Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-11-09
THE PEOPLES PARTY.

Its Foundation Rests In the Hearts Of the
PeOPIe-BuIlt Upon q rock. It Will En-
dure Forever.
1t is the boast of the American citizen
that he is free and independent, but it
is fact that this free American citizen
goes to the polls prejudiced man and
a slave to his party fealty. He does
not consider what his party advocates,
what legislation it favors, what it pro-
poses or what it fails to propose to &C
complish, but because, perhaps, he was
reared in that faith, or because of his
associations, or because of personal
likes or dislikes, he blindly allies him
self to party and blindly votes its
tickets, never seeking by cool, dispas-
sionate reasoning, based ON informa-
ton TO show even to himself why he
thus votes.
Upon this weakness of the citizens is
built the machine politics of the day.
BY reason of this the Office seekers and
officeholders care but little for the
voters, as they know the people will go
to the polls and vote the ticket. The
people become the patient oxen that
draw the load; the politicians ride, and
when 1t is desired to move, it is only
necessary to prod the oxen and the of
fees go where the party bosses have de-
cided the same should be bestowed
BY this weakness of the voter
the present condition of affairs OBJ
tains, wherein the people are
entirely deprived of legislative govern
ment So strong has party spirit be-
come that legislative bodies only repre-
sent the party that elected the majority.
We have a democratic house of repre-
sentative that represents the democratic
party, and republican senate that
represents the republican party, and
republican president that is president
of the republican party. The demo-
cratic house or the republican senate
will work in season and out of season,
stay in their seats for days together at
any personal sacrifice in order to pass
measure that will benefit the party as
such or a measure that will create of
fees to be filled by party followers, but
the cause of the people never has day
In these courts The only question
asked as to any proposed legislation is:
"What effect will it have on my party?"
Consequently we have legislation that
Is intended to catch votes, when votes
are needed, or intended to invite con-
tributions to party campaign funds,
and what the people may want enters
not into the matter all.
Such has been the situation as to the
voters and parties and legislation for
about the last quarter of a century.
Abraham Lincoln said: "You can't
fool all the people all the time" and so
it comes now that the light of truth is
breaking through the old clouds of
prejudice and ignorance and the voter
Is beginning to ask himself; ''Why
should vote this ticket?" and as r.
suit a new party is born-the pe~,n,a,s
party.
The peoples party is Sb>, result of in
dividual knowledge and individual
reasoning and it's foundation rests in
the hearts OF the people, SO strongly in
treEched that 1t will endure forever.
Political parties have been created by
political causes, but the peoples party
Is the result of social as we'll as politi-
cal causes
The history Of the world is but his
tory of people enslaved Up to a CEN
fury ago this was servitude to might,
of the weak to the strong. The sword
has been laid aside and it is now a SER
vitude to capital. To remove this en-
the mission of the peoples party.
The peoples party recognizes these
truths: That the tendencies, positive
and implied, of all past legislation have
been to protect and increase the earn
ing capacity of accumulated capital; to
make the rich man richer; to divide the
people into two classes, one class, limit
ed in number, to own all the wealth,
the other class to be very poor; that the
opportunity of the poor man is passing
away and Is well nigh gone; that the
mass of the people have no considera-
ton in our legislatures; that capital
controls legislation and elects legis-
lators.
The peoples party believe the man is
worthy of more consideration than the
dollar, because he is a man; that the
fruit of the labor of the people is suf-
ficient to provide reasonable comforts
to every human being If there was an
equitable distribution OF the same, and
that the people have a right to this
equitable distribution of the results of
their labor.
The purpose of the party is to have
such legislation as will place the man
on the same elevated platform whore
capital stands to-day; toreach helping
hand to every poor man by enablip>c
him to retain larger share of tb5
earnings or results of his labor; 60 oro
ate such conditions as will p r,drau,
bring about an equitable S',stributior
of wealth.
This now party appeal to the human,
man, because it fav| ,rs all measure,
calculated to benef1c the human race
to the patriotic man, because it will
elevate the peo. Jle, increase their low
of our county and make this tn
gandest org IMITATION of the human rae
on the eo.rth; to every Christian, be
cause the motive of the party is tn
goldeyl rule of loving your fellow maj
as yourself.
In all things that it proposes to d
this party will confine itself within tn
lines of equity and conservatism an,
safety to society Instead of disorgau
izing IL will organize; instead of disin
tegrating it will weld together the in
terests of the people The result vii
be that the extremely wealthy elias
will in time disappear; the great, mas
of the people will gradually acralmr
late capital, and finally there will b
such an equitable distribution OF wealt
that every person who will labor wi
have al. the reasonable comforts an
cQpvsniences of life.
A BUSINESS MAN
Kansas City, Mo.