The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1893-11-29


reduction Of taxes and expenses all
around, to the extent, not of thousands,
but Of millions. And to this end reor-
gsnizstion of the whole constitutional
and official system Of the state is neces-
sary as the only means by which it can
be effected. And ], therefore, call upon
the people in their primary capacity, in
dependent Ut party, to consider the
same, and be prepared to act in the
premises, because all Office holders and
Office seekers, together with their sste-
lites, and all who live on the drippings
OF the state, county and town treasures,
even to road supervisors, will stand in
the way OF such reform and fight it to
the bitter end.
And above all let US provide against
that curse of humanity, public debts,
whether OF state, county or municipality,
so justly and thoroughly denounced by
Governors Martin, Click and Crawford:
and discourage, 30 far as possible, ali
quasi public debts like those of the rail-
roads, and Indebtedness Of every descrip-
tion by the people, even to the abolition
Of all laws for the collection Of debts, if
absolutely necessary to compass the
end. For never was there truer adaRe
than that the borrower is the servant of
the lender. And it is as true Of states
and nations as Of individuals. A people
in debt are bound hand and foot to their
creditors, as is the mortgsged farmer to
the village shylock. 1t has for years
been the policy of the general govern
ment, as we'll as OF our state and county
governments, to issue bonds Of indebted
ness, and have them c8shed by the
agents Of British and German syndicates
in our cities and towns. And now we
are reaping the reward in Strengthened
circumstances and hard times. And the
Jarvis OoDklln and Lombard Loan com.
psnies of Kansas City, agents OF foreign
capitalists, recently went by the board
to the extent of millions, following in
the wake OF thousands of Kansas farmers
IN sadness and sorrow and ruin.
AS the Topeka Capital said February
27, 1890, though it has since changed it's
tone:
The west is the debtOr-the east the cred
itOr. A thousand million dollars, at a
rough estimate, would be required to bal
anCo accounts between the east aud west,
With all the energy of desperation, the in
domitable pluck and enterprise begotten Of
faith and hope, and the agony of bloody
sweat, the west il trying to pay off it's debt.
But while it wrestles in the very thPOes of
life and death struggle, the placid east
seems quietly TO be tightening the rope
about our necks. Innumerable trusts and
combines, like gigantic spiders have woven
their webs across she land; grain gambling
depreeses the price of our farm products
TO a point less remunerative Co the farmer
than the wages Of European psupers; silver,
western produOtiCn,, is practically demon
etiZed lest the golden dollar Of shyloCk
should not be sufficiently magni6ed.
But without further comment, behold
the picture that Menzsl, a German pub
licist, who had q personal experience Of
the system Of debts and taxes, draws:
Under such systems men come to be con-
sidered purely as property and estimated
according TO their productive value like cat
tie. Among the Russians, Rt least, property
consists in souls. But among US, the soul
consists in property. The state is a mine;
and its shafts run into the pockets Of the
people. EXtravsgant financial projects are
experiments with the air pumps, which
pumps the breath Of life away from that
cold frog called the people, to try how long
he can live and kick when he has nothing
more TO live upon. In old times more
cruelty was praoticed, but it was done
more honestly. The people were laid under
contribution, and the Jews were put 10
DE- Ath or their account books destroyed.
Money was taken wherever it could be
found; but it was taken only wherever it -
was found. In modern times the great art
has been discovered Of taking money
where there is none, and Of creating debts
among people who do not even exist. The
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