Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-04-30
GARNETvT, KANSAS, APRIL 3o 1897.
LEGISLATIVE INVESTIGATIONS.

late legislature. NSPuUliCdH> dlS
So far as the AGITAToR is concerned, it is a mat
ter of deep regret that the members of the leg
isature fall under the mere suspicion of accept
ing bribes, and, as our condoning or passing
over Populist misdoings in silence, we have tc
say that we are not that kind OF Populists.
One of the things that gave birth to Popuisn1
was corrupt legislatures. The charg of whole
sale bribery are not new, and whatever may be
the shortcomings of the legislature, at least it
cannot be claimed that there is anything new
or startling as to charges of corruption. Scarcely
is there a state but what al some time, had a
legislature charged with corruption. 1t is no
worse for Populists to be corrupt than for Re-
publicans or Democrats, aud it is bad for any
If the Peoples party is reform party (and
we still think that it is), then its legislative
members should have been above suspicion.
We cannot conceal from ourselves or our read
ers that the late session of the Legislature has
given rise to the grave suspicion of being like
some legislatures If other parties. Certainly,
a noneyed lobby was present, and it may yet
be proven that Populist members accepted
MAY be proven, because we do not, as yet, con-
slider that it is proven. The testimony is con-
hctng in the highest degree; but, admit that
there is guilt and we have what Populists gen.
orally condemn in unmeasured terms, and while
we utter our condemnation, we feel bound to in
clude both parties in the guilty transaction
If there were no bribe-givers there would be
no brbe-takers. We have no desire to be par
tial so we may reasonably ask why there was
a lobby at Topeka, with unlimeted amounts of
money? Somebody else was wrong beside the
members who accepted bribes. There was the
tempter in the Garden of Eden for the sole pur
pose of wrecking the Peoples interests. AS
Satan sought the destruction of man in the Gar
den of Eden, SO the lobby sought the destruction
of the Peoples welfare. Not only was there
desire to defeat ccrain Legislative measures, but
there is evident design to destroy the Peoples
party by bringingt in to disrepute with the peo-
pie through the Legislative members who were
scallawags enough to permit the approaches of
the moneyed crew, who so loudly declare against
Popusts.
Two things have been aimed at, viz: the de-
feat of certain measures, and the manufacture
of political capital. The maximum freight rate
bill was certainly defeated, with, it is claimed,
the expenditure of $4,000. If it is true that
the railroad companies spent $50, 900 it must be
true that somebody accepted bribes; and if the
defeat of that measure was worth $50, 900 to the
railroad companies, how much would a maxi
liza
is an interrogatory that will bob up again and
again, and there will be just as much political
capital in the fact that railroad companies pour
ed out money as in the fact that few Populists
accepted such money in the way of bribes.
If Adam and Eve were wrong in eating the
forbidden fruit how much more Satan, who
offered the fruit under false pretenscs.
But to come back to the main point Ifthere
was bribery let no guilty man escape. If it
were even Governor Leedy, we would say, drag
him down from the high estate to which he has
been elevated by the sovereign people Of the
state of Kansas, and if Governor Leedy, how
much more the senator's and representatives.
Let us wage relentless war on either the bribe-
giver or the bribe-taker.
This is Populistic as understand Populisn.
We cannot afford to to spare our own party if
it is wrong, much less few of its members.
And now in conclusion, and that is that the
legislature undertook reforms that Republicans
were opposed to, and hence the moneyed lobby.
Republicans were already bought. The rings
and the corporations OWN the outfit. Satan
needed no tempter il Hades. Republicans