Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-10-22
THE TIDE is RISING.
CHAMPIONS OF THE PEOPLE
GETTING BOLDER.
Richard p. BANDS Adherance to
Greenbacks as supplementary to
SiIver-Will Carleton on Railroad
Ownership.

Ownership.
Gov. Altgeld's Labor day address in
favor of government ownership of rail-
roads, mines and other natural monop-
olies, is no more significant than the
utterances of Richard p. Bland at the
Labor day celebration at Paris, Mo.
Mr.. Bland said that he desired large
volume of money" and that he wanted
to have "silver and gold coined, free
and unlimited, at the ratio of 16 to l..
Then he added "If that does not fur
nish sufficient circulating medium l
would issue paper money, and l would
have that paper money like the old
enthusiastically in nothing and
good legal tender for all debts, public
and private"
The New York dailies, which have
been watching the western horizon for
signs of the passing of Populism,"
are Historically shrieking in their an
ger and fright at this bold defiance
from the original silver leader. And
the goldbug Galveston News says;
This declaration is startling in its
deep significance, coming, as it does,
from such an acknowledged Bryanite
leader. But its greater significance is
in the method Mr.. Bland would pursue
in bringing about his desire, in view
of the attitude of the nations of the
globe on the financial question"
1t is rather startling, even to the old
greenbackers and the new silver men;
but it is very gratifying.
The movement for the postal savings
bank is gaining support from leading
men and great newspapers Of all par
ties, and apparently it stands a chance
of adoption by unanimous consent, I'M
less the bankers rally and block the
way in congress. The safest plan is
to elect a congress not controlled by
bankers.
Will Carleton, the popular household
poet in his paper, Everywhere, recent
ly published the following under the
heading "Who Owns the Railroads.
1t is significant as well as sensible:
Nobody owns and land or anything,
absolutely: his deeds are in effect
leases from the government, under
which he lives: and under some cir
cumstances, they can be revoked, and
the property confiscated. If the situa-
ton were analysed, it would be found
that government is really the owner
of everything, and that taxes are the
rent which it charges the holder and
enjoyer of it's effects. Surely, no other
conclusion can be reached; for if
property belonged absolutely to the in
dividual he could control it without
reference to government And it is no
more than fair that such should not be
the case; for without the protection of
government, property ceases to be such,
and becomes merely the prey of thieves
and robbers.
Railroads are iron highways that
really UclOuS W Hc L CopiC, WhiSi
means, or should mean. The Govern
ment. They are all subject to the laws
of the states through which they pass,
and to those of the United States. The
fact that foreigners own" part or all
the stock of railroad. does not make
it any less the property of the United
States.
1.-THE time is not very far distant
when, without reference to present
lines of party, the question will be
agitated whether the government
should not take possession of it's rail-
road property, reimburse fairly those
who have stock in the same, and con-
duct it as it now does certain other en-
terprses. Many voters will hold that
the profits of such concerns should go
to The People who own and patronize
them, and that the losses, when they
occur, should fall upon the country at
large, rather than upon certain num-
Der of stockholders outside "the ring"
1--WE are not discussing this ques-
ton: we are only prophesying that it
will arise, be seriously considered, and
voted upon; and we advise our readers
to be thinking the matter over"