It is the intention of the Referendum Party to nominate for the
election of November 6, 1906, a complete state ticket including
candidates for the Legislature (Senators and Representatives)
but the State Executive Committee suggest that, unless
exceptionally strong, aggressive, independent candidates for
either branch of the Legislature can be nominated, it would
be advisable for local committees to indorse (by filing
nomination papers) candidates of some other party who would
pledge their support to the principles of the Referendum Party
as stated above.
After the election the Referendum Party will be entitled to a
regular place on official ballots in every district where it
polled two per centum of the largest vote cast. For this reason
it is most desirable that it nominate a candidate in every
Legislative district within the State. The forming of local
organizations in the Referendum Party should therefore begin at
once.
* * * * *
The People’s Party State Central Committee of Kansas met at Topeka,
February 2, and directed Chairman Babb and Secretary Fowler to call a
State convention some time in July. Chairman Babb and some other members
of the committee favored the organization of a voters’ league to question
and secure pledges from candidates on the old party tickets, making
no third party nominations—something on the plan devised by George H.
Shibley, editor of the _Referendum News_, Washington, D. C. The committee
was not, however, a unit on this point, several of the members insisting
upon making straight People’s Party nominations. This, it seems likely,
will be done.
* * * * *
“Union for the Common Good” is the name of a new organization just
starting in Kansas. Rev. O. H. Truman, La Crosse, is one of the moving
spirits. In the manifesto sent out by this new aspirant for political
honors the committee say:
_Whereas_, undisputed proofs of corporate greed, unscrupulous
and law-defying, have recently multiplied; and certainties
that “Boss” domination has largely prevailed in city and state
politics, frequently dictating to the people from low resorts,
encouraging graft and other corruptions to fester and flourish;
and also the great exchanges for disposing of stocks and bonds
and grain have long displaced the law of supply and demand
by their gambling methods, resulting in frequent failures,
suicides, and loss to all but the unscrupulous few; and
_Whereas_, the people, at last aroused and indignant, are now
demanding redress and prevention of further wrong;
_Therefore_, we deem it timely to organize into a society those
having a strong definite purpose to reclaim all monetary,
political, and other rights and interests from the greedy grasp
of the few to the promotion of the Common Good.
Civilization advances by evolution and revolution. Evolution
makes slow progress over a long period of time, while
Revolution advances rapidly in a short space of time.
Revolutions are caused by giant evils which must be overthrown
suddenly or not at all.
America has passed through two revolutions, and we are now
entering a third, equal in importance and greater in character
than either of the others.
The great evils that now threaten our existence are
intemperance, trusts, and political corruption.
We are to choose between Socialism and Christian Government;
nothing else is presented and nothing else is worthy of our
attention.
Socialists have gathered much valuable information; but their
leadership would dethrone God from our nation and overturn all
our history.
Christian Government would fulfill prophecy in giving Christ
the kingdom of this world, and would be in line with national
experience.
Socialism is an ideal as yet untried, without a code of morals
to preserve from corruption. In Christian Government the
legislative, executive and judicial powers would be directly
tested by the teachings of Christ.
The demands of complete Socialism are too radical for this
crisis or for any single movement. Masses of men can be moved
only so far at any one time; and revolutions are no exception
to this universal rule. To attempt more is to cause reaction
and loss.
Christian Government would accept the possible while striving
for the Christ ideal of perfection.
Nearly all revolutions have resulted in war and we believe that
complete Socialism for this crisis would be no exception to
that rule.
The Christian and moral sentiment of the nation is now
sufficiently strong, if aroused and united, to accomplish its
work by the moral power of the ballot without resorting to war.
What measures do we propose for the present crisis, and what
remedies do we suggest for existing evils?
American society may be roughly divided into three great
classes: A small, wealthy class at the top; a great mass of
laborers at the bottom; and a medium Christian and moral class
in the middle. The church middle class thus holds the balance
of power, and is responsible for safe leadership and moral
results.
The Christian and moral forces of the nation must now be
organized into a moral society for the express purpose
of leading this reform movement and developing Christian
Government.
