence. I hav
stood by the fusion movement and
supported it strongly, having full faith
in Bryan, Williams, Altgeld, Johnson,
and such men. But it seems that
Cleveland's betrayal of the people in
1S93 as wel as many other obnoxious
records of the democratic 'party in the
rpast (which the people do not seem
to forget as readily as they do repub
lican dishonesty, duplicity, etc.,) is so
ground into many reformers that it is
impossible to allay suspicion that the
democracy wil not be true to its trust
if in power again. After a party has
once disintegrated it is not wise to try
to get it together again. The nation
has the democratic party and the so
cialist party, each well organised in
almost every part. As between the
two extremes of human society an
archy and socialism the populists hav
always been strongly socialistic and
constantly tending away from an
archy, and this spirit has grown stead
ily since the populists first promul
gated their views in the early '90s.
One or . the other of these parties wil
be the place for "all populists next
year. If they must become of the so
cialist party, they ar numerous enuf to
write present needs into the platform,
and not rely upon, glittering generali
ties as to what may be advisable half
a century hence. But if the demo
crats remain in Chicago and Kansas
City platform lines, making them more
advanced to meet present needs, prob
ably the majority wil prefer to use
that name in attaining their ends. But
principles wil be unchanged.
J. C. RUPPENTHAL.
Russell Kas.
(Mr. RuppenthaFs advanced orthog
raphy will delight the heart of Dr.
C. F. Taylor, of the Medical Record,
Philadelphia botH believe in spell
ing reform as well as that of a po
litical or economic character. -Mr.
Ruppenthal's views' as to what pop
ulists should do in . the future . are
worthy of careful consideration, even
if we may not agree with them, As
sociate Editor.)
Is It So?
Editor Independent: ' When I read
in The Independent of July 3 last year
that editorial quoted by me in my let
ter to The Independent of June 25, it
seemed to me then, last year, as it does
now, clear that by that editorial you
threw away all the most effective ar
guments available for the campaign
then opening.
, That was what made me feel so bad
about it. But to avoid all appearance
of distraction among us in, time of
campaign I said nothing about it.
This year I thought I would begin
in good time and Jnforai you and tho
party against that ' enormous error
that the Omaha platform demand for
more money circulation had been ac
complished' by republican rule, and
c specially, against that palpable error
often repeated by you,' that'"" silver
since the Omaha- platform adoption
whs-bT?ing' 'coined" In greater amount.'
than ever before known.
I did prove most clearly that since
the adoption of that platform silver
had not ieen coined in near half as
great amounts as before; that up to
the time of your said editorial the
highest point attained in per capita
money circulation was only $2S.40 in
stead of 50, and that all the increase
or per capita money circulation in the
ten years from the adoption of the
Omaha platform to the time of your
feaid editorial was only $3.96, which
you said was 16 per cent What did
you mean by that? There is no 16
per cent about it.
All my showings were made In the
most respectful manner, and I ex
pected a respectful recognition for the
very valuable evidences that I fur
nished at my own expense. But, no.
In your paper of June 25 I have no
such recognition, but instead of it,
nearly a column of denunciation as
for ignorance without any proOi.' of it,
but only to cover up your own long
continued ignorance - that I . was un
der necessity of laying open so bare.
You explained what you meant by
reaffirming the principles of the plat
form. How vicious that is, to reaf
firm the preamble and destroy the
platform provisions necessary, to give
life to the preamble and keep It from
becoming a dead letter.
You Fceak of money on deposit.
You must mean that spurious substitu
tion for money, bank chocks, whereby
Farm Insurance.
Fire, Lightning, Windstorms
On Live Stock, Dwellings,
Out Buildings C out ents.
Farmers, and Hants Ins. Co.,
Lincoln, Nebr.
L055ES PAID to patrons over three quarters of a MILLION. ,
Security to Policy Holders $354,175.54.
No assessments. Assured assumes no liabilty. If there is no agent in
your town write direct to the company.
A PARADISE
FOR CHILDREN.
Go to Colorado this summer and take the youngsters with yon.
It's the children's paradlse,the biggestand happiest pluyground In America.
A month, there will give you and them a new grip on life.
MM
F. H.
1045
Phnge:Ea
Jin the world.
AH I '
Here 's sport for old and
Not found elsewhere.
Rates Less Than Half
Hot Springs and return
Dead wood and return
Lead City and return
m
1
ft:
, un suie uany
TV good for return
Ginnis, Gen'l
. street, Lincoln,
a.
H ?
fAsk Agent " Northwastarn Uim."
bankers draw interest not only on
what is owing to them, but also on
what they owe, and every dollar of
vthlch in circulation is proof of the
reed of that much more real money
to take its place.
All you say about the superiority of
that spurious money for swiftness is
error. .
I have long thought that you and I
belonged to one and the same party.
But a close comparison of beliefs
shows to the contrary. And if you are
a fair exponent of a large majority of
those calling themselves populists, as
I believe you are, 1 have no standing
ground with them, and think I will
never again vote or take part in poli
tics. MARVIN WARREN.
Fairbury, Neb.
(Mr. Warren certainly deserves the
palm for distorting the language of
ethers. Not a syllable was said ask
ing "to reaffirm the preamble and de
stroy the platform provisions neces
sary to give life to the preamble and
keep it from becoming a dead letter."
The reforms demanded by the Omaha
platform were inspired by a desire to
make "a dead letter" of the conditions
mentioned in the preamble and not to
Hen them alive. The expressions of
fundamental principles enunciated at
Omaha are now and always will be
true; but the statements In the pre
amble, true enough In 1892, were not
all strictly true In 1902 and we hope(
Established In 1885.
Easily reached and not at all expensive after yon pet
there. Low rates -Jaily. June 1 to Seut. 30. Onlv 810.75
r for the round trip from Lincoln, lnlormation and lit
erature on request.
Barnes, C. P. A.
O Street. Lincoln, Neb.
young.
- Fare.
$15 50
g7 85
17 85
10 tnepi, iw,
until October
Agent, 1C24 O
Jeb.
the time will come when "hone of them
will be true.
Nothing was said in the' editorial
about "money on deposit." Deposi
tors generally have no "money on de
posit" they have a - credit at the
bank. Nothing was said which by any
reasonable construction of language
could be tortured into boasting "about
the superiority of that spurious money
for swlftuess." Nothing was saia
about swiftness. What was said, and
Mr. Warren cannot deny it, is that
"bank deposits constitute a device to
make each dollar of coin travel fas
ter." They do not, obviate the nec
essity of coin, because coin Is the only
thing which can cancel tax levies and
judgments. Mr. Warren can certainly
have small room for complain against
The Independent's treatment of hU
article it was printed in full.
The Independent is not responsible
for Mr. Warren's inability to compute
percentages there was a time when
he knew well how to calculate at 18
per cent on chattel security. Isn't
$3.98 about 16 per cent of $24.44? Ed.
lnd.)
If troubled with cancer write to Dr.
T. O'Connor, whose ad. appears In Tho
Independent. He is a specialist of
r "jity and has cured many of the most
virulent cases. Mention The Inde
pendent "
A
f4