Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-06-05


chronic weakness of following the
bosses. But among the people is the
legitimate place for the peoples party
to work, and from which it will draw its
recruits. This thing of forming large
and successful parties by miraculous
combination is like investing most OF
your money in lottery scheme-usu-
ally come out without prize.
Now is an excellent opportunity for
populists to push their demand for gov
eminent ownership of railroads. The
Pacific railroad companies owe the gov
eminent over 100000, 900 principal and
interest, which is more than the prop
erty is worth. The proposition now
is to give the company nearly 100 years
more in which to pay the debt. If
it is paid at all the people will be taxed
to do it on the rates fixed by the COM
pany. If it was some poor widow
woman who owed a dollar or two de-
linquent taxes the government would
take the last pig or chicken she had to
collect. Let us insist on closing the
mortgage on the Pacific roads and test
the practicability of ownership.
The Grander Age recently contained
an excellent article in behalf of the in
itiative and referendum. We take
pleasure in quoting the following ex-
tracts:
Said Thos. Jefferson to the old Nir-
ginialegislature: II can see no difference
between a single born despot and la
elected despots. The people are not
self-governing unless they can vote
upon every law TO accept or to reject il
as they see fit. The results of the rep
resentative scheme of law-enacting we
are only too familiar with. The third
house-the lobbyists in every legis-
lature today, in open defiance Of the
people and in collision with those
whom the people foolishly elect to pass
the laws. Who don't know of the cor
ruption, the crime, the profiigacy that
now exist! ("
Every postmaster general from
James X. Folks administration down to
Benjamin Harrison's, has advocated
the government operation of the tele-
graph; and though thousands have pc
titioned congress, and though for TWEEN
ty years past eight out of every ten
voters have favored this reform, yet
the Corporation Hobbies" at Washing
ton have always succeeded in defeating
1t.
State to the people that though they
favor a reform, it will avail them not
at all. They are imbecile to enact
Party rules make plain the indictment
against party.
Specify by figures how the thing
stands.
Call their attention to these cold
facts, viz: That of the thirteen mil
lion voters in the nation, seven mil
lions are in favor of free coinage of sill
yer, and only six millions oppose it;
eight millions in favor of government
ownership and operation of the rail
roads, and only five millions opposed;
seven millions in favor of equal suf-
rage, and only six millions opposed;
nine millions in favor of the abolition
of national banks as banks Of issue,
and only four millions opposed. nine
millions in favor of progressive in
come tax, and only four millions OPP
posed; ten millions in favor of postal
savings banks, and only three millions
opposed; eleven millions in favor of
government ownership and operation of
the telegraph, and only two millions op
posed, twelve millions in favor of the
election of United States senators by
direct vote of the people, and only one
million opposed; twelve-and-a-half mil
lions in favor of peace and arbitration
methods for the settlement of interna-
tional disputes, and only half-a-million
opposed. etc.
Is the peoples will to mean anything
or not? is the vital question Of today.