Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1892-10-13
TIE LEADING ISSUES
CLEARLY PRESENTED BY A POPuLlsT
CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE.

ons-The Tariff Hum bug.
Mr.. J. H. Turner, national secretary
of the Farmers Alliance and Industrial
union and alsoSecretary of the national
committee of the Peoples party, has
been nominated for congress from the
Fourth congressional district of Geor-
gia. He was born and reared in the dis
trict. Mr.. Turner's letter Of acceptance
is mastery document, showing that
the writer fully understands the causes
of and remedies for the present deplora-
BILE and threatening conditions which
obtain in our beloved country. Follow
ing is liberal extract from the letter:
II the tariff bt the great robber, as pictured
by the Democratic party, instead of cutting 1t
down per cent. every vestige Of 1t should be
blotted out forever. But ! have found the
great trouble with this party on this subject to
lie in the fact that the controlling element OF
the party. being interested in these protected
industries, is just as much In favor Of pro-
lection az the Republican party itself. There
is NO perceptible difference. 80 far as the rec
ord goes on this subject, between an eastern
Democrat and an eastern Republican. This
sham battle over the tariff has been going on
for more than half century. The people have
been arrayed on either side loyally-and ]
might say blindly-following their leaders
with a devotion unparalleled in political his
tory. while both sides have been systematical-
~ robbed by q system purpOsely kept IN the
BACKGROUND and almost entirely ignored as Q
political issue. ] refer to the financial system
which has SO ruthlessly snatched away the
comfort and happiness of 80 many OF our busi-
ness men and brought desolation and ruin to
the once happy homes OF so many farmers ana
mechanics.
In proof Of the above statement as regards
the business men Of the country sub al the
following from Bradstreet's Commercial Bull
letin: "ln 1865 there were gu failures, with
liabilities of Sl7,625.000. In 1875, after silver
had been demonetized and the currency Of the
country had been contracted from S62.Ol per
capita in 1855 to Sl4.A in 1875, there were 7,740
failures, with liabilities of S20l, 100000, and in
1850 number of failures 1927, with liabilities
of S3l2, 41,742."
Let us now examine into the condition of the
farmers and working people Of the country.
We find from the census bulletins Of 1890
that there were y,UO0,0O0 mortgages recorded
between 1850 and 1890 on the homes Of the peo-
pie. From statistics already given out esti-
mates fairly made show that from S9,000OO,-
mo TO SIS, moo. O000O0 yet remain unpaid. This
sum at per cent. interest would amount to
600 that must be paid from the prod
ucts of labor annually into the Golfers Of the
usurer. Allowing S,0O0,UO bales Of cotton for
an average crop, IL would take three entire
crops of cotton to pay this interest alone. How
long will the farmers and business men of the
country continue to vote TO continue in power
political parties that propose to continue pres
ent conditiOnsl
Of the lands of the United States, aliens own
outside of railroad grants, 100000 acres;
railroad corporations own l9l ,442,3S5 acres
which, added to the amount owned by aliens,
Arn u nor yl,sn
reclaimed by the government, 70 provide o
comfortable home for every man, woman and
child in the United States who is today with
out home. II il the home owner that devel-
obs the resources Of a country, defends Its
laws, builds its schools and makes society con-
tented and happy. The history Of all coun-
tries and times teaches US that when the lands
Of q country drift into the hands Of the few
and the many are made tenants and serfs.
bloOdshed and revolution have been the in
variable results.
Are the people of this country TO stand idly
by and permit their homes TO be absorbed by
aliens and corporations, simply because the
political boss says that II would be co;nmun-
ism TO offer a protesf2 II the people would not
see their children the tenants Of alien land
lords, let them put their protests In the ballot
box which is the only remedy left except the
musket. Both the old political parties are so
completely dominated by these corporations
tibet they dare not open their mouths on the
land Question. Examine their platforms and
see.
The transportation question Is one Of the
most vital that is now engaging the attention
of the American people Railroad corporations
have become SO exacting that almost every
state in the Union has been compelled TO create
a railroad commission and the national gov
eminent an interstate commission, in order to
protect the people, and they are still unpro-
tected, as everyone knows who has endeavored
TO investigate the matter. According TO the
price the people are receiving for their pro-
ducts, the railroads are charging more today
for Messenger end freight traffic than they ever