At the outset of our organization we need consider only those
remedial measures to which all research and all demands are
now pointing; and our specialty as a society is to urge and
aid the careful testing of the best means of relief from a
dangerous condition, and also to aid in fullest adoption and
application of measures approved after trial. The key phrases
or watch words for our organization are these: “Thorough
Testing” and “The Common Good.”
We favor a fair and safe trial of municipal and other Public
Ownership, as it seems to be in harmony with the destiny of our
country and the spirit of the age.
State incorporation having been tested and found wanting, we
urge national incorporation instead, including reasonable
restrictions, and also liability to forfeiture if lawless.
We favor the election of United States Senators by direct vote
of the people; also a thorough test of the initiative and
referendum and the imperative mandate.
Any person of good moral character may become a member of this
society by accepting the constitution and paying one dollar
a year to the national society, or a life membership fee of
twenty dollars.
Each member of the society shall have a vote, by mail or
otherwise, for all officers of the national society, and on all
principles and policies adopted.
O. H. TRUMAN
J. M. McARTHUR
J. ORVILLE WALTON
BELLE FORD WALTON
E. H. H. GATES
Committee.
Men and women are requested to send names and fees for
membership. The money will be used for organizing and reported
to the society. Direct to
O. H. TRUMAN, La Crosse, Kan.
* * * * *
Our Advertising Manager, Ted Flaacke, is one of the Old Guard
greenbackers; but not until recently could I convince him that _some_
advertisers would “turn him down” because of the politics of WATSON’S
MAGAZINE. Even then I didn’t do the convincing—but Ted knows now that I
was right. He tried to get an ad. from a certain baking powder concern
that was mixed up in a scandal over in Missouri not so long ago. Its
product is claimed to be “absolutely pure,” but the Missourians were
“shown” that some of its agents couldn’t truthfully say as much of
themselves or their concern.
I’m right glad Ted got the icy stare. We need the money, no doubt—but
“alum baking powders” won’t seriously impair our digestion. And we’ll
feel better not to have had the ad., after all.
“Why, Flaacke,” said the man who places the advertising, “if WATSON’S
MAGAZINE had a million circulation and the rate was a dollar a page, I
doubt if we would use it.”
Yet some poor, simple souls still think business men—big, brainy,
successful business men—never mix politics and business. They do. And I
trust our people will not forget it.
* * * * *
Ever notice how a late train keeps falling behind and getting later and
later the farther she goes?
Well, we had an experience similar last month with the February number.
A combination of circumstances made it certain that we should be a few
days late—say two or three. But in our wildest dreams we never imagined
being over two weeks late. One after another something new arose to still
further delay us.
I can sympathize now with the railroad station agent who is obliged to
tell passenger after passenger that “No. 23 is 40 minutes late.... Yes,
she’s due here at 11:44.... Yes, that would bring her here about 12:24.”
And so on and on and on. From Mr. Watson’s editorials, however, I take
it that station agents on the Southern Railway give out no information
regarding late trains. Maybe they will after Hon. Hoke Smith is
inaugurated governor.
* * * * *
Anybody inquire why the February WATSON’S didn’t come? My dear friend,
you would think so if you could see the stacks of letters and postal
cards which poured in—hundreds and hundreds; yes, thousands, I believe.
It made us a great amount of additional work and worry, but—
On the whole, we’re rather glad the February number was late, because it
gave us conclusive proof of the high esteem in which WATSON’S MAGAZINE
is held. People don’t worry and write postal cards and letters about
publications in which they are not interested, that’s a cinch.
A few of the Old Guard were frightened. They thought we’d suspended!
I can’t blame them for that. It has always been a rocky road for any
radical publication, and especially so if it advocates Populism. But
WATSON’S MAGAZINE will be an exception. Nothing but the accomplishment of
the reforms for which it stands could kill it. That might, by removing
the necessity for such a magazine, but not necessarily. The discontent
of the masses is too great now not to furnish a most fertile field for
Mr. Watson’s teachings—and his influence is growing at a tremendous pace.
Even his enemies admit that. And that means a pronounced success for
WATSON’S MAGAZINE.
* * * * *
Thanks to the Old Guard, Watson’s Magazine gets subscribers at less
cost than any other publication. Everywhere these old veterans are
plugging away for subscribers and scarcely one of them will take a cent
of commission for his work. Some of the other magazines are spending a
fortune in newspaper advertising, and, of course, building up big lists;
but we are well satisfied with a slower growth of subscriptions that will
stay with us year after year. February is forging to the front in fine
style and we shall more than double our list by the end of March.
