NOVEMBER 26, 1903.
THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT
-It POPULISM DEAD"
"Is populism dead," is the startling
, query, propounded by John A. Barker,
editor of the Franklin (Neb.) Sentinel,
Why, bless your soul, no. Populism
isn't dead. It couldn't die if it want
ed to. But the people's party as a
political organization Is about as
nearly dead as its most ardent enemy
could wish. It has no organization to
speak of outside of Nebraska and
Colorado. Down in Kansas, by aid of
; the ballot law, it died officially last
year. To" get on the ticket next year
it must resort to a petition. ,
Populism is a revolt against having
this. country run solely in the interest
of manufacturers, bankers, railroad
magnates and trusts. It is a protest
because some one of the old parties
does not fairly and squarely stand for
the economic interests of the great
common people. When it seemed prob
able that for : once in the history , of
, the democratic party, It was standing
squarely for the interests of the peo
ple as against the trusts, etc., then
the reason for the existence of the
people's party seemed gone and a real
fusion was effected in most states by
the populists going bodily into the
democratic party.- In Nebraska "alone
the populists maintained their party
integrity, yet joined hands with the
democratic party; , this was co-opera
tion, and not "fusion" as it is nearly
always called, r , -
"Is fusion at an end?" further quer
ies Mr. Barker. And he answers:
"These questions are susceptible
of but one answer opposiles. The
last must be answered first and.
while we are not the only blade
of grass 011 the . prairie we , give
it as our unqualified opinion that
the fusion t of the populist and
. " democratic ? parties will; never ;
again be' accomplished ir Frank
lin country or on the state ticket
in Nebraska. There may of course
be a few isolated instances where
the leaders of the two parties will
' succeed in combining their forces,
... but in the main this once popular
" method of securing democratic
control is at an end. But if fusion
is persisted in, then populism is
. dead and there will be no resur
rection. "On the other hand if the pop
ulists strike boldly out, giving no
quarter and asking none, their
" success sooner or later is prac
, tically assured.. So long as cor
porate evils exist there is work
. for, the masses, and past events
;M show... plainly- that , no . relief will ;
, ever come from either of the old
.parties.. Populist faith will en
dure and the principles must and
will live on until such time at
least that 'equality before the law
is guaranteed to every citizen."
Mr. Barker , is correct in his opln
Ion that ."fusion" is.at an end.
There is no continued necessity for
two parties advocating substantially
the same principles arid representing
the same class of people. Nothing ex
cept the fear that the democratic par
ty would abandon its l$s96 and 1900
principles, has kept together wnat lit
tle remains of the people's party.
That this fear is not groundless is
evidenced by the success of Gorman
in Maryland, the defeat of Johuson In
Ohio, the gain in Iowa on a "coward
ly" platform, etc.
Everything indicates the need for
the revival of the people s party. The
democratic party has shown its in
capacity for dealing with traitors in
its own ranks. It cannot win with a
true friend of the people like Bryan
at the front; and a victory with a
Gorman or Parker or Cleveland would
be the most galling defeat. Co-oper-J
atlon has accomplished considerable
good in a state and national way, but
it is only a temporary measure at
best. The people's party, by build
ing up its own organization, aud pur
. suing an independent course, can Foon
become the real balance of power and
accomplish more than in any other
way.
The Immediate work at hand la to
secure an enrollment of all populists
who believe In maintaining the party
organization and keeping a straight
ahead course.
mas him out
An old worker In the causo of the
common people, "of whom (Wul made
so many," write to the editor; 'Our
xip Kheritf ray he take thirteen pa
pers, and therefr ran t get t'twj to
read The Independent. Tho deputy
sheriff th same, l.'x-fchrrlff ard ex
clerk tho name. Stub thiup.s mteht
dl4cmrage mnu', but It'nulvoj mo feet
like putting forth more effort, and I
expect to tay with )oi at long as
Tho Independent continue, ha It al
way ha teen." The truth I, that In
luuny counties of tho Mate the men
tu were nominated for office were
rt and never luv been ubsritVM to
the party organ. The uumu'ment
of the paper has long since ceated to
look for aid In spreading populist
literature from inkehcUii and can
didates for office. Of course, there
are some conspicuous exceptions, but
the workers for the principles of the
party have not. been those whom we
have elected to office. They have
worked for office, and office alone. The
charge brought against the men we
have elected to office made by Hon.
M. F. Harrington at the last state con
vention was true. Their conduct has
been enough, as he said, to defeat any
party. When some of us who have
been putting up from twenty-five to
two or three hundred dollars a year,
and have never held office and never
expect to, think of such action, we feel
as if it were enough to make a bishop
swear. Hereafter in making nomina
tions let us go back to old alliance
principles. Kick every man seeking
office, clear down the aisle, then heave
him over the transom and nominate
some man who has never been an
office-seeker. Such men, , after their
election, would subscribe for and read
their state and county papers, keep
posted and know something about
current events in the' economic world.
