The advocate., 1894-05-30

aive people Of che state have confidence
in the professions Of the Peoples party
Il, when the critical test is prSaSnted, 10
shrinks from an RvowGl OF Ito fundar
mental principlUsH Besides, the POO-
pls's party two years ago, In state con-
vention assembled, indorsed equal gui-
frage on q fair test by an overwhelming
mBjority-the committee on resolutions
embodied in the platform q plank favor
ing the submission to the people Of q
constitutional amendment providing Cor
the measure, and the Peoples party
senate, In pursuance Of this demand
forced tho house to concur In the rOGOlu-
tion submitting the amendment to q vote
OF the people Of the state at the ensuing
election. The crisis ls on. The Peoples
party are entitled 10 the credit Of having
submitted It to q vote, and are now In
very different attitude toward the meas
urs than the republican or democratic
party, and to talk Of ignoring this i8BuS
noW-this issue forced on the people by
the Peoples party cotton in the past, Ii
tRntamount to rspudisting their own
offspring. Some argue that we should
maks.the financial question the main or
only issue, some the initiative and refer.
Ondum, and some 60 even so fAr In this
narrowing-dOwn process as TO propose
free coinage Of silver 90 the sole issue.
II it were practical or explicit, we might
60 farthersthan even the COwley county
republicans, and make better platform
with but q single word, provided that
one word was "justice." But would that
be intelligent and explicit enough?
While we are ell In favor Of our motto,
"Justice and Equality" yet political
platform must necessarily be more than
mere motto. A platform ig, or ought
to be an enunCiRtion Of the sense OF the
party % to the application Of these gen.
erAl truths to sll these live Issues of the
day which are In the march Of progress
and civilization all struggling forward
simultaneously and demanding a s0lu.
ton atsour hands. It should bo O do.
clarstion Of the manner in which ws
propose TO apply these general principles
Of justice and equality to the specific
and separate questions presented TO the
people for their conscientious and In
tslligent action.
Thomas Jefferson might have short
ened the Declaration Of Independence
confined IL more TO one issue, % it were,
But would 1t be the noble manly doCu-
ment that it is IL il had been more
brieGI In Rll the light OF subsequent
history, what part Of it would you now
eliminated Would it be the God.liko
declaration that "All mankind are
created free and equal, endowed By their
creator with certain inalienablO Fighta,
among which are life, liberty, and Che
pursuit Of hsppinessP"
II, a. some claim, this is q crucial year
(Any more than any other ysar), and that
the eyes Of the people Of the whole
Union are fixed upon Kansas, then lst us
not dissppoint the high hopes Of al
good men and women everywhere BY
taking one step backward or reCedinR
from any Of the great reform questions,
for be assured the eyes Of these good
people are fixed upon us to zee IL we In
any way deviRte from or abandon any oe
our great reforms, or sWeEve from the
application OF the great principles OF
truth and justice upon which our party
is founded.
Let ug, then, blink no fair issue, but
on all occasions. and upon ayerv oDDor-