The Topeka Independent from Topeka, Kansas • 4

Prospectus of The Topeka Independent. THETOPEKA INDEPENDENT GRIFFIN A ROOT, Propra. at the Post Office at Topeka, Kansas, as second class matter, Published weekly at tl a year in advance. Office in Room 6, old Court House building, corner Kansas avenue and Fourth street. On July 7th, Senator Thurston delivered a speech which contained sixty or seventy extracts from newspapers telling of the return of prosperity throughout the land, due to the election of McKinley and the papers have continued to tell the same story ever since.

Yet the most of the dailies of August 14, while singing the same song, contained a dispatch from New York, giving the names of eight persons found dying of starvation in that city during the preceding ten days two of whom actualy died. That conditions are better than they once were is freely admitted, but to call a state of things in which people perish of hunger prosperous is to show an utter disregard of truth. Is it safe for the masses to entrust their destinies to the safe keeping of a party whose spokesmen demand bo little for the real workers THE SET NOTE IS A. BOOK WRITTEN BY ALBERT GRIFFIN, AND IT PROPOSES TO Substitute REAL Money for HOCUS POCUS MONEY. We have heard it said that, for many years, if not since the inauguration of the International Sunday School lesson system, there has been no lesson specialy intended and adapted to impress on young people principles of business morality, and the importance of observing them that the whole subject is ignored or touched on so lightly as to be calculated to make but little Is this true It is to be hoped not for this is a matter that should be taught constantly and impressively.

Will the editor of the leading hocus pocus money organ of this city, who is, it is said, a prominent Sunday School man, throw a calcium light or two on this subject President Kruger, of the South African Republic has taken advantage of the rebellion in India to practicaly declare the independence of his country. This is likely to prove the mistake of his life. The result will be a British army of occupation, and a new government organized in accordance with the wishes of a decided majority of the people. But, while the struggle is going on, the output of gold is likely to be diminished. o- HONEST MONEY NEITHER CHE A TS CREDITORS NOR ROBS DEBTORS, BUT HOCUS POCUS MONEY DOES BOTH.

The author of The Key Note believes that it is possible to devise a financial system under which commercial panics will be impossible the demand for labor will always exceed the supply so that every man and woman can secure constant employment at fair wages; prosperity will be permanent, and improvement in business, and other respects, will always be the rule instead of the exception. o- The undersigned have formed a copartnership for the purpose of publishing a weekly newspaper, at the capital of Kansas, to be called The Topeka Independent. It is to be, in fact as well as in name, an independent paper. It will not be the special champion of any party or clique of politicians, but will support the principles and policies its proprietors believe will best promote the interests of the people as a whole. It will impress upon its readers the importance of subordinating party fealty to the public weal and, at each election, will urge them to support the candidates that can be most easily elected, and that will most certainly and effectively help to overthrow the financial oligarchy that is now de-spoticaly ruling the country and ruining the masses of the people.

It will be fearless in its comments on officials and party leaders but will never knowingly be unjust. It will not substitute epithets for facts and arguments, but will be as courteous to, and considerate of, those whose views it controverts, or whose acts it criticises, as circumstances and the public welfare warrant. It recognizes the fact that the greater part of those who are responsible for existing conditions have not intended to injure the country, nor realized the far reaching effect of their acts. As a rule, they have attributed the evils they cannot help seeing to other than the real, and sometimes to absurdly insufficient, causes. aiming to be charitable, and not to inflict needless pain, we shall, like the faithful surgeon, probe to the bottom, when necessary.

The capacity of the people to govern themselves is now being tested more severely than ever before As a matter of fact, one tenth of one per cent of the voters control the Nation and appropriate the lions share of the profits of the labors of the entire army of producers; and, in consequence, the masses are dependent upon employers for permission to earn a livelihood, while nearly all employers, in every vocation, are themselves equaly dependent upon the financial autocrats for permission to do business at all. Moreover, the situation is growing worse with benumbing rapidity. Will not continued failure to change these conditions while change is yet possible prove that our people have lost their capacity for self government Because God is God, and not a devil, he must have made the economic laws of the Universe such as to enable all men to live comfortably, without either overworking themselves or surrendering their independence, virtue or integrity. Under a rational economic system, the demand for labor must always exceed the supply, so that every man and woman can secure constant employment, with good wages. Moreover, whenever and wherever such conditions have existed, every kind of business has prospered and, in the nature of things, it must always be so.

