The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-02-28
SENATOR pIunyu.ws.

SENATOR PLuny VIEWS.
In the course Of q recent letter to thu
editor of this paper Senator Plumb dis
cusses in his we'll known direct and
vigorous way several of the question
about which every body has been talk
ing for several months past. The let
ter was not intended, of course, TO,
publication; but iuasmuch as it Geals
with public questions concerning
which the Senator'S constituents will
be much interested In learning his
views, we trust to be pardoned for
making public some portions of II. The
letter came in the way Of comment
upon certain articles that have appear.
ed lately in the editorial columns of
the REGISTER, and which we are glad
to have approved by SO eminent an
authority.
One Of the things we most
need to 10 IL to encourage self help.
I have noted with some alarm that
there seemed to be q general dispoei-
ton to look to congress to the entire
neglect of duties which were nearer
home. OF course congress ought to do
its full duty, and I have hopes that Il
will; but meantime the State legisla-
ture have a great deal to do and 90
have the county authorities. II, az ie
undeniably true, the burden of local
taxation lie pressing too heavily upon
our people, they ought to address them.
selves to this matter among other
thinge: Kansas is very extensively
governed, and II, as I think Is equally
true, our people have got into some
habits which not only tend to disad-
vantage them directly and to build up
the monopolies Of which they complain,
these they ought themselves to rectify,
and In fact IL they are to be reotified at
all they must d !, 1t. . It lie con-
fessed that there is, il not an over sup
ply Of agricultural productions, at least
an ample one, and every one knows
that II the supply were less prices would
be greater. And yet the proposition is
being seriously made that the govern.
ment shall appropriate indefinite mill.
ions of dollars to stimulate still furth-
er agricultural production in new areas
by means of irrigation. IF this money
is appropriated Of course there will be
the usual rush, an enormous increase
of what is already IN abundance, and
temptations presented to farmers to
leave their present location, and final
~ still greater collapse than is now
existing. 1t has seemed to me that
the advisable thing would bt to keep
our population a. nearly As possible in
Its present location, at least not induc-
ing 1t to leave, to try and ill up more
densely the existing settled areas, and
that measure to appropriate money
collected by taxation to make still
greater competition with our farmers
in their own productions would be es.
pecially injurious. 1 may be wrong
about this matter, and the fact that
our people have rather seemed to take
kindly to the idea leads me to fairly
think 80. And yet it. seems to me the
thing we want Ia lower taxes and not
higher, and IL the government cannot
help the farmers who are not In bust.
uese 1t ought not to hurt them by slim.
ulating an unnatural competition.
want to say that I agree fully
with your idea that the currency has
been unnecessarily contracted. 1t IL .
singular thing, however, that while
the Cleveland administration Illegally
contracted the money In circulation to
the extent Of at least seventy or eighty
millions Of dollars, the Republicans of
Kansas who are now demanding 90
much from the Republican administra-
ton never denounced him for 1t In
platform or on the etump. I shall
make one exception, however, and
that is myself. was amazed when /
saw that our platform made no refer.
ence to Mr.. Cleveland's hatred Of silver
and greenbacks and Of his plain man.
agment Of the treasury in the interest
of money lenders and against that of
the people. / got many q rap over the
knuckles because Of the speech that 1
made in favor of enlarging the volume
Of the curren ~, on q bill which sue
ceeded in having passed by the senate
and which was held up in the house
ON the special personal request Of Mr..
Cleveland. Now q good many Of our
people arc disposed to hold the Rspub.
lican party responsible for reversing
this order of things, q responsibility
which they never visited on the
Democrats. Fortunately or unfOrtu.
nstely the questioned increasing the
currency cannot be made q party
question. Eastern Democrats and
eastern Republicans will vote togeth-
er, as will on the whole the men from
the south and west, irrespective of
political divisions.