The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-08-02
THE REVOLUTIONARY TREND
OF THE THIRD PARTY.

VIM. A. PETER, appointed by thu
governor of Kansas to fill vacancy il
the United States senate, is a Popu
list and q representative of that party
in the most distinguished Legislative
assembly of this or any other country
Mr.. PETER introduced bill in congress
which embodies Populistic doctrines
That bill ought to be read and con
sidered by every Third party man in
the state of Texas. Itwould show him
to what radical departure the Popu.
list party is .drftingiunder the control
of its leading representatives from the
cardinal principles of republican form
of government.
The first proposition Senator PETER
lays down is "ihat all public functions
ought to be exercised by and through
public agencies" Public functions are
now exercised through agents or
elected officers of the people, with their
duties we'll defined and limited by
constitutional and legal restrictions,
but Mr. PETER does not mean
the kind of agency by which public
functions are now discharged, He ex'
plains that this Populistic scheme con-
templates the abolition of the officers
now discharging that duty and that
one agent OF each Sstate should, when
all are assembled, discharge all public
functions. That is, that the whole
present system or machinery OF gov
eminent should be destroyed and an
absolute oligarchy established in its
stead. We desire to inquire if our
friends who have joined the Populists
are ready for this complete revolution
in government? Are you willing tc
tear down the whole structure of gov
eminent constructed by the wisdom
and cemented by the blood of revolu
ton, 10y our fathers, Sand plant in
its place an oligarchy, government
by the few as absolute as a monarchy
We put this straight question to you
IT, you are not, then pause, consider
and return TO your patriotic allegiance
to the Democratic party.
The next proposition in Mr.. PETER,
bill is that all, railroads engaged
in interstate commerce be under
one organization and one control Of
public officers, that charges for trans
portation shall be uniform through
the country and the wages of employees
be fixed by law. Are you willing that
an army of government officers, APP
pointed under. Mr.. PETERS system and
in no other way but by these agents
one from each state, shall be foisted
upon you and paid by taxing you, for
if they are government officers and
the railroads fail to pay sufficient
profits to pay them wages, certainly
the people who enjoy (0 the privileges
OF such governmental ust pay them.
There is grain Of wheat in all this
chaff, and that is that charges for
transportation for persons and prop
erty ought to be uniform drought the
country, but the very next sentence
gives us more chaiI in its provision to
destroy the right of a man 10 earn by
superior intelligence Zaud industry
more wages than the indolent. II
provides that the wages of employees
are to be regulated by law, making
every railroad employee a machine
slave of the government. Are you
willing 10 endorse such a propositions
The next section OF the bill
provides for the ownership by
the federal government OF all coal
mines and the wages of all
miners fixed by law. The fourth pro-
position is that all money used by the
people ought to be supplied by the