The Independent will show how such a state of affairs can be restored and made permanent. There never was a commercial panic, in this or any other country, that was not caused entirely by the use of fictitious bank credit, as a substitute for money. That is, all financial panics are bank panics, and are due to the fact that the volume of real money is kept ruinously small in order to compel business men to pay bankers a high price for hocus pocus money, created by them out of nothing, at a trifling cost, but dependence upon which ruins multitudes and injures nearly everybody. From one point of view, banks appear to be beneficent institutions, without which, at the best, human progress would be painfuly slow. But, from another, they are seen to be parasites rapidly absorbing the wealth of the world and reducing the masses of mankind to a condition of abject and hopeless servitude without regard to capacity or merit The real nature and results of the banking system are clearly comprehended by but few, and The Independent proposes to throw a flood of light upon its operations not because of hostility to bankers, as individuals (for some of them are truly noble men) but because the continuance of the present banking system mams the overthrow of republican institutions and the We are always glad to receive credit for what we actualy write, but the last Eureka Union credited us with a paragraph that flowed from the pen of some one who is gifted with a more breezy style.

We would not have noticed this in some sheets, but we always examine brother Easterlys paper with some care because it pays to do so. substantial enslavement of all but a favored few. The first, and most necessary step in the direction of economic reform is the remonetization of silver. This is the one a majority of the people are already willing to take and the effort should be to make it easier instead of more difficult to take it, The Independent will discuss other economic and social subjects for educational purposes but it will urg the subordination of everything (so far as may be found necessary) to the immediate, unlimited remonetization of silver, at not less than the old ratio. The National and State Constitutions prevent many needed reforms, and their amending provisions make it easy for a small minority to realy rule the country.

The Independent will therefore insist that whatever changes are required to enable the majority to protect and exercise its inherent rights, without infringing upon those of the minority must and shall be made. It will also saow how this can be done the first step being the holding of a Constitutional Convention in this state. Hypocrisy is as despicable in public as in private life and the times demand plain speech. The Independent will denounce all forms of vice and immorality, in high as well as in low places, and agrees with Gladstone that the object of government is to make it as easy as possible for men to do right and as difficult as possible to do wrong; but it does not follow that temperance men and genuine prohibitionists ought to permit the money power, with its allies and hirelings to go on forever beggaring the people for fear that a Constitutional convention might permit a separate vote on the prohibitory amendment. Believing, as we do, in majority rule and convinced, as we are, that the worst evils from which the country suffers are due to the fact that the majority has not been allowed to rule, we say, unhesitatingly, that, if a majority of our people are in favor of dramselling, then, as a matter of right, prohibition should be expunged from the constitution and laws.

It can also be added that the longer the past tactics of many of those who pose as the especial champions of prohibition are pursued, the worse it will be for this cause, and the greater will be the danger that Kansas may again be cursed by the open saloon. We are heartily in favor of the rigid enforcement of all righteous laws, but we insist, with equal emphasis, that the majority have an inalienable right to repeal all laws it believes to be either unrighteous or unwise. As most old Kansans are aware, both of us were early settlers in Kansas, and have had many years experience as newspaper publishers in this and other states, and we refer to our past record as the best evidence of what will be the character of the paper to which our united energies and abilities will be devoted with an untiring persistence and intense earnestness born of a profound conviction that the struggle now going on in this country for the emancipation of the human race from financial slavery is the most important one ever known. Until last year, both of us were Republicans, but we are now Silver Republicans or Independents. We still believe that, under existing conditions, the tarilf on all articles that are produced in this country with as little labor, and of as good quality, as elsewhere, ought to be high enough to enable American producers to pay American wages and yet undersell foreign competitors in our own markets but we are inflexibly opposed to allowing protection to be used as a justification for rates that are made unnecessarily high in order to enrich monopolists at the expense of the multitude.

However, we repeat that, at this time, the money question is more important than all others and must be forced to a solution as quickly as possible. The price of The Independent is $1 per annum, in advance, and we will be glad to receive subscriptions, at once, from our old friends, everywhere, and also from all others who wish to help forward the cause of economic reform, or who desire to learn more about it. The quicker the responses come in and the larger our list of subscribers, the better will be the paper we can furnish. As The Independent will fill a field now entirely unoccupied, and will be "a State paper, it ought to have subscribers at every post office. Communications can be addressed to Griffin Root, or to Albert Griffin, Editor Tpc.a Ind'pmlrt.

Pkaxk A. Root, YLL T-AsP: A PROPHECY FULFILLED. Nearly a hundred years ago, the celebrated French socialist, Charles Fourier, wrote a book called Theories of Social Organization, in the introduction to which he made the following remarkably accurate forecast of coming events which, even then, had begun to cast their shadows before. Among the influences tending to restrict mans industrial rights, I will mention the formation of privileged corporations which, monopolizing a given branch of industry, arbitrarily close the doors of labor against whomsoever they please. These corporations will become dangerous, and lead to new convulsions, on being extended to the whole commercial system.

