The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-13
THE POPULIST LEADERS AND
FARMERS.

1t Is a significant fact that every leader
made haste to array himself with the riot
Gus element and against the enforcement
of the law. In the United States Senate,
Kyle and PETER have criticised the action
of the President in breaking up the con-
spiracy to stop the running of railroads
until a corporation which has no connec-
ton with railroads shall submit to the die
tation of one man who has no character
and has been a victim of alcoholism. Not
one of these leaders. from General Weaver
to the latest loud-mouthed convert, has yet
criticised that violence which has seized
trains, disabled engines. opened switches to
derail trains in disregard of human life,
and has beaten to death men whose only
crime was the earning of their bread. Men
who have demanded that the federal gov
eminent shall issue billions of paper money
to loan the people. build warehouses to be
used in the business of bonding grain and
cotton, build railroads extensively and run
them, and demanding federal paternalism,
now TURN ABOUT ana Oe0Ounce the govern
ment for. preventing the stoppage of mail
trains by mobs and breaking up a con-
spiracy to stop the transportation of prod
ucts which has already resulted in great
loss to the farmers of the country as we'll
as to many others. These politicians or
demagogues who have been howling for
paternalism, turn back and demand that a
few bosses who would ruin the business of
the country should be permitted to dictate
the running of railroads which they do not
own or stop the running of them by vio-
lence and incendiarism.
Just now the leaders of the Populist party
are making appeals to farmers to join the
party. In this connection it may be fair
to ask farmers if they think their interests
have been promoted by the Debs tie-up of
the past two weeks? How many farmers
in Indiana have been losers during that
period because they could not reach the
markets? One general produce dealer
stopped the purchase of butter, eggs and
poultry by fifty agents-how many Indiana
farmers suffered loss by that? Several
thousand, at least. Now that trains are
resuming regularity, that shipper will re-
sumo purchasing; but if the PETERS, the
Kyles and all the Populists who speak for
that party could have had their way. not a
train would be run until all the railway
managers in the country had yielded to
Debs in a manner which would have made
him their dictator. Just now some of the
same leaders are in the conspiracy to bring
about a general strike of the labor of the
country. Such a strike, these leaders mag
inc, would stop all traffic. and for that rea-
son they favor it. This would mean great
err injury to farmers as a class than to any
other calling. A very large proportion of
them depend upon the daily consumption of
cities for a market for products which
would otherwise be valueless. At this sea-
son, too, many farmers would like to dis
pose of a part of their new wheat crop,
which they cannot safely house. but if the
desire OF the PETERS and the Kyles should
prevail, transportation and wages would
cease, making many seasonable products
valueless and practically preventing the
sale of wheat to an extent which would
lower the present unsatisfactory prices.
| Can sensible farmers, in view of these
facts, see any reason why they should vote
for the party whose leaders are trying to
their products?