Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-04-02
FRIENDLY CRITICISM.

of party friend, and it is the faithful warn
ing andl owing censure Of the party friend, or
the friend of the individual, that keeps parties
and individuals in the paths of rectitude.
Taking the above as correct sentiment, we
indulge in little criticism of the past legisla-
ture, that, while not hattering, is not intended
and not to be construed as the criticism of an
enemy, and we need not be quoted as either
sick of, or wavering in, our devotion to the
Peoples party.
To begin, we may say that six years ago, the
Populist house of the Kansas Legislature passed
a maximum freight rate bill At that time,
the senate was Republican, and the freight rate
bill was killed by a unanimous Republican vote.
Two wears later, the senate became Populist,
and passed freight rate bill that was killed by
a Republican house. Still two years later, we
had similar action. In the last legislature, both
bodies were controlled by Populists. Did we
get maximum freight rate law Not even a
little bit This time the measure died in the
house of it's friends. The patched-up bill that
passed the legislature was vetoed by the gov
error as being rather vicious measure, and as
being false to the pledges of the party We
wanted a certain thing till we were in po-
sition to obtain it, and then we didn't want it..
That is the construction put upon our action by
our enemies. Could anything be more huml-
iating? Is there anything better calculated to
kill a party We think not. Will there be
any reasonable hope that the party, i'll the fu-
ture, will fulfill its pledges Who can tell. if
maximum freight bill failed ?
This is the situation, and we might just as
we'll face it. The legislature has weakened the
party. Better have passed all unwise measure
than have failed to come up to the high stand
ard set up by itself. No amount of excuses
will excuse the men who turned the party over
to the fire of the big guns of a great and hostile
force
1t won't do to say that the courts would have
knocked out a maximum law. In that case,
the blame would have been OF the courts and
besides, maximum law i'll Iowa stood the test
of the courts. 1t won't do to say that the
maximum bill would have raised freight in
some localities. A legislature is supposed te
legisate for the whole state. What we wanted
what the Peoples party wants-is to place
the state government above the railroad com
panies, Just the same as the government j:
above the notwithstanding more, and GER
tainly no less. AS matters stand now, the rail
road companies are above any order of the
board of railroad commissioners-above the
governor--above the courts-simply becaus!
the legislatures have refused to empower any
man, ur men, with the authority to control tn,
companies through any process, civil or mill
tary.
We are stating no new fact. The board o
railroad commissioners, years ago, complained
of its lack of authority to go into the court
and enforce its orders against railroad com
panies. Republicans refused to change thu
situation, simply because that party is domi
mated by railroad attorneys. 1t was differen
with the Peoples party. Every corporation o
large interests fought, and still fights, the Peo
ple's party, for the simple reason that Populist
believe that the government should control cor
porations, Instead of corporations controllin,
the government
The people trusted the legislature, and veste'
it with the authority to change the laws III the1
interests, and in this very important particular
it faied-failed because few men stood i'll tin
way, blocking the measure we most wished for
We can only say all honor to the Governor
who saved us from the measure that Republic
ans might have supported without going bacl
OH their record.
We stand to-day as we stood six years ago
and as we shall stand tomorrow, and we be
lieve we shall win in spite of black sheep, TO
the very simple reason that our principles ar