People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-07-15

0ne-half. Yet such has been the gov.
ornamental policy that today it will re.
quire twice as much Of our products to
pay the remainder as would have been
necessary TO pay it all when it was
created. Being a producing and debt
or nation, it was a crime to legislate
exclusive the purchasing power OF
our people. Every great abuse is in.
tertwined with the money question
and you cannot ignore it, for it fixes
the limitations On enterprise and ma
terial prosperity. There must ulti.
mately come a system OF finance or
exchange that will have philOsoph.
ical basis and will not restrain hu.
man effort. But until this does come,
we demand the retractiOn Of the BIZ
metallic system as it formerly existed
in our country, because it was the best
thus far given the word.
Efforts follow causes in the eco.
nOmic and commercial world as they
do in the physical world. The paral-
ysis of our country has been produced
by certain causes. So long as they
exist they must continue to produce
the same effects. We were promised
prosperity; it has not come and it re-
quires time to see under existing con.
ditiOns 70 permanent prosperity can
come. The forces of destruction are
still at work gathering the substance
of the nation into the hands Of the
few. The country is paralyzed. The
patient is told that il he would only
have confidence and go to work he
would do well. But in spite of this he
is unable to rise.
Suppose he did. Suppose that a
temporary stimulant could create a
temporary activity? 1t would be
along old lines; it would be in har-
mOny with those forces that parlyzed
Us. The patient would soon collapse
a second time, and then the case
would be hopeless. A squirt of activity
under Mckinley conditions means the
more certain death of free institution:
it means that the poison Of corruption
shall 60 on until every orgaa of the
body is destroyed.
THE universal corruption that is
today destroying our country comes
from the concentration of capital
and the alarming aspect is that II
is practiced BY men who talk pa
triOtiSm and who stand in the estima,
OF the public. 1t is idle to talk about
purifying the government so long as
men of influence and position are cor.
rupt. Cut off the hand that offers a
bride and you will end corruption.
1--WE must devise some way of re.
moving the temptation Of distributing
among all men the benefits and ad
vantageS flowing from the process Of
concentration. As power never lin
its itself we must find a method O.
curbing 1t.
IF asked whether the government
will take the railroads or establish ref
erendum, say you do not know, buI
that every step which may become
necessary TO save free government anC
restore happiness in this land will b,
taken; say that, if necessary to do so
the government will not only take tn,
railroads but every monopoly and con
centratiOn Of property which inter
feres with'either the rights or the wei
fare of the people.
For thirty years our party ha
been neutral party; the manipula
tors who wished to use it as
convenience did not want it to stant
for anything. There were interest
that seemed to control both parties
This was the easiest way Of control
ling national legislation. Had thi
been positive, compact and qggres
sive minority party, sanding 70
principle, the cry Of distress woul
not be heard in this land today. Ha
f there been such a party the Standar
Oil Trust never could have nominate
the same man three times In success
sion for the presidency. Trading 70
iticians made this possible. Comprt
misers, traders and neutral men neve
[ correct abuses, never found or saw
free institutions, and never fight fC
human rights. Only men of cnnvi,
tiOn and courage can save this lanC
Unfortunately, we seem to hay
been slowly and unconsciously lOsin
n our personal independence. Throug
t the scramble for the dollar, the lOnl
D ing for position, and the dread Of cri
icism, we are losing our birthright
"NO other country has drawn :
much from the storehouses OF omnip
tence as has ours. In all that max,
S wealth, greatness or glory, we hay
/ been overloaded. Limitless richie
t are within our grasp, centuries Of hal
piness are within our reach. A kin,
Ga 4, l., a.