The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-08
Pops srRAppLH PROHIBITION.
Has the Populist state platform
hanged any this year? Has it? We

bled. hereby affirm our allegiance to the
principles enunciated in the platform
| adopted by the national convention assem-
bled In st. Louis. July 2, 1856.
We congratulate the people of the state
| of Kansas that since the Peoples party
has been a factor in state legislation we
| have procured the enactment of a re-
| demption law. the valued policy law, the
I Australian ballot, the law prohibiting the
making Of gold contracts, the law reduc-
| ing the interest on tax sale certificates
! and abrogating the March penalty on de-
| linquent taxes; the law requiring the
| weekly payment of wages and the min
| ers' screen law; also the laws establishing
a Grand Army museum and exempting the
| Grand Army property from taxation.
We condemn the Republican house of
representatives for failing and refusing
| to pass the bills sent to them from the
Populist senate, which provided for the
taxation for foreign judgments, the re-
duction of the legal rate Of interest and
providing a penalty for usury. placing
credits upon an equality with other prop
Pinkerton law. the exemption of the per-
sonal earnings of wage-workers and the
maximum freight rate law.
We condemn the present Republican
state administration for using public
funds and property as the private per-
ouisites of office-holders, for permitting
it's appointees to hold up their clerks for
percentage of their salaries, for its con-
duct of the state institutions where bru-
tality and homicide have been permit
ted and for it's cowarlly vacillating and
contradictory course in attempting to en-
force the laws at some times and places
and failing to attempt to enforce them
at other times and places.
While we expect and demand that our
public officials shall do as they have sworn
to do in carrying into effect the will OF
the people as expressed in legislation, we
especially demand that the attorney gen.
eral of the state take measures to secure
the enforcement of section 1162 of the
statutes of 1885, which prohibits corpora
items from enga ging in other lines OF
business than those which are specified in
their charters and that railroad corpora
tons be prevented from engaging In any
business than that of common carriers.
We condemn the unwarranted and un-
just discrimination practiced by Kansas
railroads and enjoyed by favored ship
pers which are destroying the business
and prosperity of those less fortunately
situated and creating a monopoly at the
expense of the farmers and producers OF
the state.
We are in favor Of such legislation IN
Kansas as will secure to the people of this
IN os,o NV he
transportation companies as will place
them on an equality with similar charges
paid by the people of Iowa, Illinois and
other producing states, and to that end
We favor the enactment of a maximum
freight rate law and the election of
board of railroad commissioners by the
people with power to revise such maxi
mum rates from time to time in case of
any inequality therein, so as to make
such charges fair and reasonable, ard
whose duty It shall be to enforce such
rates as the actual charges by the trans
portation companies.
We demand laws which shall prevent
the products of convict labor coming into
competition with the products of free Ia
Dor and reducing its rewards.
We demand that all public salaries shall
be reduced to correspond with the prices
of labor and its products.
We demand that the supreme court
clear its docket in justice to the people.
First, it should be noticed that fe-
male suffrage is omitted. We desire
to particularly call the attention of the
women to this, the women of the Mrs.
STRIKER. Mrs. Digs kind who have
fought so nobly for Populism in the
past.
But what is most important is the
Populists' stand on prohibition. What
do they say on prohibition? The word
prohibition" does not occur in that
platform. Is there any reference to it?
In one place it does condemn the
present Republican administration "for
it cowardly. vacillating and contra
dictory course in attempting TO enforce
the laws at some times and places and
failing TO attempt to enforce them at
other times and places"
What does Populism mean by this?
Is there any sense whatever in it? Is
Populism for prohibition or against it?
Is it simply insulting the intelligence
of the people by straddling, or not:
Does it claim to be decent or not? What
law has Morrill, enforced or failed to
enforce at the same time in Kansas?
The prohibition law. Any other law?
No. Then why do the Populists say
laws" Why did they not say what
they meant Prohibition" Ii would
not have burned their tongue. Why
should they have straddled il? Why |
should they desire 10 deceive when !
honesty would answer just as well?
Why neglect to say Prohibition when /
every man in the state able 10 read
will know they mean Prohibition?
And is PopuliSm in favor of the en- !
forcement of Prohibition or not? Does |
il mean by that platform that it is Will |
ing either to have the saloons all run !
open all over the state or TO have them |
all shut up all over the state at once? /
What does it mean? Does ii tell the !
people that it will let the joints all /
run or that 1t will close all them up? !
A reading of the platform will not re |
veal this. 1t shows absolutely moth |
ing but PopuliStic cowardice. If any /
inference were 10 be taken from 1t. it !
would be that Ii means Prohibition. for !
the same crowd which adopted that !
platform. nominated that Prohibition |
ranter. Jerry BoIkin, for congressman |