Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-10-07
|POPULISM TODAY
THE FIGHT AGAINST SPECIAL
PRIVILEGE.
The Peoples Party Represents Jcffer-
sonism and LincOlnism as Against
Clevelandism and Hsnnaism - The
CleauCut Issue In California;.

In California the Populists held their
state convention In advance Of that OF
any Of the other parties, and n0mi-
mated ticket which has since been in
dorsed entire by the Democratic and
Silver Republican state conventions.
Congressman James c, Mcguire, nom
mated by the Populists for governor,
and Endorsed by their silver allies, has
never affiliated with the Peoples par
ty, but he has been known for years
as the ablest and most fearless advo-
cate of Populist principles on the Pa
cific coast. Mcguire is fundamentally
a Greenbacker, and Of the necessities
of the present political situation a free
silver man. He advocates public own
ership of railroads and telegraphs. He
stands for the abolition Of land monop-
oily through the single tax and in the
meantime supports an income tax. He
is for direct legislation.
While, Of course, there was a bolt
from the California Popullst conven-
tion it stands to reason that Mcguire
will poll practically the whole vote Of
the party, and that his majority will
be nearly $4,000, for the people Of the
state are with him in his fight against
the Southern Pacific railroad monop-
oily, which is the burning local issue.
The plutocratic newspapers Of San
Francisco, after thoroughly abusing
Mcguire for his revolutionary political
doctrines" have turned their guns
upon Populism, which they recognize
as the real host that Mcguire is lead
Ing. In replying to an editorial in the
San Francisco Chronicle R. M: Collins
says Populism is willing to acknowl-
edge itself revival of Jeffersonism.
True Populism proposes to continue
its shouting against special privi-
leges" until every true Democrat in the
land awakes to the fact that Jefferson
ism and Clevelandism are as wide
apart as the poles.
But Populism Is also a revival of
Lincolnism. Lincoln said: eff nation
has a certain amount of debt and GER
tain volume of money in circulation,
II the volume Of money in circulation
is contracted before the debt is paid,
1t is the most heinous crime that can
be perpetrated upon people,"
The Hannaites, in charge of the Re-
publican party, perpetrated this helm
GUS crime upon our people before the
war debt of the rebellion was paid,
and they have continued, in crime. to
contract the money in circulation until
the people, irrespective Of party, are
forced to unite against a common enc
my. Because Of these "heinous crimes"
you have Populism. A Populist is but
a political protestant against "heinous
crimes" as described by the martyred
president Of the Republican party. Pop
ulism agrees perfectly with Lincoln
ism, and upon Lincoln's ground 1t pro-
poses to stand, shouting these "heinous
crimes" perpetrated by the Hannaites
until the thousands upon thousands of
voters learn that Hannaites, masquer-
aiding in the name Of Lincoln's party,
are not Republicans. The possible af-
finity between Hannaism and Lincoln
ism fails to materialize, even under
the Huntington process of bribery and
coercion.
Populism, as the protestant Of mod
ern politics, proposes to shout and ST. g
its protests until voters can distin-
guish, before another Thanksgiving Day
comes around, the difference between
a turkey and turkey buzzard; the diff
ference between a Jefferson and a
Cleveland; the difference between a
Lincoln and a Hanna, and the differ
ence between the principles contended
for by Mcguire and by Gage.