This event is not far distant, and will be brought about all the more easily because it is not apprehended. The greatest evils have often sprung from imperceptible germs, as, for instance, Jacobinism and, if our civilization has engendered this, as so many other calamities, may it not engender others which we do not now foresee The most important of these is the Ibirth of a commercial feudalism, or the monopoly of commerce and industry joint stock companies, leagued to-ether for the purpose of controling all ranches of industrial organizations. Extremes meet, and the greater the extent to which anarchical competition is carried the nearer is the approach to universal monopoly, which is the opposit excess. Circumstances are tending toward the organizatian of the commercial and industrial classes into federal companies, or affiliated monopolies, which, operating in conjunction with the great landed interest, will reduce the middle and laboring classes to a state cf commercial vassalage, and, by the influence of combined action, become the masters of the productive industry of entire nations. The small operators will be reduced to the position of mere agents working for the commercial coalition.

We shall then see the reappearance of feudalism, in an inverse order, founded on mercantile leagues, and answering to the baronial leagues of the middle ages. Everything is concurring to produce this result. The spirit of commercial speculation and financial monopoly has extended to all classes. Public opinion prostrates itself before the bankers and financiers who share authority with the governments, and devise every day new means for the monopoly and control of industry. We are marching with rapid strides towards a commercial feudalism, and to the fourth phase of our civilization.

The economists, accustomed to reverence everything which comes in the name and under the sanction of commerce, will see this new order spring up without alarm, and will consecrate their servile pens to the celebration of its praises. Its debut will be one of brilliant promise, but the result will be an industrial inquisition subordinating the whole people to the interests of the affiliated monopolists. Mr. Fourier is denounced by many, who have not read his works, for views he never entertained. As to what his ideas realy were, and whether or not they were sound, we have nothing here to say, but no thinking man can read such accurate predictions of phenominal economic and social changes withomt realizing that he must have been a man whose opinions are at least entitled to careful consideration.

The fact that changes which most men then scouted at could be so accurately described, so long in advance, shows that they are the result of natural laws which must continue to produce similar consequences until different forces are brought into play. The natural law that made, present conditions not only possible but inevitable is that special privileges given to the few, enable them to despoil the many with constantly increasing rapidity and to ultimately reduce them to a condition of helpless servitude. This being true, is it not time to inaugurate a counter movement to give other natural laws a chance to secure justice to all. To this end, an era of equal opportunities for all should be substituted for the present one of special privileges for the few. The Equal Opportunity League has been organized to do this work.

Will jou give it your support? This extract is taken from John T. Codmans history of Brook Farm a charming book of which we shall iiave more say hereafter. The Key Note makes clear the fact that the banks are the sources of our financial troubles. The volume of genuine money is unnecessarily kept ruinously small in order to allow banks to supply a small part of the deficiency with hocus pocus money (bank accommodations) which can be had only on security that 99 per cent of the people cannot give. Men or parties separated by principles are antagonistic and cannot honorably fuse.

Men or parties of like principles and held apart only by party name and organization, when the time comes, cannot wisely refuse to fuse. Topeka American. o- Republicans, especialy should read this book in which its author, who was then a Republican, shows that the principles of the party required it to support Bimetal-ism and Protection. The trouble with the most of the members of that party is that they have studied but one side of the money question. What is Communism A Narrative of the Relief Community.

This is a book of 424 pages, giving a full and entertaining explanation of the principles, organization and practical details of Community homes, with common property, united labor, mutual support, and equal rights to all, so as to secure much greater wealth, comfort 'and enjoyment in all the affairs of life to all the members than can possibly be obtained in the ordinary separate way of living. It also contains a simple and practical plan by which Communities may be established all over the country and consolidated so as to finaly and speedily secure the adoption of common property and united labor by our government, in which every citizen will be required to work according to his ability for the Community of which he is a member, and be supplied thereby with everything it can afford according to his wants. All who are interested in. improving society in any way, or who might wish to secure the great riches and pleasures of a Community home for themselves, should read it. It will be sent by mail, to any address, for 50 by the publisher A.

Longley, 2819 Olive St. Louis, Mo. THE TOPEKA INDEPENDENT For 25 Cents FOR THE CAMPAIGN. Now is the Time to Subscribe. Monetary reformers should circulate it, for, in no other way can they do so much to change thinking men from the wrong to the right side.

It is beautifuly printed on good paper contains 448 pages, with a 12 page index that enables readers to easily find any point. Price Library edition doth paper 50c. Sent by mail on receipt of price. Apply to 8. L.

Griffin A Fobs, 6019 Beaumont Philadelphia, C. G. Griffin, agent, at old oonrt house, Topeka, or to Albbbt Ganns, at same place. It Will Neither Abuse nor Laud Candidates, But it will Fearlessly Tell why Present Conditions Demand a Political Revolution..