The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-31
WHAT SLOAT WOULD Do.
He Tells a Small Audience of His Inten-
tons if Elected.

He Tells Small Audience OF His Inten-
tions if Elected.
r. J. Sloat the Populist nominee for
the legislature against Col Neale in the
city district, had rally last night on
the north steps of the state house. There
were probably three hundred people pres
ent but in point of numbers the gather
ing was a disappointment to the organic
ers of the meeting. Col Neale was pres
ent and sat on one corner of the steps.
Quenemo glee club No. furnished
the vocal music and Bailey's band also
contributed TO the musical part of the
programme.
8Ir. SIoat was the first speaker and ex-
planned that he would only make short
speech and then give way to Mrs. Helen
Johnson of Pennsylvania. His speech
, i devoted mainly to showing why he
should be elected to the legislature in e
stead Of Col. Veale.
81 am a wage worker" he said, land
have been a wage worker all my life
and who do you think viii best
represent your interests, a former repre-
sentative of a Gould corporation like
Colonel Veale. or a wage Garner like
yourselves. 1t has been said that Colonel
Neale viii secure an appropriation to
complete the state house if elected Now.
if there Is one thing the people of To
peKa are more anxious for than another
it is for an appropriation for the state
house. If Colonel Veale is elected, and
an appropriation through the house the
Populist senate will not be very apt to
pass the bill. Now, if the house Is Pop
ulist, as it probably will be, and Colonel
Veale is elected what can he do with
Populist house2 On the other hand. If |
am elected the Populist house will give
POpulist representative from Topeka any
thing he asks for, and l will get the ap-
preparation
Il am in favor of having all contract
work done away with, and if elected will
use my influence to that end. l believe
that the state and county and city should
hire men to do the public work direct,
and thus save the profits Of the contract
or. We don't need him. his has been
tried in England for several years, and
has proved to be very satisfactory.
q am IN favor of the Initiative and
referendum. When valuable franchises
are given a corporation, the people
should be allowed to vote on them.
Dir. Sloat sat down and then the band
played and the club sang and a collection
was taken up to pay the singers.
Helen III. johnson of Pennsylvania,
one Of the national lecturers Of the Farm
ers' Alliance was then introduced She
has a pleasant face but her voice il
monotOnous
Her address was devoted principally
to woman suffrage. She said: "Uncle
Sam has kept house alone for l1S years
and the house is 50 filthy that hundreds
are dying from disease A bachelor
never could keep house and now the
women are willing TO come to his help
and clean up things.
The only things projected now are
whisky, corporations and money. / some
times think that women must oe raw ?
terial. Men have said TO me in the
east: Sister Johnson, If you want 10 vote
you should put on the breeches.' re-
piled that it is not breeches that ought 70
vote. 1t ia brains"
She said that the farmers were the
aristOcrats Of the east twenty-five years
ago, but now more than 90 per cent Of
the farms are under mortgage and there
are thousands of abandoned farms
The Populist governors" she said, shave
the respect Of the whole nation ia spite
Of the snesrs. The saloon II now the
only place where the poor man is vel
coined If woman suffrage carried IN
Kansas, said Mrs. johnson, Pennsylvania
and other eastern states would follow the
lead
Mrs. johnson speaks at the Populist
league meeting tonight