Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-02-19

reduce expenses to a basis where the
money in circulation would abide more
IN the pockets of the people than in the
government treasury or official pocket
DOCKS. They might cause the people
to lind out that just as efficient officers
could be obtained for one-half the pres
ent salaries, just as in the best and
most honest days of the republic. They
might teach the official class that being
a democrat or republican does not
give them a cinch on official holding.
They might teach the world that the
| mud-sillers of America make just as
good office holders as beasts of burden.
They might prove to the world that re-
publican governments can reform
themselves, and that democratic insti-
titions can live beyond the usual age of
corroding corruption. It might teach
us that there is enough political vigor
and independence always inherent in
the people to make formation of the
political rings dangerous to political
safety. If they taught us this much.
we can stand their mistakes in financial
theories; which, after all, would not
cost as much as quasi pEoclamations
and do-nothing congressional sessions.
Political opiates have ceased to lull the
masses to sleep, and there has got TO be
political upheaval before there is any
reform or check to the arrogance of
party power. If the mud-sillers of our
social and political organism are igno-
rant, they may compensate us for their
Ignorance by their economy and hon
esty, just as old Andrew Jackson did.
If he makes a good tax-producer in
time of peace, and a good soldier in
time of war, why not a good office
holder? 1t is not as brutal nor eX-
pensive to us for him to murder the
queens English as to murder the
queens subjects.
He may have sense enough to run
the government for a fair and equal
toll, and return to the pay as you go
policy. He may not have a university
education, and yet may know more
than the financier who killed the goose
that laid the golden egg. No matter
how uncouth the mud-siller may ap-
pear, when he gets behind the pie
counter with his official apron on, he
will be transmogrified into q thing of
wisdom and beauty, and handle the off
clal baton and draw the official salary
with the grace of a Sir Miles Crowley
or Sir Roger. If he can't shoot ducks
on the Chesapeake bay, he can go over
on the Virginia side and make the coons
and opossums think that the world was
at war If he gave us much trouble as
living con ngressman, he would at least
compensate us by an economical fun
eral. PETER says that any good popu-
list will be satisfied with one govern
ment paid mourner. The shrewd Yam
kee congressman could not get
away with any more of the
populist wool and hide than
he has with the democratic wool
and hide. If he did not prove himself
good performer and breeder we could
turn him out on the commons and try
a new breed, for after all government
is but an experiment. Why not give
the populist or mud-siller the benefit
OF the doubt, for we do this much for
the criminal. If he can raise any more
political hell, or make times any
harder, or be bossed any more by cor
porations than the democratic and re-
publican parties of to-day are, it will
be because he gets up earlier and puts
in more time at it. 1t will require
great wisdom for him to get up a more
Dolly Warden tariff or financial system.
Some of these one-gallused fellows
know as much about what constitutes
good government as some of these polit-
ical dudes, who pose as statesmen and
teachers of democracy, and get on both
sides of silver and the railroad. and
every other political question, and ex-
pect democrats to make jumping jacks
of themselves in trying to follow them.
When the democratic party is de-
feated it will be re-organized on a basis
OF honest, economical, equal govern
ment."
The Democratic party never was so
demoralized as it is now 1t has moth
ing but broken pledges upon which to
make the campaign
1t is evident now that about all the