The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-07-27

OAA Il
bitration OF labor disputes Is conceded BY
all. Itshould, however, be system con-
sistent with the liberty OF workingmeas
and the Peoples party is not only the
one which because of its sym athies can
be trusted to devise a system fair to Ia
borers, but it is the only party which un-
equivocally declares for it in its plat
form; and it declared for II before the
present great strike made other people
first begin to think.
The people should not be at the mercy
and the folly or the cupidity Of their law
makers. but should decide for themselves
whether laws shall be enacted; a result
which can be brought about and the poll
tfcian and the lobbyist be retired from
public affairs by the adoption of the in
itiative and referendum which the Peo-
pies party advocates in its platform and
its press without any change IN its con-
stitution, this could be adopted at once
in Cities and an end be thus put to the
granting of valuable franchises by city
councils, and to all opportunities for
municipal corruption, and II should be
adopted next winter.
The Peoples party alone unequivocally
advocates as party doctrine the govern
ment ownership and operation of rail-
roads and telegraphs, and the public
ownership of all public utilitiess aud
only by voting with that party can any
one hope te see this plan, 50 beneficial to
the people, adopted. | need not say that
am in hearty sympathy with this de-
mand-
No workingman ever fears injustice at
the hands of a POpulist governor, or
Populist judge. During the present
strike Of railroad men, from POpulists,
and from PopuIists alone, have come out
spoken resolutions cham pioning the
cause of the strikers Only under POpu-
list administration have strikers been
able to feel secure that government sym
pathized with workingmen in their strug
giles and that the power Of the state
would not be- used in the interest of greed
to crush defendseless labor. Who
that reads this utterance by
Mr.. Overmyer can doubt as to the sym
pathies of the party he represents? "POp-
ulism has now reached the stage where
it simply Coxeyism, and Coxeyism Is in
cipient revolution superinduced by or
ganized vagabOndage and militant
scoundrelism."
Recent complaint of the Daily
Capital that the Peoples party had stood
by the strikers during the late days that
tried mems souls. the Capital being the
organ of the Kansas Re Dublicans the
utterances of Mrs. ]. Ellen Foster at the
Republican state convention, denOuncing
all labor organizations, and the speech of
ex-senator Ingalls, at Fredonia, the other
day, bitterly denOunclng the refusal Of
working men to submit peaceably to be
made slaves, all show quite clearly the
friendship Of the Republican party for
arrogant wealth as against struggling
labor.
Whatever may have been the politics
Of workingmen heretofore. how can any
of them hereafter vote with any but the
Peoples party without voting, with their
eyes wide open, for their own enslave-
ment9 Remember that il was in the
midst of the present strike that a Popu-
list convention nominated by reclamation
for the Legislature man who, by the
kindness of his fellows, represented that
strike in this community. This spoke
louder than any written platform: and
this has led me to accept a position
which to one in my situation is not po-
sition to be coveted
Should l be elected, I shall carry into
the legislature the feelings and yearn-
ings of the wageworkers; and I shall
labor for the interests of those who work
for wages in the cities, or who give chat
tel mortgages in order to enjoy the priv
iIege of working for less than nothing on
farms.
Corporations are always represented
by their hired men in the legislature,
and I shall not deem it my business to
see that special privileges are granted to
them at the expense of the working men.
No man can be injured by justice to the
common people, unless he thrives upon
injustice to them.
With these explanations, and through
you thanking the convention for its fat
tering kindness to me and to those for
whom / stand, am, gentlemen, at your
service as your candidate for representa-
tive of the Thirty sixth (36th) represen-
tative district.