Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-08-16
Why Turn Populisti

One Of the speakers in the Populist
convention Saturday had considerable
to say about having been a Democrat
since 1860 and becoming weary Of the
old parties. Now we can easily
understand why man should abjure
Democracy, should promise solemnly
that he will never vote Democratic
ticket again as long as he lives. These
are easily appreciable. But the other
question, why should man, however
disguised and discontinued he may
be, become Populist, remains q
conundrum. An unbiased exchange
has been looking up the question also
and says:
We have sought diligently for O
plausible answer and we give it up,
We are not now arguing for Republi-
can interests. We are simply trying
to discover what possible good there
can be to man in turning Populist,
or what he has to expect il the Popu-
lists were to get into power. tits not
an abuse question. The answer does
not depend on uncertainties. For the
Populists have been in power, to
greater or less extent, In Kansas, in
Colorado, in South Carolina. What
have they done there, for labor or for
anything else. They have filled these
states with domestic bawling and
threats Of civil war. They have de-
based the public service until it is a
shame to be connected in an official
way with the government Of the state,
They have ruined domestic interests,
banished capital and almost destroyed
prosperity. In every one Of these
states the people who have seen them
selves more than once on the verge Of
the necessity Of taking up arms to
restore order or to stop the steady
move Of Populism toward despotic
power, are praying only for another
election to displace the motley crew
to which in a moment of weakness
they yielded the control Of their
affairs.
Populism then, as a practical
scheme Of government, does not turn
out well. 1t has not good reputa-
ton. And what has the workingman
to expect from itp Will it raise
wagesP Was there yet any govern
ment in the world that was able to
raise wages in any other way than by
strictly maintaining peace and order,
as the Republican party has done, so
that production was increased and the
was enabled to pay more to
his menp viii it limit the power of
capitalp Not one of the anti-monop-
olists who clamor for votes has ever
told the secret Of how he is going to
bind the limbs and clip the claws of
the great beast
VIII it make the poor richerP 1t will,
we are told, enormously increase the
volume Of money in the country. But
will any laborfng man get one OF
these dollars, worth much or little,
giving for it the same amount
of labor that he has always givenP
And when he has made that exchange,
and then finds that his dollar will
purchase only a fraction of what it
formerly would, how much better off
will he bep But before any man does
that with the Populists, let him
answer sanely and soberly, not in the
swelling rhetoric of the Populist
orator, but in the staid phrases Of
Iact, exactly what he expects to get
from the new regime; exactly what
advantages it will have over the old
exactly why he should be a Populist.
II every man will do this, the Popu-
list party will not gain any recruits
this year.