The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-18
HOW LONG WILL HE LASTq

Does any one pretend to say that the
Populist politician is pleased with the
high price of wheat? Some of them are,
indeed. And who are these men? They
are the men who went into the Populist
party from conviction. We have some
of them here in Wichita, Sedgwick
county. There is a scattering of them
all over the state They are men who
went into the Populist party in the be-
lief that it was TO do away with ring
and gang rule and political jobbery.
What has become Of them? Nearly ev-
cry man acquainted with local politics
knows. They have been crushed down
and out. Not one of them has been Civ
en- a position, although many have ap-
nled. Not one Of them has ever been
given a nomination. At the very best
they are only permitted TO go as dele
gate to the county conventions and then
only when the ward delegation has
safe majority Of the gang. These con-
scientious men excluded from the gang
because they are conscientious are glad
Of the high price Of wheat There is no
inducing hope with them any more that
they Will get into office and they are
heartily glad that a measure Of prosper
ity is coming to the farmer
But the average Office seeking Popu-
LIST politician? Does he rejoice over the
farmers prosperity Would his chance
for election not be more if wheat was
down to twenty cents bushel? Would
he not have a lk-away' if corn could
be bought for five cents? Would not
the precincts all through the county be |
dead sure thing to him if cattle were !
two dollars hundred? Would not the |
country be afire for Populism and for |
his election if the mortgages were in
creasing and not being paid off? What /,
does he care for his nation or the Condi- |
ton of the people? Does he rejoice that |
President Mckinley has not continued |
in the disastrous Cleveland policy of |
issuing bonds? Does he not rather |
mourn because the president has not is
sued bonds?
In fact, isn't this professional mourn
er Of Kansas politics an enemy of his
government and his people? Didn't he
read the election bulletins last fall an
nouncing Bryan's defeat with hope in
his heart that the first thing Mckinley
would have 10 do after his inauguration
would be to issue more bonds: That
policy continued meant trouble, if not
ruination, for the government But did
not this cormorant who feeds on deSTuc-
zion yeaTn for the necessity which
borrowing? Hasn't IL angered him be-
cause no such action has been taken?
Do not his chances glimmer and van
ish at the breath Of prosperity? Does
he for instance hold the general prosper
10y Of the nation as even of equal I'M
portance to his own single and indiyid-
ual advantage? Is there in all the
chambers of his conscience one tongue
Of patriotism TO bid him believe the
common good paramount TO the greedy,
gripping, grasping demands of his own
selfshness?
How long will such mental conduct in
a politician be approved by the people?
Surely bat for a brief time. In this.
the rose-colored dawn of better times,
1t seems incredible that the people will
anywhere approve of a man whose only ,
claim 10 their support is their misfor-
tune, whose only hope of success lies in
the wish that they shall be distressed. :