A populist sheriff who is able to take
thirteen papers, but who is too poor to
take his own party paper, who can
read thirteen plutocratic papers, but
can't find time to read the organ of
the party that elected him, should be
hissed out of the first populist gath
ering In which he shows his face.
EMINENT DOMAIN
Secretary Hay defends the gobbling
up of Panama against the protests of
Colombia as simply exercising the
right of eminent domain. Now here
is a great discovery that will clear up
a great many shady transactions The
British ' were i simply v exercising the
right of r eminent domain when they
took Kr tiger's country away from him.
The Russians are exercising the right
of eminent domain in occupying Man
churia. That also settles the con
quest of the Philippines. We are sim
ply exercising the right ofi eminent
domain. The only wonder is that the
great five-to'four court did not base
their imperialistic decisions on that
doctrine instead of the round about
way they went at it. It now remains
only for a strong government when it
wants territory belonging to a weak
nation to simply exercise the right
of eminent domain and the thing i
done. If a railroad isin take a man's
house and lot under the right of emi
nent domain, why cannot a nation
take anything it wants under the same
great law?
COI.OKADO POPULISTS
James Flannigen, editor of the Fort
Morgan (Colo.) ; Herald,, commenting
upon what The Independent said anent
the Colorado election, took occasion
to say:
"We hardly agree with our es-.'
teemed contemporary that either
Wilson or Owers could have been
. elected this year on a fusion tick- ,
et. Judge Owers increased,
strength over last year did not
come from the democratic party,
but from the socialist arfcl dis-. ,
satisfied republican-labor ranks ;
who would not have voted for
Wilson in any event, and it Ow
ers had been the fusion candidate
' enough corporation democrats '.
would have gone "against him to . -have
accomplished his defeat. No,
populists have nothing to hope
for in a fusion deal and had bet
ter travel in the middle of the
road." . :
The Independent did not mean that
fusion this year could have accom
plished anything. What it did mean
was that If the democrats of Colo
rado, from the very beginning of fu
sion there, had accorded the populists
decent treatment, the state need not
now be In the hands of tho republi
cans. In-this view Tho Independent
is supported by tho IUdgway (Colo.)
Populist as follows:
"Had not Charlie Thomas and
his following laid claim to the
political earth in 1901 and given
the populists to understand that,
they would havo none of them aa.
populists, democracy would not bo
In Its present predicament today.
'Whosoever soweth tho wind shall
reap the whirlwind."
Of coiir, tho Herald Is correct as
to the future course Fusion la a dead
letter. The popullsti of. Colorado will
pursue tho even tenor of their way,
put tip strong men like Judge Owers,
and make more real gain In the way of
educating tho peopU i understand
Iopulim, than they ever did In the
palmy day of fusion. There aro too
many corporation democrats in Colo
rado to hop for any reform coming
from that party. And Colorado Is not
the only mat where thl U true,
A number of our exchange hn.) a
-oirthdtjr" ht week. Tho o-dir
IMpId NtrtO Outlook Wan Vol,
XIX.. the Trenton (Neb.) HeUr
completed It eighteenth year, and
the Krlo (Pa.) V ho Wga 1U alula.
HAYDEW BR'O
The Reliable Store,
Warm HomesT
is the main theme to bo considered just now. When the home is not comfortably
heated, we cannot enjoy tho other necessaries of life. When buying a cook stove
you want .-
Something that -Will Fill tho Bill."
"Full Value for Yoiir Monoy."
, If you are in need of a stove, whether for heating purposes or for cooking
purposes, you will save both time and monoy by dealing at HAYDENSV ,
We carry a very large line of stoves over 75 different styles and sizes to se
lect from and we will guarantee every stove we sell, i ,r
THE UNIVERSAL OAK Way ahead of any other in beauty and durfr I fctft
ability. The greatest floor heater made, sells elsewhere for 120; our price $ 1 OiUU
TOE PARAGON HOT B CAST Beats them all for keeping fire with' f h QZ
the cheapest kind of coal. Can sell you a big lti-in. stove for 0 1 4iU J
THE ATLAS HOT BLAST-A nice 16 inch heater, will give perfect Clfl QK
Banbitciion, worm i ior; . . .V 1 Uiuv
18rINClI BELLE OAK A great big air tight heater, will heat a hall, C I K OK
. a regular $20X0 stove, for, , . .... 01 UiU J
16-INCH AIR TIGHT OAK A very nice heater, will heat two or three CM QR
good size rooms; a regular $15.00 stove; we sell them for.. . . . , VI I itf J
12-INCH AIR TIGHT OAK-A very nice heater, good size, a regular Cfl
$10.00 stove; we sell them for.,.. ,..0OiwU
18-INCH AIR TIGHT WOOD JIBATER , , .$1 20
21-INCH AIR TIGHT WOOD HEATER.... ; $1 59
20-INCH AIR TIG HT WOOD II EATER . . $2 15
HAYDEN BRO
16th and Dodge St., Omaha, Neb.
