The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, November 18, 1915, Page 8

PAL:E El bHT THE NONPARTISAN LEADER Carranza s Vision of a New Old Mexico By Otto T. Monroe ENERAL Carranza, Chief of the defecto Mexican govern- ment, is a man of vision, if we judge by his latest utter- ance. He is a practical man, if we judge from his con- duct. In outlining his plans for re-uniting his country, in a special interview with a representative of the Chicago Tribune, the first chief gives evidence of a broad grasp of the evils which have be- set the unhappy Republic to the South, and showed wisdom and determination in his plans to eliminate those evils- Carranza is not the “dreamer” that Madero was, neither is he the wild and aimless visionary that Villa is. His attitude to- wards religious mgamzatlons is not fanatical, and hlS position ‘on foreign capital is firm, yet sensible. In short, Carranza’s purpose seems to be that of restoring the Mexican constitution which was abrogated during the reign of the dictator Diaz. The General is emphatic in his determination that no “spec- ial privileges” shall be granted to great corportions. He will encourage capital, to _be sure, but will not give it free reign to exploit the country and the people. The most noteworthy of the General’s policies is that per- taining to the land. From the vast lands which the government now holds’and is about to acquire Carranza intends.to- provide the deserving Mexican with sufficient land for a. farm which will make him independent if he works. This land will not be given away but will be sold on easy terms, thus accomplishing a two-fold purpose—that of developing the land and develop- ing the settler- Carranza is careful about using the word “confiscate” and yet he makes it plain that the large land holdmgs will be taken over by the government, or “sequestered” in payment of back taxes. Many of the large land - properties in~Mexico “have for just share of taxes. Others have been assessed under their just valuation. This, Carranza claims, is a just debt that these land holders owe to the State, and they will be obliged to pay it. This he explains, will furnish government revenues and at the same time lighten the burdens of the small farmer and the poorer peo- ple in general. If these land holders refuse to pay t‘hese taxes, then, the General strongly hints, the land will be divided among those entitled to it and who will use it and not hold it for specu- lation. - Caranza is strong on education.and plans to establish the best of public school facilities. He affirms that, even today, the Mexican school system is better than it has ever been before, especially in those sections of the country where: his government has been in control: Not only 5o, but many experts have been sent to the United States to study school systems here, and others wil follow, and still ‘'others will also visit the schools of Europe. It is 2 historical fact that Mexico, at the time of the rise of Diaz, had one of the best public school systems in the country. But the dictator caused the suspension of schools.by withholding monies required for their operation until finally very little edu- cational advantages were had except those supplied by the church. The first chief has made his position clear on the matter of religious organizations. He explains that past religious per- secutions were due to open violations of law. The law, he af- firms, positively forbids any ecclesiastic of any denomination from active participation in Mexican politics. In the past the law in this respect has been shamefully disregarded and the vio- lators were punished for such violations and not because of their religious faiths. Obedience to the law is all that the General has asked in the past and all that he will ask in the future- Every person who loves justice will hope that Carranza will be able to successfully carry out his policies. years been especially favored in that they have not paid their Financial Legislation in the United States By Hon. Charles A. Lindberg, Congressman from Sixth Minnesota District At the request of the editors, X have prepared a series of articles for the Nonpartisan Leader ond other newspapers, on the subject of recent financial legislation in the United States and the present needs for state as well as Federal action for rural wage workers, and industrial credit system. I wish to treat the subjects from the broad standpoint of our economic needs and a proper adjust- ment of public finances so as to pro- duce a greater development of our resources and, at the same time, to bring about a more equitable distri- bution of the proceeds of industry. Replies to Criticism " In, order to arrive at a definite une. derstanding of the basis of the dis- cussion, I wish'to begin my series of articles with a reply to a criticism which has recently been made of the remedy which I propose to correct some of the iniquities of the present €conomic system. My critic is a man of intelligence and, says that he has made a careful study of all I. have written on financial questions. He ‘agrees with me that present condi- tions are bad and we differ only in the manner of applying a remedy. He says: “You propose a reform of the pres- ent system of private banks, leaving the private banks still in existence. I would do away with all private banks entirely, leaving the govern- ment the complete charge and control of the banking business.” 