Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-12-31
Populist Congressman Arrange Plans.

PopuliSt Congressman Arrange Plans.
WASHINGTON December I7.-The Populist
members of the House held caucus last night
and mapped ont their work for the session.
The following, with the exception of the first,
were adopted without opposition:
Resolved, that it is the sense of this caucus
that we will resist all efforts to so modify the
existing civil service law as to enable any party
that may be in power to fill the different posi-
tions in the civil service with partisans.
''Resolved, "That we are opposed to any
scheme of enlarging the powers of national
banks. That we oppose the comferring of pow
er to issue notes designed to have the same
functions as money to any bank, corporation or
individual
Resolved, That we are opposed to and will
resist FL efforts to destroy our greenbacks and
treasury notes, whether it be by direct legisla-
ton or by the subtelfuge of refusing to reissue
The s1me except in the exchange for gold
"Resnlved, That we favor the early eonsid-
Grafton aud passage of joint resolution recog-
nizime the independence of the Cuban Repub-
lie.
"Resolved, That we are in favor of the early
passage of an equitable voluntary bankruptcy
bill"
"GovERNMENT by injunction" is something
more than an anticipation i'll this country. 1t
is becoming fact. At Omaha, Nebraska,
Judge Keyser has forbidden the World Herald
lo make any reference to resolution passed by
the license board concerning the publication of
liouor dealers notices The constitutional
guarantee of the freedom of speech and of the
press isA't soiug to amount to any more than
the constitutional guarantee of trial by jury.
Once let the rule be established that courts have
power to govern, and they are not going too
slow to avail themselves of that power. 1T the
iniunctioms to forbid men to march i'll the pub
lie str. cts, or to request aborers to cease from
work, are to be permitted, injunctions to forbid
newspapers to publish what the capitalist class
wants kept secret, naturally come next in the
evolution of this new form of despotiSn-gov-
ernment by injunction. And that is growing
as silently as interest on money Every lu-
uIClll uSul PatiOH asquiSS~NN ia GA" 'NpA"A>S~N
to insures a further usurpation in the future.
Coarls have for years been interfering with the
rights CT the citizen by compelling him to pay
taxes to take up bonds unlawfully issued, as
we'll as those for which the community received
no equivalent. They have forbidden laborers
to leave the service of corporations; they have
pushed men with long terms Of Imprisonment
whom 10 jury would have ever convicted OF
any ofense; they have forbidden laborers to
combine for their own protection and refuse to
purchase wares made by their oppressors; they
interfercd almost without exception to help
property at the expense of persons, and now
they have taken another step on the road to abb
solute do minon, and laid their unhallowed
hands on the liberty of the press. Isn't it time
to call halt? Hadn't we better take some
steps TO define and limit the powers OF the
courts before they become dictators in the
land, as Jefferson warned us they would?
Hadn't we better examine constitution
and the foundations of our government,
and see whether they are really repub-
lican in foim and calculated to preserve the lib
elies of the people or tend to subvert them =
Star & Kansan.
FOUND.
A. L..