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About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (July 28, 1904)
t I Vol. XVI. LINCOLN, NEB., JULY 28, 1904. No. 10 NEBRASKA POPULIST CONVENTION: Oliver Theater, Lincoln, Nebraska, Wednesday, August 10, 1904, at 2 o'clock p. m. Don't forget the date. In all likelihood the railroads will make a rate of One Fare for Round Trip. A3I1 tho agent . . - Thomas E. Watson, wires he will be here Aug., ioth. TELEGRAM. Received Thursday, 3 p. m.- "T. H. Tibbies, Lincoln, Neb. Will be with you August 10th. THOMAS E. WATSON, Thompson, Ga," r t Open Letter to Single Taxers Editor Independent: Single taxers are practically a unit in their distrust j of Judge Parker's democracy, just as they are unanimous in tneir antagon ism to the influences which surround him and which are responsible for his nomination. Numbers of them pro pose to vote for Roosevelt, as a re buke to the pluto-democracy and to make the defeat of that element over whelming. . ' ' But are single-taxers justified in supporting either representative of the double-headed plutocratic monster? The people's party is in the field with a genuinely democratic ticket and perhaps the best platform ever enunciated by a national party in the history of the country. While there is room for improvement in the plat form from the viewpoint of . a single laxer, still it approaches more nearly to his ideal than any other. Four years -ago the middle-of-the-roaa popululsbs gave indications of a tendency toward socialism, and of course single-taxers could not support them, but, since the socialist party has made such rapid gains as to make a semi-socialistic party superfluous, the people's party has altered its course and is now headed toward real Jeffersonian de mocracy : .. , Under these circumstances, with the option of supporting either democracy or plutocracy, wouldn't it be cowardly for the rank and file of single-taxers to support the plutocratic interests by voting for either of monopolys repre sentatives? It will be argued that a vote for Watson would , be but half a vote against Parker, while a vote for Roose velt' would count a full vote against pluto-democracy, and that every vote possible should be thrown against the latter. But "that is the affair of Jupi ter, not ours." We snould "not do evil that good may come." We "can not command success, but we can do better; we can, deserve it", . ' But it is not so certain that a vote for Roosevelt rather than ' Watson would be the surest way to defeat Par ker. An active and enthusiastic sup port of the people s party platform and ticket would probably carry ten reform votes where one could be in duced to support Roosevelt. Signs .are not wanting that a panic is impending. One of those decennial industrial depressions ttne cause of which none but single-taxers can un derstand) is hovering over the land. It has been with us for seventeen months. Look .at the record of bust ness failures for tho last couple years, an Increase or fifty per cent for the past seventeen months over the cor respond! nar period previous, notwlih- Ktandlng he rrcent separation of "bus- IneHs" from "bank failures. Observe that the annual urp!us of federal gov ernment receipts' over expenditure which was a feature of the last two years has changed to a deficit from on average surplus In the foi r years, 10-0.1 of $?.oeo,ftou. to a deficit for 110 of tr,00n,uoo; fo a reduction of the nvallaMo cmIi In the treasury in the pnst ver or In." oonn,ftrn. Consider the effect of the dts'harge of n million wen from employment In the last year and the reduetlon of watte of two mil Hon more of from 7 to CO per rent, an aieraco of 0 per rent. Thl l equivalent to a reduction of 10 per cent oaifUTfLrrifinrTij rn - ...... MR.. FREEL AND Urges Single Taxers to Support WATSON AND TIDDLES in the purchasing power of the na tion. Stagnation is inevitable. The panic can not be stayed.' The crisis can not be far off. Plutocracy would oe delighted to have a democratic president who would not be dangerous to its interests, dur ing the panic years, as was the case a decade ago. Then the republicans would take charge again during "the comparatively prosperous years that would follow, A million votes for the people's par ty ticket would be . the surest way of defeating Parker and electing Roose velt. It would demonstrate to the satis faction of all democrats that no pluto democratic candidate could approach Bryan or any other real democrat as a vote-getter. The responsibility for the panic would be placed upon the re publicans. Out of the panic would emerge a real Jeffersonian party either the democratic or the- people's party whichever was fittest to sur vive.. .. s - .. , : The Nebraska Independent by its heroic work for reform has easily made itself the national organ .of the people's party. It offers a campaign rate of seven subscriptions for a dol lar. If even 1,000 single-taxers would send in a club weekly until election day they would bring the best national platform yet promulgated to the at tention of 100,000 readers and would thus do their part toward overthrow ing for good the corporation-dominated democracy. The populists are fellow rerormers. We have nothing to fear from them, now that they have turned from so cialism. Our local option in taxation measure was submitted as a consti tutional amendment in two states, Washington and Colorado both popu list. If the course above outlined meets the approval of single-taxers they can show it by actively aiding in the cir culation of The Independent. In the meantime they need not let up in their propaganda of that reform with out which all others are worthless. A. FREELAND. Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., July 23. Peoples Party Platform. The people's party reaffirms its ad herence to the basic truths of the Omaha platform of 1892, and of the subsequent platforms of 1806 .nd 1900, In session in its fourth national con vention on July 4, 1901, In the city of Springfield. III., it draws inspiration from the day that saw the birth of the nation, as well as Its own birth as a party, and also from the soul of him who lived at its present place of meet ing. We renew our allegiance to the old fashioned American spirit that gave this nation existence, and made it dis tinctive among the people of the oaith. We ak'aln sound the ley note of the Declaration of Independence, that ad mm are tratei equal In a politi cal senso, which U tho srnao In which i.ul Instrument, Icing a political document, Intended that the utterance should be understood. We a.ert that tho departure from this fundamental truth in reponHd for the Ills from whkh we mtffer a a nation: that the giving of special privilege to the few has euabJed them to dominate tho many, thereby tending to destroy the political equality which is the corner stone of democratic government. We call for a return to the truths of the fathers, and we vigorously pro test against the spirit of mammonism and of thinly-veiled monarchy, that is invading certain sections ' of tmr na tional life, and of the very administra tion itself. This is a nation of peace, aiiU we deplore the appeal to the spir it ol force and militarism which is shown in Ill-advised and vainglorious toasting and, in more harmful ways, 'n the ('.'.niai of the rights of man un der n aUial law. A p( Mical democracy and an indus trial despotism cannot exist side by side; ana nowhere is this truth more i-lainly shown than in the gigantic monotones which have bred all sorts of kindred trusts, subverted the gov eruutents of many of the states, and esiabircd tbeir,oftlcial agents In the national ; government. r We submit that it is better , for the government to own the-railroads than for the rail roads to own the government; and that oneor the other alternative seems inevitable., We call the attention of our fellow citizens to the fact that the surrender of both of the old parties to corporate influences leaves the people's party the only party of reform in the na tion. Therefore, we suomit the following platform of principles to. the Ameri can people: The issuing of money is a function of government, and should neyer.be delegated to corporations or individ uals. The constitution gives to con gress alone power to coin money and regulate its value. We demand, therefore, that all mon ey shall be issued by the government in such quantity as shall maintain stability in prices, every dollar to be a full legal tender, none of which shall be a debt redeemable in other money. We demand that postal savings bank3 be established by the govern ment for the sale deposit of the sav ings of the people. We believe in the right of laoor to organize for the" benefit and protec tion of those who toll; and pledge the efforts of the people's : party to pre serve this right Inviolate. Capital is organized anl has no right to deny to labor the privilege which it claims for Itself. Wo feel that 'ntelligent oiganl zatlon of labor is essential; that it raises the standard of workmanship, and promotes the efficiency, intelli gence, Independence and character of the wage-earner. Wo believe with Abraham Lincoln that labor is prior to capital, and Is not its slave, but Its companion; and we plead for that broad spirit of toleration and Justice which will promote Industrial peace through the observance of tho prin ciples of voluntary arbitration. We favor the enactment of If gela tion looking to the improvement f conditions fr wne-earnem, the aboli tion of child labor, the auppre talon of aweat hop an I of rouvkt labor, in competition with free labor, and the exclusion from American whorea of forelxn paupr labor. We faior the nhorter work day, and declare that If dhl hour touaitutci a day '8 labor In government service, that eight hours should constitute a day's labor, in factories, work shops and mines. As a means of placing all public questions directly under' the control of the people, we demand that legal pro vision be made under which the peo ple may exercise the initiative, refer endum and proportional representa tion, and direct vote for all public offl cers, with tho right of recall. Land, including all the- natural sources of wealth, is a heritage of all the people, and should not be monop olized for speculative purposes; and alien ownership of land should be pro hibited. . . We demand a return to the original interpretation of the constitution and a fair .and impartial enforcement of laws under' it ; 4hd denounce govern ment by injunction and Imprisonment without the right of trial by Jury. To prevent unjust discrimination and monopoly, the government should own and control the railroads; and those public utilities, which in their nature are monopolies. To perfect the postal service, the government should own and operate the general telegraph and telephone systems, and provide a par cels post. - As to those trusts ana monopolies which are not public utilities or nat ural monopolies, we demand that those special privileges which they now en Joy, and which alone enable them to exist, should.be immediately with drawn. Corporations being the crea tures of government should be sub jected to such governmental regula tions and control as will adequately protect the public. We demand the taxation of monopoly privileges, while they remain in private hands, to the extent of the value .of the privileges granted. We demand that congress shall en act a general law uniformly regulat ing the power and duties of ail in corporated companies doing interstate business. The Packing House Strike. Editor Independent: This city Is now in the midst of a great struggle between the packing houses and their employes, and from the masa of mis information furnished by the dally press as to the causes of the trouble It may be of Interest to the readers of The Independent to know some thing of the situation rrom one on the ground. In the first place about C3 per cent of the employe of tho pacning houses come under the head of common la borers, tho remaluder consisting of skilled workmen, foremen, office help, etc. Six yearn ai: the common la liorera were receiving In South Omaha 15 ceulH er hour. And they were thmt ralaed. after a wtrlk lasting only four day, to IT8 fen la per nour. One year ago, owing to the great advance In the cost of living the unions demanded and necn red a rah to 19 cents per hour for a term of one year, which term expired In June. With the ex piration of thU agreement the pack