The record-union., 1892-10-20
Mrs. DIGGg EFFORT.
The Lady From Kansas Talks About
Politics.
Like other p. p. Advocates, She
Leaves Her Logic at Home, and
Talks Wildly.

Turner Hall was crowded last night to
hear an address by the woman speaker
OF the Peoples party. Mr.. and Mrs.
Wortz first sang the "Darkey's Good-By
to the Old Parties,'' and another cam
paign song.
Mrs. A. l.. Diggs of Kansas was then
introduced. She spoke in a clear and dis
tinct voice, and was frequently inter
rupted by applause. She began by Civ
ing her own observation of the inception
and growth of the Peoples party move
ment. II began in Kansas, but the real
movement was started, she said, when
men first began to believe in justice and
equality.
In her experience she had opportuni-
ties for observation and investigation,
and did not hesitate to say that the Gov
ernment had been seized by the money
powers, and that ours was no longer
Government for, by or of the people.
She told of the rapid rise OF the move
ment in Kansas. A majority of $1,000
was given there for Harrison and every
body was Republican. Shortly after the
Farmers Alliance started, and the ma
joriJy was brought down from $1,000 10
less than 5000. The alliance elected i've
out of seven Congressman and the entire
lower house OF the Legislature. In the
State Senate there were hold-overs or the
new party would have had control of
both houses. This winter, she asserted,
the party would elect both houses.
She spoke of the conventions at Mime
apolis and Chicago, which were full of a
spirit and ardOr which she characterized
as hero worship, and which cooled into
disappointment and dissension when the
platform was submitted. At the Omaha
ion, n
more enthusiasm and there was formu-
lated the new "declaration of independ-
ence," and General Weaver was selected
as the standard bearer.
Mrs. Diggs defined politics as nothing
more than the business of the nation,
and Hkened the affairs of the nation to a
great corporation agreement entered into
by our forefathers. 1t was intended that
equal rights should be granted to all; and
now, when the people came to take an in
Ventory of the affairs Of the nation, it did
not show fair deal.
on the subject of the rights of suffrage,
she wanted to know what voice the voters
had in the policies of either OF the old
parties. If there was any voter present
who had been consulted on making tariff
the issue of the campaign, she would like
him TO raise his hand.
All the old parties have to do is to point
with pride to the past and vote a straight
clans were remarkably expert jugglers,
and manipulated the oW-you-see-it-and-
nOw-you-don't trick to perfection. They
would furnish voters with an array OF
statements and figures that would make
them happy, very happy, before election,
and now you see it; after the campaign,
when the voters looked for realization
of the promised joy, they didn't see it.
The Republicans and Democrats, she
said, are doing business at the same old
stand, and what are the voters going to
do about it? She referred to the S4S.UO0,-
coo appropriated by a Democratic Con-
gress for river and harbor improvements,
ana asked how many OF her hearers had
ever seen a copy of the bill or knew what
rivers and harbors were really improved
The money in the public treasury was
the peoples money-just as much as the
Government was the peoples Govern
ment. The Government was over there
at Washington. and lived there. There
was the Capitol, with a dome on top sur
mounted by the Goddess of Liberty. with
saloon underneath surrounded by poll
ucians and a lobby. The voters had no
more to do with it than minors, idiots or
women.
Mrs. Diggs then spoke of the various
conditions of the laboring classes in many
places, and especially of those i'll Chicago
ana III New \ ork and in the coal mines,
she spoke for over an hour and a half.
AS usual, the address consisted Of at
tempts at sarcasm and wit, abuse of the
Republican party and President Harri-
son, etc., and was utterly lacking in logi-
cal argument. This, of course, was not
unexpected,