Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-11-23
A Democrat on Populism.


Of Populistlc teachings 1t is so strong
and clear that 1t ought not to be lost.
It's educational Al d we reproduce
some OF the sections:
We entertain radically different ideas
on practically all Of the great Issues of
the day. Your ideas, In the main,
are modelled on those OF Carl Marx,
Bellamy, ct i'd Umni genus, and tend to
socialism, nationalism, paternallsm,
and ultimately to rock.ribbed central
ization, where man, the unit, is snuffed
out and a social despotism erected in
stead. Mine contain the germs OF
political liberty and represent the In
dividualistic and centrifugal forces OF
society and government. AS the
highest excellence Of the family In
attained by culture and development OF
its separate members rather than by
snufllng out or dwatilng the natural
ambitions, tastes and possibilities and
concentrating power and direction In
the read thereof. and that, too, under
"A system that deni,s the right to any
greater guerdon, reward, profit or
honor to a Goethe, Gutenberg,
Shakespeare, Milton, Laverrisr, Full
tor, Morse, Edison, whitney, Howe
and the grand army Of men Of genius
who have enriched the world and
ele, ated humanity and have sur
rounded the poorest workiDgman Of
today with comforts and Injuries not
possessed by crowned heads only a
Century ago, than they would award to
a man who had never added an iota to
the comfort, wealth or happiness of
mankind In general, either Intellect
ually, physically or morally so, too, l
think the application Of these rules to
society at large is destructive Of the
very foundation on which m, derD
civilization and progress have been
made.
When, too, reflect that the effort to
engraft these destructive principles
upon free American institutions; under
whose benign influences the highest
possibilities 30 far attained OF the
Auglo-Saxon race had been reached, il
of recent transatlantic origin, l am
filled with deepest regret and solicitude
for the future of my country. There
is nothing so deeply deplore a. race
prejudices or antagonlsms; nothing
that l, as an American citizen, more
royalty welcome than the advent
among us Of those who love our dag
our constitution and our county, it,
principles and traditions; and OF such
| am happy to say, have been the great
mass OF those who have come here fol
many formtr years.
| do not believe that the mass of oul
citizens who vote and act with what Il
known as the Populist party are imbued
with either purpose or desire to sub
vert a single corner stone on which ouI
Republican form of government rests,
| am positive that many doctrines
advocated by them, IL realized, will
inevitably result ultimately in the over
throw not only Of the existing form Of
government, but Of the entire socia
organism AZ now constituted. Their
can be no doubt that soms of its chic
political tenets are In line directly will
the war that all modern teachers o
socialistic thought are waglng on al
existing social conditions. And in ~
far as our form of government rests ol
some of these social conditions the wa
, is really against the fundamental prin
cples of that government, don
believe, when the American peOpl
come to consider and understand tn
nature aud trend of this warfare, tba
they will surrender their precious her
itage to the social any more than to tn
individual tyrant, | further believ
that there are many grieyous wrong
y and abuses which, under cover OF law
the classes have inflicted upon III
u masses, and hope and believe tina
+ out OF all this agitation and contentio
these will come to be better undeI
stood, and ~ human nature Is bette
Is aud more enlightened and humane tina
u IL has ever been before, and is ev,
striving, and Is ever struggling ~
ward, believe those wrongs will l
corrected and justice done those who's
lot in life has been cast on unfortunai
Z lines through no neglect or fault 81
- their own part.
l. don't mean that wrong, injur!
d misfortune or injustice will cease, {
r. even that they will not exist to sue
N an extent as to constantly appeal
ID government, society and individuals
Al right them, but do mean that with
d certain Fundamental laws within whiI
e. all history, observation and experien
ic teach US that man has struggled h
:! way up from darkness to light, fro
~ savagery to complex civilization, "
r. his further development aud the evol
y, ton OF society and government have
al take place. And l hold IL to be q
e axiom, and hence one OF those lay
o. that the even, sym netrlcal aud highe
ss development OF society and the appro
" innate perfection OF government, WIFI
n. ia i'm chiaf inatrumant can only