Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-10-29
THE POLITICAL FIELD.


The Pittsburg Kansan says: "The
wheat crop of Kansas in round num-
bers this year is 50,000,000 bushels. It
is estimated we can market 35,00C,O00
Should we average 60 cents bushel to
the farmer, this will yield $21 100000,
which is 100000 less than the an
nual interest Kansas owes on her mort
gagged Indebtedness. This million and
ten more millions which Is due on note
and book accounts will be more than
made up out Of the corn crop. FROM
a Wall street. bankers, money
loaner's, note scalper's and curbstont
brokers' point of view, this Is pros
perity.'"
The Abilene Monitor quotes the fol-
lowing from the Abilene Reflector. Inc
Monitor has inserted sons words IN
brackets which are intended to make
the meaning of the Reiector's para
graph perfectly clear to everybody
This is the quotation: whenever
such an organized body OF men lun-
armed laborersl resisting the law
walking along a public road is met
by an officer of the law 1t Is MS duty
ITO the plutocrats] to dispense It ana
to use force[cold lead] sufficient to
make this dispersion complete XII EN-
dead, If they have to be shot In the
back1. so that this body OF men, at
least [be sure they are dead, Will new
err again defy the government 10y IN
Junction. against which they nave re-
belled."
Everything indicates sweeping VIC
tories in the state and county elections
in Nebraska and Kansas, where there
is complete and satisfactory co-opera-
ton of all free silver elements.
Besides being sound sense the fol-
lowing from Farm, Stock and Home
is something of curiosity, as us au-
thor is a South Dakota farmer VINO
is large sheep owner:
"Protectionists say that Dakota wool
growers obtained from to Genus
more for wool this year than last, they
give the expected duty on wool creul'
| for II. when the truth is the WOOL was
brighter. cleaner, and weighed from
one to two pounds less per fleece, anu
should have brought several cents
pound more than last year, all else be-
ing equal. But for the sake OF the
argument, admit that the cents In
crease was due to the duty, who pays
it? Only a small proportion OF the
residents of Dakota are wool growers
| while all are consumers of manufac'
| rured wool. The increased cost Is
charged up with the goods, and eacl
consumer, no matter how poor or des
titute, must pay his proportion or II
1t is taking money from all consum
ers and putting it in the pockets OF
few. There are thousands of people
who would scorn with righteous lndlg
nation an intimation that they woult
steal from a neighbor, but who do mo-
hesitate a moment to take money tina
such a law gives them. What is TIM
difference in principle whether 1t II
taken in opposition to law or by III
consent? In one case the theft is pun
ishable by law, in the other law doe'
the work. but in justice, in equity ce
tween man and man, is there any diff
ference in the two ways of stealing
II a duty on wool makes it dearer, 1t
with duty on wooden goods, duty OF
lumber, duty on hides, on sugar ant
on numerous other necessaries of lii
falls with crushing effect on the poor
Even the poorest widow, before sh
can give her only child decent burial
must pay a tax on the coffin that Il
used, to help increase the wealth-th
ill-gotten gains-of few millionaires.