,j . HUMAN I! EASTS
Things keep happening all the time
that make a man feci disgusted when
the conviction comes over him that he
lives in ' a country where republican
newspapers have special privileges not
granted to reform papers, and that
there 13 a fund somewhere which is
expended in putting those sheets into
the hands of millions of people every
day in the year. Think of one of
those papers, when occasion requires
it, printing such matter as the follow
ing and then-when ah election cdmes
around denouncing every reform pa
per as wild-eyed and anarchistic that
says the same things. The following
sentences are taken from the editor
ial columns of the Lincoln News of
last Saturday: , . . i
"The, belief that the coal in the.,
ground belongs to the people and
should not be subject to the greedy '
conspiracies of composite "coal ,
miners and railroad presidents; is -not
socialistic. ; ;..., '.,')'...
' The mine owners Have shown
their unfitness to have charge of
the coal deposits. . Their greed and ,
: love of money far outweighs their
sense of the responsibilities of
' guardianship, . . . ; . '.. .
If the grafters can be cleared out
of congress there i3 a chance that
. the rights of outsiders in a coal,
street railway or overland railroad
. strike may be recognized and con
sidered, in its settlement" ,
Let one think how that sheet and
its morning edition has for ten years
denounced the populists for advocat
ing such sentiments, how it has called
them every vile name It could invent
or find in a dictionary, and that now
when an election Is far oft It prints
such thlng3 with editorial approval
and then say whether he docs not feel
humiliated when he realizes that he
has to live In the same community
with such human beasts.
TIIK OLI, OLD fiTOKY
Everywhere In the United Slates re
publican administration U accompa
nied by extravagance yet, If we may
Judge by election result, tho peoplo
rather llko to bo robbed. llarnum
created a mild sensation when ho de
clared that tho American peoplo love
to bo humbujeged; ho might havo add
ed that they love to havo their pockets
puked, If tho larceny bo commuted by
a rpublkau or a corporation demo
crat,
Out In iHniRlaa county. Washington,
tho taxpayer are Iw-lng Riven an oh-
Jef t Uhou In republican extravagance.
Tho Hate leglslaturo of created
what U known a. tho ''current ex
pete fund," out of which all county
bill fur k neiol i peine miut ho
paid. At that tlim tho popiiliU wem
In control of iKiufclan county, wo are
I nfo imed by thd publlthed at
Wateivllle. Tho county wu on enh
basin. A levy of II mill ha iuttJc
lent la ntet alt county expends.
Hut McKlnley propeuh" ramo
and a chaugo came over tho spirit cf
the dreams of Douglas county taxpay
ers. They yearned to show their ap
preciation, and did so by turning the
county over to the republicans. Today
county warrants must be registered,
"not paid for lack of funds." The $10
000 balance which the populists turned
over to , their successors has evapor
ated like mist before a tropical sun.
A levy of almost 18 mills is no w -estimated
as necessary to keep the wheels
turning. ' ; , ,'
Of course, the farmer taxpayers are
getting a trifle uneasy. They are wor
ried. But they are to blame, and
ought to take their medicine without
making wry faces. They voted 'er
straight. It isn't because an individual
populist is any better than an indi
vidual republican that these ' things
occur; but the power behind the
throne in all republican administra
tions, national, state, or local, will
invariably be found to be the big
corporations. And the big corporations
prefer extravagance, because thus
they can pay a large corps, of heelers
to keep them in power, and, besides,
they seldom pay but a fraction of
their fair share of the taxes.
.The case of Douglas county,. Wash
ington,, can be duplicated in many
counties in Nebraska; and in every
state where populists oncjs held power,
the return to ' republican rule has
brought with it a return of republican
extravagance. But as the "mullet
heads" seem to like it, why should
anybody worry?
SECESSION VINDICATED
All the south is aelow with thn
spirit of pride over the action of the
president m the I'anama affair. They
say that the vindication of Jeff Davis
and "the right of secession" has come
at last. South Carolina is especially
jubilant. Tho Columbia State nearly
floats away In seas of bliss as It con
templates the act of secession of South
Carolina In December, 1861. It says:
"Now in this year of grace tho.
United States government finds the
scales fallen from Its eyes. Se
cession is a divine right." Tana
ma has seceded, and her pover
elgnty has been recognized by the
executive of tho United States be
fore It has had time to find an
executive of Its own. Jefferron
Davis Is no longer a traitor, but
the apostle of truth."
Tho Stato wants a statuo of Jeff .
Davis erected In tho rotunda of tho
capltol at Washington rkht away.
Tho Hlchmond Tlmes-Dlapatch
almost as mm h, elated aa Us South
Carolina neighbor. After, snying that
tho mmihrru Hate never tontem
pitted making war upon tho north, U
ad(U:
Trcl tnt Ilooaevclt and hi
secretary of stato and the mem
tri of his cabinet evidently think
that eeelon In I'annm.i Is a
very bejvutlful thing and full of
rl ,jhteouneg, (), iuUe sereiu
slonUK' nay they, 'peace, be unto
you. Have a canal with u."
4