Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-05-07
ABOUT THE LEGISLATURE.

lie iOiOWiAS1 NiiPPSu iAOhA lin Aoi" .
Friend, exactly touches the spot" While we
believe in criticising the wrong doors in our
own party we also believe in giving credit
where creeit is DUE
Marion Record: The Pop investigating
committee appointed by the late unlamented
legislature is grinding away at Topeka and up
to date number of leading Reformers with
big R, including Ex-Governor Lewelling, have
been badly besmrched. No legislature ever
disgraced Kansas as did this one.
The above libel on every Populist, Democrat
and Free Silver Republican in Kansas is a SAM
pie of the honesty and fair dealing practiced by
the 'good" Ed Hotch and other individuals
who burden the state with their presence.
"No legislature ever disgraced Kansas as did
this last one," this libeller says. Let us see
what "this last one" did that calls down the
scandalous vituperation of such men. 1t pass
ed school textbook law that will save hun
dreds of thousands of dollars to the poor and
needy before Republican administration can
render it nugatory. To pass this law it over
came the combined strength of the Republican
members and one of the most powerful and des-
perate lobbys that ever gathered at a state cap
ital.
1t passed stock-yards bill that prevents
great soulless corpo ration owned by eastern pu-
tocrats, all of whom are Republicans, from ex-
acting more hundreds of thousands of dollars
over and above legitimate profit from the
farmers and stockmen OF the west And it pass
ed this bill over the combined opposition OF the
Republican members and another powerful, un-
sc1upuess lobby that did not hesitate to buy
the votes Of members. THIS lobby was and is
defended by the Republicans. Why?
1t passed two general fees and salary bills
regulating the pay of the servants, (heretotore
the nasters( of the people. Both of these bills
were bitterly opposed by the Republican mem
beers, and became laws in spite of their oppcsi-
ton. They will save more hundreds of thous-
ands of dollars to the taxpayers of Kansas.
An overwhelming majority of the Populist
members worked and voted for maximum
freight rate bill that would regulate and control
the great railway corporations as completely
and as equitably as they can be controlled by
law. This measure was defeated by the COM
bined opposition of the Republicans and the
brainiest lobby that ever influenced vote.
Every Populist member who strayed from his
party's principles and betrayed his constituents
is now under fire from his own party and will
be relocated to the rear where they Can do no
harm.
What are the Republicans doing 'n their
party right upon these questions?
If these Populsts disgraced Kansas by ex-
posing boodlers and bride givers what about
the Republicans who were anb are against
these very measures the bride givers aud the
booders saught to defeat? What is the price
the text book lobby and the stock yards
lobby and the railroad lobby paid for Re-
publican votes? Or we're the Republican menl-
bers the servants of the corporations and TO be
had for the asking?
THE farmer who looks for relief from cab
met made up of lawyers, bankers and monopo-
lists, should promptly make APPLICATION for adj
mission to the nearest asylum for the feeble
minded. The New Era.
IT is not our funeral, but it isreally amusing
to see the labor that is being expended by the
Republicans to prove that politics cut no figure
in the spring elections and that the results