Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-12-30
zee INcoMINe LEaIsLAruRE.

The legislature of 1897 will assume
most responsible position and upon Its
discharge or non-discharge of duty
hangs the future destiny of the Peoples
party Of the state of Kansas. It will
be responsible for what it fails to do as
well as for what it succeeds In doing.
1t is the first legislature since the or
ganization of the Peoples party where
in that party had the law-making pow
or IN the state Not only is the Peo-
pies party In the majority in the legis-
lature but it is backed by the executive
power of the same political complexion.
1t is therefore important that those in
whom the people of the state have re-
posed confidence should redeem the
pledges of themselves and of the party
that has elected them.
In doing this they have nothing to
fear and there is no cause and no ex.
cuse for hesitancy. The campaign in
which the Peoples party triumphed at
the late election was largely made upon
the demands set forth in the Abilene
platform. 1t therefore behooves the
legislature and administration in gen.
eral to carefully embody those demands
into laws that will stand a constitution
al test. This, it is true, will be a mat
ter of some difficulty; especially will it
be matter of difficulty when it is re-
membered that the federal courts, to
say the least, have a tendency to lean
toward capitalistic and corporate in
terests. In view Of this fact it would
not be wise to be too radical in the steps
to be taken nor so conservative as to be
Intellectual. Legislators must in a
measure, be governed by laws of other
countries and by this means remain
within the bounds OF reason. But, con-
ceding that the legislature should be not
unreasonably radical, there is ample
room to legislate within the bounds of
reason. For Instance, in transporta-
ton rates the people of Kansas paw
higher rates than almost any people in
any state in the union. OF course there
are some exceptions. We are oppressed
by corporate greed beyond reason, and
in common justice ought to have relief,
which sound legislation can furnish.
The practices in vogue at the Kansas
City stock yards are sorely in neeu of
radical correction. By this we do not
mean that the old republican investi-
eating committee farce should be re.en.
acted, but we ought to have a provision
inserted in our next session laws en-
towering a shipper to sell his own
stock without paying an enormous fee
TO commission merchant or eight or
| ten prices for bunch of hay. The
long and short of the whole matter is
that we need such laws that will pro-
hibit corporations from absorbing the
produce of the farm to get them to the
market. We need some protection to
the farmers and laborers of this state
and even If we cannot expect any rem
edy nationally, we certainly should
avail ourselves of getting relief locally.
however little that may be. Next ia
the producers of the state themselves.
the Peoples party press is probably
more deslrous than any other people
that the legislature at its coming ses.
sion enact laws along the lines of Pop.
| ulist demands. 1t was the PopuIist pa.
pers that pledged to the public that the
Peoples party nominees, would, if cleo
ted. do all in their power to devote
themselves to these measures and, il
possible, enact them into law. The
voters had confidence in these pledges
and it now becomes the sacred duty OF
the legislature to fulfill them and we
earnestly hope and sincerely believe
that we will not be disappointed.