The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-05-12
WHAT "eATHg HEARD.
lken of Thought Are Beginning to See the
Grounds of Popular Discontent.


Eken of Thought Are Beginning to See the
Grounds of Popular Discomfort.
George Alfred Townsend (''Gath'1 In
letter to the New York Sun, written at
Washington, makes some assertions and
illusions which indicate that he thinks
the next four years will see the breaking
up of the Republican party. He sug-
gests that about all the immediate fu-
ture holds out to the G. o. P is the po-
sition of balance of power" between
the Democrats and Populists. Town
send has excellent opportunities for be
coming acquainted with the views of
politicians ut the national capital, and
some interest will attach to the hint he
gives that certain western men who have
been Republican leaders may seek to ally
themselves with the Populists for the
overthrow Of the Democrats.
He asks in the article to which refer
ence has been made, t'Did not the Re
publican party, as racer, retire with
Blaine, like some old Lexington whose
victories cannot be effaced, which has
gone into the stud to watch the perform
ances Of his 'getting?" and the free sill
yer Republicans of the west are the old
party's offspring, who are expected to
appear In future fields as Populist en-
tries.
The following excerpts from 'fGath's"
letter are expressive as showing the pres
ent bent of so shrewda political observer
and also because of the evidence given
that men who have ignored heretofore
the cries of the distressed are at last
learning that there is more than peevish-
ness in the cries:
There are more Populists in the next senate
than there were long Republicans when Chase,
Sumner and Hale were there.
New York city is profoundly torpid on this
subject of subjects, which primarily involves
the control of politics by railroads, banks and
other corporations In the east this is not
grievance. In the west it is question of
mortgages. Let me quote the clerk of the
ways and means committee under both KEEL
ley and Neutrality-suspicious. John Carson:
81 went west to look out for election returns, -
said Mr.. Carson. II had seen nothing east to
make me think that Kansas, which gave Har-
rison $4,000 majority, would help to defeat him.
But a class of questions'was put to me that
could not answer. For instance, a group OF
farmers said: DO you see that elevator? 1t Is
our only market house. Do you know that 1t
and every elevator on this railroad are in a
trust? We raise nothing but grain, and we
haul it to that elevator, which has received its
orders from Boston or Topeka and has no indie
pendent agent. SuCn EOaQS as we nave make d
haul back of that grain for six miles despair
itself.
't'WeIl. the agent says: 81 think 1 have got
all the grain want to take care of. hear that
you are going to vote for a Populist for gov
ernor I'm not compelled to buy your grain"
Some are beat out of several cents a bushel be-
cause we don't please his unknown employers,
or must leave our grain on the ground, or haul
it back home. If this is not political ques-
ton, will you tell me what is? We know
that our legislatures are bought and sold, that
this railroad makes laws, senators and gov
ernors, and we are going to knock both parties
out and reform from the bottom up. So they
did" added the major 1nnocently.
A member of congress, who made no great
miss of becoming speaker, supplemented these
views last week-I have not his permission to
quote hin1-aS follows:
II wish some man of genius could solve this
question of the double standard of money. 1t is
tearing US all up in the west. There is a deep
hostility to capital by labor. The line of men
who pass their employers fine house on their
way homo from work are seen to scowl upon 1t
and grit their teeth.'
"Why?"
~ am sorry to say that the substitution of
money for arguments to carry elections has
been so general that the confidence or the
| masses in their rulers is gone. Can deny that
| money has been used? We know that for years
| the collecting of money to buy the electors was
| uniformly done. We know that for no other
! advantage or talent than wealth the United
States senate seats disposed of by the legis-
| latures. 1t is not occasional, but habitual.
| Money is spent and must not be questioned, or a
! public man seals his fate. / have seen Lincoln
and Douglas sway the multitude as if it were
! one man. Then the public servant had a tongue,
| talents and honest hands. Now he is known to
be honorable without honor. The rich man who
has cut a principally. of lumber, or fettered
and absorbed some railroad, or been in a series
| of banks or trusts, goes past the faithful party
| servant by the aid of his heavy purse, and to
| whisper dissent is ones destruction.
Now, the laboring masses know all this.
They believe that the war upon silver is another
! turn of the screw. They have no more faith in
| one party than the other, and therefore look
| for a powerful development of the Populists.
Mr.. Cleveland has already prejudged the silver
question, and they will not trust him. He may
! combine the woold parties, or the property re-
nainder of them, but the feeling that we lean
too much on Europe and are a part of the pro-
! fessional gold jobbing system of her rich ped
| dlers and pariahs has gone abroad. know OF
course that the remedy is delusion, but it COW
| ers its want of logic with the cry of America
| has been sold OUT The miners, the operatives
the mill classes, have nowhere to go but to the
Populist party, unless we can get to bimetallisn
safely