People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-02-17
A PopuIlst Opportunity.
Henry Mclean, of Paola, in Topeka Adv,

A POpuliSt opportunity.
Henry Mclean, of Paola, in Topeka Advo-
cate.
The paramount principles of Pop,
ulist faith Is in the public ownership
of public utilities. This means that
the PEOPLES party has for Its aim
the substitution of co operation for
competition as an industrial system.
This principle has taken fast hold
of the people of not only this state
but of the country at large, and has
made great Roadway among the
European nations. For the PEG
pies party in power in this state to
make such a record as will com
mend itself to the voters who placed
1t in power it is imperative that all
branches of government-the legis-
Iative, judicial and executive-keep
this cardinal tenet of the party faith
constantly in mind and conduct the
affairs OF their respective depart
mentS in strict accord with it.
The opportunities for legislation
have gone by unless the executive
shall convene the law-making body
in extra session. While the last
legislature did some very creditable
things, It is to be regretted that it
did not place upon the statute books
some distinctively Populist legisla-
ton. Those who are chosen to rep
resent the Populist voters of the
state should remember that they
were not selected for the purpose of
debating what the people should
have and what they should not have;
they are merely the instruments
chosen by the people to carry into
execution the wel-known principles
of party faith; they should remember
that the movement which resulted
in complete Populist state govern,
ment originated with and was car.
ried to success by men who care
much more for the realization IF
their theories and cherished reforms
than they do for the success of any
particular man or set of men or for
the success of their own, or, for that
matter, any other particular party.
We are, of course, interested in
national politics and national issues,
but the congressman we send to
Washington can, if they are faithful
to party theories, do very little but
agitate. What the mass of people in
this safe want-what they expect
what they are entitled tbs a Wig
orous, intelligent, aggressive state
administration, dealing with state
issues and state Institutions upon
purely Populist principles. Nothing
else will satisfy the rank and file OF
the party, and nothing else should
satisfy it.
The free coinage Of silver, govern
ment ownership Of railroads, Pa,
cifc railroads, protection and free
trade. Cuban affairs are all i'm
portantin their time and place, but
now is the time to do something
relating to our state affairs along
Populist grounds.
To begin with small things and
work up to larger is the law of
Development; to begin with simple
organisms and unfold to the COM
pick is the law of evolution. We
should at once commence the evclu
ton of the industrial commonwealth
Of this state by introducing the prin-
ciples of cooperation in our state
institutions. For example: The
state penitentiary at Lansing has a
fine farm of more than three hundred
acres. This year it yielded more
than enough Of various products to
supply the prison during the winter.