The Advocate and news., 1897-12-08

ing food for the various State institu-
tiOns.
+ II POpulist theories are to become
realities we will, in the end, natiOnallze
industry. 1t is reported that at the
Agricultural college, at Manhattan, they
are prepared to manufacture all kinds
of electrical machinery and appliances
and can furnish them to the other State
institutions at cost; but as yet they have
had no opportunity to do So We are
still lighting the State house by contract
with a private gas company. II the fu-
lure commonwealth is to be an industrial
one, why not develop our Agricultural
college our State University and our
normal school into great self-sustaining
industrial schools where, under the prin-
ciples Of cooperation the children Of the
poor can secure their education which
they will so much need in the future
and which the future commonwealth
will so much need them to have. But 1t
is needless to multiply examples. Op-
portunities for careful, aggressive work,
work that will injure none, and that will
prove to be blessings to thousands, are
legion.
The principles of our party can be
applied to State affairs as we'll as to
national, and at this time we can dis
play far more statecraft in dealing with
State affairs where we have control of
all departments of government than we
can by making campaigns upon national
issues. Not only the administration but
the people of the State, especially the
voters, should study State institutions
and their development.
Until this year our party has been
struggling 10 get the people of this State
to accept a principle-the public owner
ship of the means Of production. BY
the election of a POpulist government
in this State they accepted the theory.
Heretofore we have been pointing out
the weakness, the wrong, the injustice
Of the competitive system and it's insti-
tutions. We have censured the party
that is its champion. We have been
agitators. But now, having been en-
trusted with the power of government,
new duties devolve upon us; we must
be builders; we must be creative. The
agitator is necessarily destructive; he
seeks to destroy existing theories, exist
ing ideas, existing institutions, existing
systems. He paves the way for the
statesman, who is necessarily construc-
tive. 1t requires ideality and talent and
geuius and learning and devotion to be
q true agitator; it requires sound judg-
ment, ripe scholarship, lofty aspiration,
tervent patriotism and creative genius
to be statesman.
The Populist party is but a means to
an end. The naturalization of indus
try is the issue Of to-day and is the issue
Of the future. It can never be brought
about by revolution; it must come by
evolution. Let us apply our theory to
the State institutions, carefully, eau
tiously and conservatively, but let us
apply them.
If the party leaders spend their time
in effecting plans and schemes to turn
down this or that State officer or Con-
gresham for the sole purpose of effect
ing fusion, and thereby making room
for some other self asserting party
leader, instead of carefully and indus
triously searching for ways by which
to carry the party principles into effect,
the probabilities are that when the next
State convention meets the victim
whose head drops from the guillotine
will be he who least expects it at this
time. The Peoples party is not party
Of hero worshippers. 1t cares very little