Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1894-07-26
Constitutional Reform.

When the peoples party ia falsified by
charging it with anarchical tendencies, let
1t be remembered that the organization
had its origin with the agricultural class,
and that its controlling strength is derived
from tillers of the soil No stronger guar
anty could possibly exist that the party
stands, above everything else, for the sta
billty of government aud the conservation
of those principles of right and justice
which have successfully passed the ordeal
of conscience and the test of experience.
The farmers and planters of the United
States constitute the sheet anchor of
American civilization. They are bound
to conservatism and the maintenance OF
individual and property rights by the
strongest ties of self-interest; but their
conservatism is not the misnOmer now
in vogue, when the purpose is to justify
industrial piracy and perpetuate economic
wrong; their conservatism does not ellml-
nate from the term the idea Of human
development and the application OF
the eternal principles of equity to human
affairs.
It is the mission of the peoples party
to effect certain changes in our economic
methods, through the machinery of gov
eminent, that, if not wrought peacefully,
will inevitably come by violence. The
anarchist wars on the idea of any govern
ment; the peoples party looks to govern
ment for redress, and as the only guaranty
of social rights and civil liberty.
The fact that the farmers and planters
of our country were mainly instrumental
in organizing the peoples party, and that
as rule they look to it as the agency for
industrial relief, should in itself invite the
most serious attention Of thoughtful people
to its avowed objects and the necessity of
a political organization to effect them.
The peoples party charges the existence
of a we'll defined combination of money
owners which, through the perversion of
legislation, has secured the mastery of the
industries of the world that it has for more
than 20 years, under color of law, been en-
gagged in capturing the earnings of industry
| and Selling the possessions of the toiling
millions, with the result of such cOncentra-
ton of wealth in few hands as was never
| previously conceived in the Annals of man
kind; that this conspiracy of wealth has
already blasted agriculture as a renumera-
tive calling that should give reasonable
returns on labor and capital invested; that
its process of decimating the interests of
wage earners has been retarded by the pro-
tective force of labor unionism, but that
the rights of labor are menaced by this
combination of capitol, and the laborer is
doomed to want and degradation unless
popular government is substituted for
oligarchical domination in our industrial
affairs; that the power which is absorbing
what wealth earners produce, and that
during the last decade trebled the private
indebtedness of our country and trans
formed ownership into landlordism by
Wholesale, having undermined agricultural
prosperity and pushed a war of extermi-
nation against labor unionism, is now en-
gagged in stamping out the retail business
interests of the nation, as at present I'M
derstood and conducted by individual own
ers.-Denuer NetUs.