Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1894-11-16
THE LATE ELECTION.

THE LAIE El<EC1ION.
It is idle, perhaps, to speculate OIL the causes
Of the late landslide, and premature to predict
results, but our readers will pardon the indul'
gence of few thoughts in connection there
with
AS the election all went one way in the North
and to some extent in the same direction IN the
South, we conclude that the great ruling thought
of the kicking voters was to defeat the Demo
cratic party and its allies. That the vote was
an intelligent one we fail to see, since there
seems to be an utter lack of motive. Free sill
yer Democrats and gold-but Democrats, protec-
ton Democrats and free-trade Democrats, all
met with the same fate. The Democratic party,
as a whole, is utterly routed in its st1ongholds,
and in its weak localities, without discrlmina-
ton as to numbers or principles Neither as a
party in the whole or in Individual members has
1t given satisfaction.
Now, lust why voters should be so indiscrim-
mate is a question hard to answer. Silver
Dick Bland, or Free-Tarif Springer, in reason,
ought to have had the full vote of the friends
of silver and tarif-reform, just as Populists in
hduSdS WGIc GutlllSu W lhS diei-NNPNA> 49,
and the vote for currency REFORM
The change lacks intelligence in that no
promises were made by the Republican party to
inaugurate any needed reform not even was
there promise to restore the Mckinley tariff ;
but it would seem that the victory was won on
the one issue Of turning the other fellows out
Two years ago, the Democratic party went
A.
into power on the promise of tariff REFORM AS
its leader, Cleveland devoted his energies to de-
stroying silver as money. Calling around him,
as his advisers, an obscure lot of corporation at
torneys, and one mugwunp, he devoted his adj
,ninistration it would seeni to the work of kill
ing his party, for he could not have succeeded
better if that had been his intention.
Again, the panic was attributed to the advent
to power of Democracy, but he that believed
that most improbable Of all improbable things
is to be pitied rather than blamed, since the
panic was inevitable, no matter who was in
power
AS it now looks, Democracy has borne the
sins of our republic for the last two years, in
GLIDING strikes, depression, panics, riots and
political corruption, except that dealt out to
Populists, who, i'll Colorado and Kansas, bore
their full share.
A wonderful flop, without an adequate reason.
Idle labor, strikes, riots, depression of bust
ness and panics are directly due to our accurs-
ed financial system, with which the Democrats
had little to do, and with which the Republican
party had much to do, if not all and yet, the
Republican party sweeps the country without
even promise.
Now, under the circumstances, we can forsee
nothing but the further encroachrnent OF mo-
nopoly upon the rights, Liberties and happiness
of the masses.
Not man of all the 1ately-elected members
to congress from the Republican party, OF the
Republican legislatures, is pledged to work for
the people; therefore, look for the widest wave
of corruption and aggression that has ever
swept over this politician.curs d republic. The
CORPORATIONS, trusts and combines have gained
new lease of power, and are riding, booted and
spurred, while labor, in anguish, goes lower
down in the scale of poverty and unhappiness.
We may be wrong; we hope we are wrong,
but we are prepared for the worst and can GER
tainly bear a better rule of government than we
now anticipate.
The mistakes of the gubernatorial elections
of 1902 will never be repeated In Illinois or
elsewhere. The people who rose up against
Altgeld and Stone and Waite and Lewelling
will never again commit themselves to the care
of the advocates Of states rights and Populist
heresies. In an outcome that marks with pre-
cision the doom Of Altgeldsm, whether in Hi
nois Missouri or Colorado, there is no restricted
rejoicing. Democrats join heartily with the Re-
publicans, for, to their lasting credit, many
democrats contributed to the result.-Kansas