The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-06-29

@ great fOraging ground. Unscrupu-
l0us men have SO shaped federal legis-
lation and the policies of federal gov
eminent as to practically make the
whole country pay indirect tribute to
few interests. These interests were
and are located in the east. The south
ern and the Mississippi valley states,
are not only the great producing, but
also the great consuming states, and
they have suffered unjustly, both as
producers and as consumers; for the
government policies were shaped like
the darkey set his trap. SO as to catch
de coon a-cOmin' and a-goin-" / can
not particularize ia a brief dispatch,
and simply call attention to:
First-After the war when we were
out of danger, when there was no rea-
son for it on earth, eastern hnanciers
and manipuIators induced the govern
ment TO pursue a policy which practi-
cally doubled the debts Of this country.
This was solely in the interests of east
ern and foreign capitalists
second-Then followed a period of
tariff legislation which levied tribute
/ on the whole country for the benefit Of
I the few. found chiefly in the east
Third-Then came the stealthy and
I tricky characterization of silver. which,
/ by forcing gold alone to do the work
I formerly done by both gold and silver.
1 doubled the Importance Of gold and
I doubled its purchasing power and thus
/ compelled this country. which was a
/ great debtor nation. to give twice as
much labor to pay the interest. as well
/ as the principal-enormOus debts, ma
/ tiOnal. state. municipal, corporate and
4 private-as fit was necessary to give
4 when the debts We're created All this
] was in the interest of eastern and for
/ eign capitalists The policies of the
/ government. dictated by the east, have
been ruinOus to the southern, the Mis-
/ sissippi valley and the western states,
and as Providence has fixed limit 70
/ all things. So there is q limit to pa
4 tience and endurance, and the time is
/ approaching when this selfish, unscru~
/ pulous and corrupt domination must
cease.
Again, the same manipulators have
I dictated the policy of both the great
/ political parties, some of these men
i claimed to be Democrats, others
/ claimed to be Republicans, but neither
! cared for party. The one idea All were
/ striving for was to keep control of the
/ government and use it as q convenience
/ in amassfng fortunes at the expense of
! the American people. The Democrats
/ party has practically been owned by
4 New York for a third Of q century, and
for a portion of that time has been
/ treated as kind of plaything by
! Standard Oil and Wall street magnates
! every presidential candidate was taken
/ from New York. I'm 1884 the Standard
4 Oil and Wall street people went to Chi
/ cago and nominated their idol, who
| was a New Yorker. In 1888. the same
1 people went to St Louis and renomi-
| mated the same idol In 1892 the stand
I ard Oil and Wall street people went to
] Chicago. and again nominated the same
/ Standard Oil and Wall street idol. In
1895 the same people are advertising to
{ the world that they are going to Chi
/ cagO to control the Democratic cOnven-
I ton. For over 80 years the tail has been
/ wagging the dog. Common decency
/ and common fairness would suggest
I that the tail for once allow the dog to
! have his way. but we are notified i'll
/ advance that it shall not be SO.
The methods pursued by these peO-
! pie are we'll understood. They are go
ing into history The term STANDARD
/ OIL methods is not only familiar to our
/ people but promises to live AS may
be inferred from the sound of it, it in
/ Guides. among other things, "oiling the
/ way" There is a tradition that in 1882
and again ia 1892 the way was oiled
at the Chicago conventions, and the
confidence with which these people as
sure the world that they are coming to
Chicago to see to it that these crazy
southern and western men do nothing
foolish would at least warrant the in
ference that things are to be 1avishly
fabricated ia ana about that conven-
ton.
For thirty years these men labored
to prevent the Democratic party from
declaring in favor of any definite prln-
ciple- To be a valuable convenience
/ it must not have any convictions. The
south and west have deep and intense
convictions, and they insist on declar-
ing them. But the eastern manipula-
tors are coming out to prevent it. Do
you wonder that we are beginning to
feel tired?" JOHN p. ALTGELD.