Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1895-08-30
AS TO FUSION.

candidates for county offices meets IN thlS ci'y'
Tomorrow Saturday, and we want to say
few words relative to the matter in hand.
AS all readers of the AGITAToR well Know
we are in the middle of tie road, and uncom'
promisingly opposed to any fusion DEALS OF any
semblance thereof, with either old party. IL Is
true (but we are not prond OF IT. that' at 'ne
time S. S. King, our nominee for congress III
the Second district, was induced to wlthola"
from the race in favor of H. L. Moore, the
Democratic nominee, we swallowed both prloe
and principle and put up Moore's name III the
Mace of Kings. We did this at the earnest
solicitation of friends, who insisted that to make
kick at that time would jeopardlze the state
and county tickets. The men who called ano
labored with us were good honest men, ana we
followed their advice out of respect tor theni'
though against our better Judgment. We nave
reoret+ed + ever since. At the time we acced-
ed to the wishes of these friends, we told them
# was the last time we should forsake principle
for any cause whatever, and we requested them
not to ask it again. We are glad to say that
they have not done so.
However, there are Populists in the county
who are advocates of fusion, and have limited
pretty loudly that 1--WE must find out what the
sother fellows want, and concede something to
them or they'll vote the Republican ticket, as
they did last year"
The writer of this does not claim to be a
"practical politician" but does claim that prin-
ciple is greater than party or spoils. The Peo-
pies party was founded upon certain principles
and to carry out certain demands These de-
mands are yet to be carried out, and these
principles still live. 1t is generally accepted
fact that neither old party endorses Our princi-
pies to-day; therefore, we can expect nothing
from either. Furthermore, when, in times
past, reformers have fused with the old parties,
the reformers have been sold out. The Demo-
crat or Republican who has been elected on a
reform ticket has always turned out to be
Democrat or Republican after election, and the
reformers have gained nothing by the election
of these old-party men, but, rather, the cause
has received setback, and the whole ground
had to be fought over again.
No; we don't believe in fusion deals, and we
give our fusion friends fair warning that this
paper WILL NOT SUPPORT A FUSION TICKET.
There is another matter to which we desire
to call the attention of our readers: The pres
sent state administration has endeavored in
every possible way to make farce of our pro-
hibitory law, although, during the last state
campaign, one of the chief cries of the Repub-
licans was, "The prohibitory law is in danger
under Populist misrule! Joints are Aourishing
under dwellings administrator They are
now trying to make the law odious, although
compelled, by public sentiment, to make pre-
tense of enforcing the law. In this county, we
have county attorney who pledged his "word
of honor Cd to certain Republicans to take
action against the violators Of the prohibitory
law, and one leading Republican said to us that
this attorney-W o. Knight-said he would
close every joint in the county within thirty
days after taking his Office. This same leading
Republican told us, the other day, that Knight
is nothing but chump. He refuses to any
thing-iust sits in his Office and draws his sal
ary.n Then, there is our sheriff. Has any
one ever heard of him doing anything to rid
the county of joints2 Guess not.
We are for the enforcement of law. We are
for law and order, every time. 1t is nonsense
to talk about enforcing law unless we have
officers who are in sympathy with the law. We
are tired of seeing the prohibitory law ignored
or trampled under foot. For that reason, we
demand that the Populist convention put up a
ticket composed of good, clean men, free from
all entangling alliances with evil in any FORM
With clean ticket, VIC believe the Populists
of Anderson county will win. If we stand by
principle and lose the election, we will have