Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-01-28
WILL THEY MEYER LBARNa

AdHodS L dIul6I L he anxiety Ol
our neighbor, the Capital, to draw
members of the legislature away from
their convictions and their pledges
amounts almost to desperation. 1t calls
to its aid newspaper correspondence,
political gossip and labored editorials Of
eastern papers to convince its old neigh
bors Of Kansas that it is their duty to
renounce their opinion and betray most
sacred trusts which have been rerosed
in them. Will these people never learn
the truth about the peoples's move
ment-that it was born of deep c0nvic-
ton and cannot be abanded without
surrendering principles winch are quite
as dear to many Of US as our church
creeds? They seem to believe that
there was and is nothing in the move
ment deeper than a desire TO destroy
the republican party, hence they think
that an appeal to party memories and
prejudices ought to bring back into
line all who were not found there when
the last roll call was heard.
Warnings were given long ago. This
rebellion against existing conditions,
as Senator Ingalls, describes it. could
easily have been prevented by reason
able attention to the peoples demands;
but, while it was and IS a common
thing for the president and secretary of
the treasurer to run over to New York
and there confer with bankers and 9th
er capitalists as to the best way to re-
lieve rhe strngency Of the money mark
ct there, no sort of attention has ever
been paid to the widespread demand of
the working people Of the country for
relief. There is money famine in all
the west and south, but our national
legislature has acted as if the members
had never heard of it. And at time
when agriculture was PROSTATE. farm
ers in distress and willing men and wo-
men by the million in enforced id eness
taxes were raised ON necessaues and
the poor had greater burdens placed
upon them, while they were informed
that poverty is an unavoidable tnisfor-
tune. In all the legislation of the last
twenty I'VE years. if the poor man has
been considered at all, it was to push
him still farther away from the rich
Our public domain was squandeTed and
property values were forced down
80 per cent. by changing our national
obligations from paper to geld. The
debtor was robbed to add to The value
of the creditors security. The people
of Kansas have been despoiled Of mil
lions that the Unsuitable greed OF the
money changers might be fed. Oar de
velopment has been marYeIoas-tnoth
ing like it appears IN the wake Of hu-
man progress, yet, with all we have
done to mark our way forward, half
the people age in debt beyond then
ability to pay, and is falling below the
line of renewal, All this our congress
! men know. but they have no cate for
financial interests farther west than
Pennsylvania.
The people without regard 10 party
have rebelled against that sort Of gov
eminent. The st. Louis demands were
published early December, 1889. the
National Grange had but shortly be-
fore adopted similar demands, Ill the
working forces OF the country appealed
in like tenor for relief. but ths re sponse
came in the silver fraud aud the Me-
Kinley bill. The people have UNDER
taken to relieve Themselves Parties
ties are weak IN the face Of necessities
which cry and will not dpNn. The
men who have Joined hands in this
great movement have no thought Of
looking backwards. The work which
they have undertaken must be done,
and it must be done soon and thorough
Iy or half our farmers viii be renters
and half our iaboFsrs yagrants. Wealth.
is drifting into the hands Ola fey paf-
sons with alarming rapidity. TIE times
are full of peril. This rebellion is
therefore desperately IN earnest, aud
all the coaxing aud threatening Of cd
party associates is not only useless, it
is offensive Look over cur aenbef-
ship and see many of the best M u and
women OF the country silsi reslize that
they are not triiling We haze sgeed
to- stand together until lie nfl1 IS
reached. Those who would hsaiii is
must come the way We are geiag. and
It ought to be plainly perceptihie to tie
dullest vision that orr course IS away
frotn rather than toward any OF Inc old
parties.