Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-04-17
SOME PLAIN TALK.

OF the Ledger, DuI our IeaueIS generally
The Ledger appears to be something of a
fighter. We like fighter better that person
who keeps silence or stupidity sulks. There is
hope for man who says something-who jaws
back; no hope for man who is silennt. The
Lone Elm paper is after the AGITATOR with a
sharp prod. Good! We like it, we are used
to it. The matter for which we are hauled
over the Goals had reference to the gold-bugs of
all parties being in the camp, and call
alike traitors to the peoples interests"
Blind is he who cannot see that the dominant
issue before the people to-day is the financial
question; and the man who sees the issue and
does not resist the work of traitors because of
partisan prejudice is a political idiot We thus
change the phraseology, but not the sentiment
hoping the editor of the Ledger will be better
satisfied.
The Ledger man wants convincing facts, "
and thinks there is 'paucity of better mate
rial" Has he read the AGITATOR since its
last issue?-or any other reform paper? If he
had, he would have found no lack of econ
vincing facts" Even though the Lone Elm
editor never reads a reform paper, he can lind
convincing facts'' in current history, where
WE found enough convincing facts" to cause
us to step out of the G. o. p. with an everlast-
inp farewell Facts are written upon the pages
of legislation in proof of the charge that the
peoples interests have been betrayed by our
legislators Facts are written, of convincing
nature, in the records of every auditors office,
from Maine to California, i'll the evidence of
debt. Facts are found in the crippled condi-
ton of every industry, except money-loaning
and coupon-clipping. The very tracks OF the
tramp point to facts that ought to convince
thinking men,
We aIe forced to call men "names,' so as to
goad them into thinking.
Being blind is no discredit to the masses, if
we Judge from the standpoint of the past. The
masses, as history shows, have been misled
from time immemorial. few men have ruled
the world in the interest of few men. There
ought to be a change. We believe the masses
should lead, and are capable OF leading, up to
HIGHER and better civlizaton-if only they
would cut loose from false friends; if only they
would carefully study economic questions. 1t
is not only dscreditable, but damnable, for
men to accept the trust of government from
their friends, and then betray that trust. Open
treason is crime less represhensible than Sc
cret betrayal For men who see that conditions
are wrong, and do not attempt to right them,
we have profound contempt. The man who
will not stand for his rights when he knows
what his rights are is coward or fool, the
Lone Elm Ledger to the contrary notwith-
standing.
AS to what is convincing fact" is ques-
ton. Some men are born skeptics, and have
to 90 to hell to be convinced Jesus tells of
one such instance. He also informed us that
men who have Moses and the prophets and are
NOT convinced would not believe if an angel
were sent from Heaven. The Tories of the
Revolution did not believe that Washington
would succeed, much less believe i'll the justice
of his cause. The Copperheads of the Rebel
lion were unbelievers in the success of the
Union armies. There are some Republicans
who cannot be convinced though an angel were
sent from Heaven.
If man will study the financial history of
America for the last thirty years and still be-
l;eve that Cleveland and Sherman are right on
finance, like the man in scripture, hell alone
will open his eyes,
We are just as tolerant of other men as can
he. considering that it is partnership, and of
kind that cannot be dissolved We all go in
the hole together, and if it were not SO, we