People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 February 1897 — POPULISM IN EUROPE. [ARTICLE]

POPULISM IN EUROPE.

A CITY THAT HAS NO TAXES TO PAY. The Public Franchises Made to Bear the Expenses of Government —This Is What Genuine American Patriots Are Looking For. People’s Messenger: “The city of Glasgow, Scotland, celebrated the New Year with rejoicing over the fact that from now on they have no taxes to pay. The public ownership of the natural monopolies, such as the water supply, the lighting of streets and houses, the disposal of sewage, the street car service, etc., have brought into the city treasury so great a revenue that there is no longer need of property tax. At the same time the charges for gas, electricity, water and car fafre have been reduced much below those in vogue in the days of exclusive private ownership. The people of America—progressive as they are in national and in state government—have much yet to learn in matters municipal, and Glasgow offers as an excellent teacher.”

The above appears as an editorial in the Mobile Register, a gold-bug organ that denounces everything savoring of Populism, yet the very desirable condition of the city of Glasgow is the result of Populist policy put into practical operation. What Glasgow has done every city and town in the United States may do,- whenever the people abandon their political prejudices and determine to vote for their interests. As a rule the business men in cities and towns are stanch Democratic or Republican partisans, who reject with scorn any suggestion coming from the “d d Populite trash,” nevertheless Glasgow has demonstrated that municipal ownership of public utilities, when conducted on pure Populist principles, furnishes her people with light, watei and transportation at a less cost than is paid by any city in America, and then yields a sufficient profit to the city to pay all other expenses. This is the paternalism to which the politicians, corporations and money changers object to so strenuously in this country, and our business men, as a rule, without investigation follow their lead to their own cost. Would it not be better to have a little “paternalism” if it would save so much to the taxpeyers? In other words, would not any sensib.le man prefer to have his home town or city in a similar condition to Glasgow than New York or Chicago, where Tammany boodlers and convict Yerkes were robbing the people of millions every year? Before we conclude we want to say, too, that what may be done by a municipality might also be done by the state and nation. The interest paid the money changers and the excessive charges handed over to the railroad, telegraph and telephone trusts in this country would more than pay the entire expenses of government. The policy advocated and practiced by both the Democratic and Republican parties will perpetuate the present conditions or bring worse. Te relieve thg people of the oppression they . endure and give them an opportunity to secure the boon which Glasgow enjoys, Populist ideas must be adopted and enforced. When, if ever, will the American people exchange their party prejudices for their country’s happiness and prosperity?