* * * * *
“Figures won’t lie,” asserts the oracle. “Thet’s so,” retorts the plain,
old, common-sense man, “but liars kin figger.” And the old fellow is
right. Witness some of the stunts done by Carroll D. Wright as to the
increased cost of living, and young Garfield’s showing of a net profit
to the Beef Trust of a dollar, “marked down to 99 cents,” on each steer
slaughtered.
My old colleague, T. H. Tibbles, Mr. Watson’s running mate in 1904, and
now editor of a 25-cent-a-year Populist weekly at Omaha, Neb., _The
Investigator_, was editor of the _Nebraska Independent_ when young
Garfield made that justly famous report. As I recollect, Tibbles figured
that the Beef Trust must have a secret railroad (not a rebate) to Mars
and had smuggled in countless thousands of beef cattle from that little,
old red planet, contrary to the Dingley Bill “in such case made and
provided,” because—
There weren’t enough beef steers on this old earth of ours—and haven’t
been since the days when Christ drove the “System” out of the Temple—to
account for the Beef Trust’s fortune at 99 cents per.
I have never examined Tibbles as to his proficiency in arithmetic,
but I’m willing to bet a hat—a wide-brim “Cady” (Eugene Wood, please
analyze)—that Tibbles either made a Sherlock Holmes “deduction” regarding
that Martian railroad, or—
Perish the thought, that the martyred President’s son—well, had been
doing some “figgerin’” and other things.
* * * * *
I’ve been doing some real hard figgerin’. The P. O. D., which means in
proper spelling, Post Office Department, insists that because we change
to WATSON’S MAGAZINE, dropping the “Tom,” that we must apply for a new
entry as second-class matter. Of course, as a matter of fact, as our
legal friends remark—no, I won’t say that, in view of what Abe Hummel
did and what Jerome is failing to do—our _lawyer_ friends, rather, we
never have been “second-class.” That’s a way Madden has of irritating
publishers. TOM WATSON’S MAGAZINE always was _first-class_—now, wasn’t it?
At any rate, we have to tell the P. O. D. how many subscribers we have;
how many we sell at news-stands, etc. Of the subscribers, we must show
how many came direct, how many took a premium, how many subscribed
through an agent or a newspaper clubbing with us.
It’s a big job to get this correct, because right now we’re swamped with
new subscriptions and renewals. I think I got it right, however, and as
the figures may interest you, I shall give you an idea what each State is
doing.
Georgia still keeps far in the lead. Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Nebraska,
New York, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois and Kansas follow in
the order named, ranging from two to fifteen per cent of the total.
Florida, North Carolina, California, Louisiana, Indiana, South Carolina,
Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Oklahoma—in the order named—have
less than two and one or more than one per cent. of the total.
Washington, Virginia, New Jersey, Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, West
Virginia, Montana, Massachusetts, Indian Territory, Idaho, Wisconsin,
Oregon, North and South Dakota (tied), Connecticut, New Mexico, Maine,
Arizona, Maryland, District of Columbia, Wyoming, Nevada, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Canada and Rhode Island follow in the order named, each with
one-tenth of one per cent. or more up to nine-tenths of one per cent.
And three-tenths of one per cent. of the total goes to Alaska, Cuba,
Delaware, Hawaii, Mexico, Panama, Philippine Islands, Porto Rico, Utah
and a number of European countries. WATSON’S MAGAZINE is not only
national but international. Up in Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Northwest
Territory the radicals are enthusiastic over it. Uncle Sam’s soldiers and
sailors are taking it in the far corners of the earth. The War Department
has asked for subscription rates.
Yet WATSON’S MAGAZINE reaches more people in the Sunny Southland than
most any other magazine, whether published south of Mason and Dixon’s
line or north of it.
And it will bring business for the advertiser who wishes to break into
the Southern field, because every subscriber and news stand buyer has
confidence in Mr. Watson. Oh, dear, I forgot. Advertising isn’t my line
at all. See Ted Flaacke about that. He knows. But I know I’m right,
nevertheless.
[Illustration: _C. Q. de France_]
_Chastened_