The Advocate and news., 1898-09-21
"What Popullsm Stands FOr."
DANIEL r. ROSE.


DANIEL t. ROSE
Under the above heading the Kansas City
Journal Of August 13 has a long and la
bored editorial in which 1t tries to prove
that the State POpulst platform of Kansas
declares for socialism, pure and simple; in
a word, communism in it's strictest sense.
In support Of his argument, the writer
quotes the editor Of the independence Pop
ulst as saying, in a speech delivered before
q handful Of socialists In little One-hOrse
convention at Fort Scott that socialism
is the soul Of POpullsm."
Without stopping to argue this point,
Will only say that admitting that the edi-
tor OF the Populist did say the above words,
that does not prove the broad assertion Of
the Kansas City Journal regarding the
State platform. The editor of the POpulist
may think and believe so himself, but he
Is not the POpulist party of Kansas nor
does he represent the great fundamental
principles IL he uttered the words referred
to by the Journal
1t is notable fact that the Kansas City
journal knows more about Kansas politics
than the people OF Kansas know them
selves Not even the leading Populst pa
pers Of this State have made the discovery
yet that the State platform Is sOciallstlc,
cOmnlunistic affair; and every man OF COM
mon sense knows that the true, genuine
POpulist bitterly opposes and repudiates
socialism, or communism, in it's true sense
The Journal affects to be very much
frightened for fear the POpulist party will
bring about state of affairs dangerous to
the interests Of the whole people. But this
Is only another Republican scheme to
frighten Democrats and Free Silver Re-
publiCans out of voting the State ticket
NlH fn11 4 TNnyfn In RnaAau
article.
l surmise that the Journal would have
been in better business If 1t had told us
plainly and truthfully what the Republican
party stands for For thirty years they
have been telling us that they stood for
the great masses of the people-the farm
err, the laborer. the mechanic and all classes
alike. But all their legislation and public
acts in all these years-their whole record
in truth-shOws the very reverse. In every
State and national platform they have told
US much and promised great things, but
always failed to carry out any of these
promises. One instance out of thousands:
In the late Presidential campaign the old
soldier was promised liberal pensions in
case Mckinley was elected. Every old SOL
dicr knows that 1t is harder to get a pen
sion under the present administration than
1t was under Cleveland, by reason of the
rulings Of Commissioner Evans We all
know what the Republican party Of to-day
stands for. OF this l will say more in the
future. It will be time enough for the
Journal to warn the people against evils of
Populism when 1t has cleared up the fall
ures and corrected the crying evils Of its
own party.
But what does Populism stand for? In
my Judgment, the name itself tells the
NUh Of whole
people. 1t is the peoples party.
The POpulist party Of to-day is the party
of the lllustrious Lincoln.
Its fundamental principles were the great
principles Of Lincoln Republicanism. Lin
coin was the friend Of the whole people,
and especially the great labOring, prOduc-
Ing class, and the enemy Of oppression.
So is the Populist party of to-day. 1t
stands for the people, and especially for the
great laboring and producing classes, as
its record will show. This Is more than
can lie said of the Republican party.
Without entering into discussion Of the
principles Of Populism, may be allowed to
name, for the information Of the Journal,
some Of the things POpulism stands for.
The great fundamental principles of Pop
ulism are regarding land, transportation
and finance. A comparison Of the princi-
pies and acts Of the Republican and rOpu-
list party regarding these three great prin-
pies Of government will show at once what
Populism stands for.
1t ia well known to every well-informed
person that 1t has been the policy OF the
Republican party to give away millions OF
acres of the public lands to railroad corpo-
rations. thereby depriving the people Ito
whom It rlghtfully belongs) of the privilege
OF securing a home.
Populism holds that the lands are and OF
right ought to be the property OF the peo-
pie, and that Congress has no right to give
them away to rich corporations, thereby
increasing their riches, but that they
should be given to the people for free