Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1892-05-05
A .RlTIcAL ELECTION.
II Looks as If the Political Situation L.
the Most Inl nortant Since LEGO.

In the house of representatives has givel
a tremendous boom to Peoples part1
prospects. Anything, indeed, NOR
suspicious for the success of that part,
in November could not have happened
The demand for free silver coinage
while strong in the west, is still strongcl
throughout the south, and from the be
ginning of the Peoples party movement
the southern Farmers Alliances have
served explicit notice on the Democratic
party that if the present Democratic
house failed to pass the silver bill they
would desert it in November, and vote
in body for the candidates of the new
party. The only argument by which Z
portion of the membership of the south
ern Alliances has been hitherto KEEP
back from committing itself outright tC
the Peoples party has been the promise
that the Democratic house would heed
their demands
We do not believe that there is IN ~
lance man in the south today who has
not definitively made up his mind to
vote for the candidates nominated at
Omaha. Even if the Democratic ma
tional convention, terrified by the situa-
ton, should take the back track and in
sert Il silver plank in the national plat
form. it would be of no avail After the
action OF the house no promises the con
vention. might make would command
any confidence, and indeed would only
make the situation of the Democracy
more desperate by alternating it's gold
standard constituency in the north and
east. which is all that is now left of it.
In fact, the probabilities are altogether
that the Wall street wing, having now
won the battle, will strengthen its grip
and by the nomination of Cleveland bar
the door against the possible return OF
the disgruntled southerners.
What does this mean practically? It
means that the Peoples party in Novem-
Der will probably carry five southern
states, being the two Carolinas, Georgia,
Mississippi and Arkansas, and possibly
seven, if the southern Alliance congress
men may be believed. In the north the
new party has all along been likely to
carry Kansas and Nebraska and the two
Dakotas. but in the silver states of Mon
tana and Colorado its prospects of sue
cess are at least SO per cent better than
before the defeat of the silver bill That
is to say, there is now reasonable prob
ability that the Peoples party in No
vember may carry from nine to thirteen
states.
This means that no president is likely
to be elected by the people, and that if
the house of representatives shall elect a
Democrat he will be the worst case of a
minority president that ever went into
Office.
But will the house Of representatives
necessarily elect the Democratic candi-
date? Surprising the solid south-the
stronghold of Democracy-shall have re-
pudiated the Democratic candidate by
strong popular majorities, will the south
ern Democratic congressman who want
to be reelected vote to make president
the candidate condemned by their con-
stituents? Will they be so self sacrifi-
cling?
Do you ask whom they will then vote
for? Well, the constitution restricts their
choice to the three presidential candi-
dates who received the largest electoral
vote. They will thus have to elect either
a Republican, Democrat whom their
own constituents have rejected, or the
Peoples party candidate, whom their
constituents have voted for. Figure ont
for yourselves what they may possibly
conclude to do.
The fact is. the coming presidential
contest, when the press and the people
hepin to realize IFS realities and nOssihili-