2 A Very Big Question The reader will readily see that this criticism of what he supposed to be my attitude on the financial question goes to the heart of a very blg subject in American politics and, would aprly, as well, to the attitude ‘of perhaps a majority of our people upon every subject that is up for dis- cussion in ppolitical life. I do not * ‘hesitate to say that I would be just as much in favor of government banks ing as my friendly critic is, if—but that is a very big if, and involves a v dirzussion of, a subject which 1. do not: intend at this time even if the Non- partisan Leader could afford me the space. So, perhaps it is sufficient to say, what seems to me sufficient rea- son for not asking complete govern- ment barking now, that the particu- lar “if” that stands in the way isthat we could not get it. You can put me down for the present as one of our many citizens who believe that a half loaf 'is better than no bread, Cross Out Party Lines Any careful student of current pol- itics knows that the ordinary classi- fication of our citizens as Republicans, Democrats, Socialists and Prohibition- ists, in neither logical nor scientific and that the truly logical classifica- tion would cross all these party lines. Each class of citizens, determined from a scientific viewpoint of what they actually believe, would contain individuals from all of the political parties above named. A proper class- ification, per haps, would be: The Three Classes (A) Conservatives, who stand for the existing order of things and desire little or no change from present con- ditions. (B) Evolutionists, or Progressives, who believe we can secure only a gradual growth, or evolution, aiming at the best that is advocated by all parties and seeking its adoption as fas as the people become prepared for its reception. (C) ' Revolutionists, who seek to apply the remedy of “government ownership as the only solution of the many difficulties encountered in set- tling economic injustice. ¥ " Gradual Advancement Progressives, who believe in grad- ual evolution as the solution as the practical solutions of economic prob- lems, holding fast to all that we have that is good and seeking always | for that which is better, are found|’ more widely ‘scattered in and among all the political parties than any other of the three groups. I think it: is-a good' and: hopeful thing ‘that this is true. Your true progressive is apt to be a man who is looging in the platform of all parties for that which is good andseeking to “have it engrafted into the platform of his own party so as to make it better. Also, he is apt to be pret- ty independent in his voting and rather non-partisan. When he goes into the voting booth, he is more apt to consider the dictates of his own consciencs than to listen to the de- mands of party bosses who seek, not only to appeal to his intelligence, but desire to enter with him into the voting booth and tell him there what he must do or forfeit party alleg- iance. The Nonpartisan Tendency It is this tendency of the non-par- tisan to stray across party lines in his voting, which causes him to be such a force for good in all political parties, although he is so much di- vided, in his nominal allegiance. While the political bosses do not like him a little bit, all parties realize that| they must have him in order to win and so it has come about that each of the greater old parties claims to be progressive and concedes more and more in each election to the policies which he advocates. He will never bring about perfection/ in politics, so long as selfishness and; greed exist in this world, but he will do all he can to make things better and especially to make economic condtions so that there will be a more equitable dis- tribution: of the proceeds of labor. He realizees that exactly equitable conditions are impossible so long as selfishness exists- and “he does not see how eslfishness can be eradicated by law. In -politics he seeks to do the best he can with materials as they are, seeking all the time to make them better. Non-partisan Standpoint . I shall discuss financial and econo- mic questions for the readers of thig peper- from 'a progressive, or ‘non- partisan standpoint. = While ‘I favor government. bonks, T believe that we could not get them at this time. I do believe, however, that it is possi- ble within a short time to 'secure such reforms of our banking and economic methods as to make condi- tions infinitely better “than they are now and I intend to work for these reforms. My next article will deal with how the progressive states can hasten Federal action, and in fact have a system of their own to aid the indus- trial development of their state. Some of these articles will. be an- ticipated, from my magazine, but I shall be glad to furnish them in ad- vance to the progressive prss. Oth- ers do not want them. THE KEY TO SUCGCESS. “I owe my wealth and my face to pluck,” Said the silk-hatted magnate—with force. ? “But, who did you pluck (import- ant, of course)?” Asked the ambitions young man dressed in duck! The business men’s newspapers play a great game to keep us all in the air. One moment they urge im- mediate prosperity and ultimate re- form. Next day they advise imme- diate reform and ultimate prosper- ity. The banker wins, the farmer looses, and at the end of the year they send a bill for our subscription. You say you are your wife'’s third husband?” “No; I'm her fourth husband.” . “Heavens, man! you re not a ‘hus- band, you're a habit.”" - Some of the Iowa farmers are fall- ing for the “Thousand. Dollar Land” slogan. If they would organize like the North Dakota farmers are doing they could get the’ thousand. and still keep the land. g The Leader;. fights for the farmer, PEE