Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-02-21
MORGAN'S CORNER.
NOTES AND COMMENT" FROM
A SKILLFUL PEN.
Flashes of Thought from the World of
Thinkers Commented Upon by the
Secretary of the National Reform
Press Association.


The meeting Of the National Com
mittee at ST. Louis, Jan. II, was one
of the great events of the year. The
results of the meeting, we believe, are
generally satisfactory to the Populists.
There is some dissatisfaction as to
what some of the committee should
have said in interviews published in
the st. Louis papers. We have little
confidence in what we read in the pluto
cratic papers and are not willing to
take such reports for truth. However,
there is one suggestion we would make
in this connection, inasmuch as the in
terview is so seldom truthfully report
ed, we see no reason why our leading
Populists should persist in submitting
to being interviewed, unless it is
through an uncomfortable desire to at
tract public attention.
There is kind of discussion going
on in some of our Populist papers, II
it can be dignified by the name discus
sion, that is doing the party more harm
than good. 1t is with reference to the
so-called tissues" in the Omaha plat
form. Now if there is anything wrong
in the Omaha platform it ought to come
out. Upon that all good Populists Will
agree. But it is not fair to arraign
the tissues" and not designate what
they are. The plutocratic press hold
that the platform is made up OF Is
Sues" and, by the way. the word is
sues was first applied by the plutocrat-
ic press. When Populist papers or
Populist leaders speak of the issues,
they owe it to the public to state what,
in their opinion, constitute the Issues
in the platform. While some seem to
think that everything is an tissue" ex-
cept the free silver coinage plank, the
plutocratic press charges that that Is
the worst issue of all. To talk about
issues and not state what they are
occurs to us as firing from the brush
to escape a responsibility which there
is a lack of courage to assume.
It .
In a speech before the Illinois Bar
association, Judge John Barton Payne
made very startling statement, which
if true land there is no doubt Of i0,
demands a very drastic remedy.
an Cook county," he declared, no
man who has sufficient influence to see
the County Commissioners can be
brought to trial for any crime on earth.
Did you apprehend. the force OF that
statement? 1t is literally true"
About a year ago, in that city, poor
man was sent to Jail for taking pigs
foot. Of course he had no influence
Several men were hung because they
happened to be present at meeting
where some reckless fellow threw
bomb, and several policemen were
killed and injured. 1t was never
charged that any of them threw the
bomb, or knew anything about 1t. Of
course they had no influence. But the
rich dodge their taxes by making false
oaths, and resorting to all kinds OF
unlawful subterfuges, and nothing is
said about it. They have influence.
Influence" is a great thing in Chicago
A. stranger going to that city should
never neglect to take along good sup
ply of it with him.
And now comes the charge that the
treasury officials are covering up the
true facts about the gold withdraw
ais from the reserve fund. Thls
is not the first time the charge has
been made that these officials are Jug
Cling with figures in making their re-
ports. But this time the kick comes
from the plutocrats, who demand the
right to know just how much blood
there is left in their victim, that they
may know now to gauge their specula-
tions. They do not care to kill the
goose that lays the golden egg, or even
TO rob the nest that she might be dis
couraged or Disguised and not lay any
more. Hence they demand to know
the facts in the case. So far as the
neople are concerned it makes but little
difference; while there is traitor IN
the camp who holds the keys and opens
the doors the thieves will raid the treas
urv and until the fool killer can catch
I'm with his work, OF the partisan scales
drop from the peoples eyes, we cannot
hone for anything better.
II
Senator Sherman will probably i've
long enough yet to drain to the dregs
the cup Of gall he has prepared for the
people. His methods and his record are
being laid before the people in a way
that is not calculated to add to his hap
pjness. In a recent speech in the senate,
senator Morgan jndulged in most EN-
nbatic criticisms of his record.
He referred to the intrigues before
national conventions and the wind
shaken platforms" of these bodies. In
his Judgment the emergency tariff and
bond bills were constructed merely as a
part of the platform to be laid before
n national convention next summer
and not with any purpose to enact
them as laws. Mr. Morgan criticised
the financial course of Mr.. Sherman,
while he sat across the aisle giving