The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-12-04
aHEAn-sronE OF TIE CORNER. +"


The politician is trimmer. with a
measure of milk and water. Rash
schemes give place TO policies, to COM
promises, to placation here and there
The aim becomes party success, IN
which temporary success weighs as
much as the most cherished party pfln-
ciple. In six years the Peoples party
has had time to pass from the hands OF
agitators into the arms OF politicians.
The Farmers Alliance adherent was
deeply in earnest, and when wrong was
more dangerous than the present Popu-
list He lacked policy, listened to none
of the shifting artifice of the politician.
The Farmers Alliance man was I'M
compromising and struck with the sin
gleneSs of a revOlutioniSt. There never
was more earnest, honest, misguided
man than he The danger lay IN DIS
zeal under misdirection. This has prac-
tically passed away as the Alliance has
passed into the hands of its political
leaders. In becoming a political organ
ization a chief aim is winning Offices
places for the workers. This is political
business which requires vote getting,
and this can best be done by more oil
piomacy and less intiammatory agita-
ten. The control by politicians has less
direct influence in the party, it is the in
fiuence of the politician that has brought
conservatism ana eliminated rash
schemes.
What will the Populists do in the
coming legislature? Their leaders have
little to predict. Lewelling and Harris
have little to say on the line Of reform"
legislation. In fact, if the one question
Of railroad legislation be let out of ac-
count, very little may be predicted as
likely to be done. How great the
change in the last four years! Why:
The most of the notions of the radical
founders of the Peoples party We're
wrong and have been discovered by the
politicians in power. What will Gov
ernor Leedy recommend TO his legisla-
ture? Lewelling can't guess. A little
strange that state cursed by bad Re
publican legislation and SO much badly
needed reform" legislation, and still an
ex-governor AMI leader of his party can
not guess what the policy of his party
would be on some things at least. And
now comes S. Ii. Snider, insurance SUI
perintendent under Lewelling in an in
terview at Denver, predicting that leg
islation would be conservative and that
wildcat schemes would not be popu-
lar The present legislature is not that
of 1891, many of whose members were
students of the Farmers Alliance who
honestly imbibed many false doctrines
Of law and government. The radical
fire eating portion of Kansas Popullsts
have dropped TO the rear" This is true
to the extent we have noted and through
the influence of politicians-thatc class of
persons so cordially hated by Populists
but few years ago.
Think of POpulists promising to be
conservative and that wildcat schemes
would not be popular" The fire-eaters
have been dropped and those students
of the Farmers Alliance who had ''iln-
bibed false notions of law and govern
ment'' in 1890 have not been returned
to the present legislature! All of which
argues that the danger from Populist
legislation is practically past. The out
side world may compose itself on this
assurance.
The demand that something be done
is yet strong, of course, and the Popu-
, lists will want 10 make record-will
want TO have done something TO answer
to the complete responsibility that is
thrust upon them This is shaping it
self against the railroad corporations.
Just what will he done can not be fore
told. but enough is known to justify the
-;iess that more or less radical maxi
mum rate hill will be passed. When
the force of F0pdlist fury has been
! spent against the railroads, the res of
the session may he spent in those poi'ti-
cal acts aimed to catch votes. A law
against free passes on the railroads and
solu ething TO catch the Resubmission
vote may be expected.
[ But it all goes to the same point. Dan
ger from Populist legislation is practi-
cally passed. Politicians do not delib-
erately commit suicide-and the POpu-
list party is now under the guidance of
not very able nor yet very discreet poll
/ ticians. but they are not such numb
skulls as 10 permit the party 10 break
| its neck to satisfy the ambition of some
| will-eyed reformer of the plains. There
is nothing in the situation to encourage
any new railroad projects, il is true.
| Politicians are too cowardly TO be dan
| serous Courage sometimes decimates
majorities Heaven save the mark.
| Populstic danger -averted by the party
falling into the hands of selfish, office
seeking politicians. The stone the build
ers rejected became the headstone of the
cerner.
BRYAN AS INTERNATIONAL BOSS.