The Advocate and news., 1898-06-22
Popullsm unmnsked.


sistent and straightforward course. AT
the State convention Of 1896 II adopted
platform demanding nine important
reforms In the Kansas statutes On this
platform the people OF Kansas elected
the POpulist ticket. The party secured
entire control OF both branches of the
Legislature, together with the admins
trative offices. At the termination OF
the legislative session 1t was found that
the party had totally ignored or de-
feated bills intended to carry out seven
OF the pledged reforms and had adopted
bills in the case Of but two. These two
were of but comparatively little moment
--one being an antl-Pinkerton law and
the other measure for the taxation Of
foreign judgments.
In 1896 these nine reforms were pre-
sented as the sum total OF all that Kan
sas required to make her perfect and
complete. II there was real demand
for them then the same demand must
exist now, and yet we fnd the platform
OF 1896 cast roughly aside in the plat
form Of 1898. Comparing the two, we
ind Just one common plank, and that
Is a plank the Populists will regret hav-
ing placed In the later platform, as Il
calls attention to the perfldy of POpullst
promises. We refer to the pledge that
free miners shall be relieved of convict
competition, a pledge which was made
In the platform Of 1896, only to be-
broken at the request of the POpulist
Governor, who secured the passage OF a
law increasing the penitentlary output
pf MI fv
On the questions Of anti-railrOad legis-
lation, interest, usury and other pledged
reforms In the platform Of 1896, the
platform Of 1893 is silent or else reverses
them outright, as in the case of maxi
mum freight rates.
II we interpret Alright these sudden
and radical changes In the policies of
the Kansas POpulists they are due to a
deeper and graver reason than mere
instability The party has never ex-
pressed In its platforms It's real beliefs.
1t did not dare to parade before the
people Of Kansas the full measure Of its
purposes. The platforms of the past
have been simple introductiOns to the
platforms of the future The reforms
that were pledged were not the reforms
that were really wanted. Behind 1t all
was socialism, and the whole aim Of
| POpulism has been to lead the people
by easy degrees to the contemplation OF
such revolution. And in evidence OF
this we need only to point to the Popu-
list platform of 1898.
This remarkable series Of resolutions
stops little short OF the grand sOciallstlc
climax. It goes far enough to clear
away the fog and give us a free view
Of the POpulist program. At the out
set 1t Is proposed to overthrow the pres
ent system of representative govern
ment. This is to be accomplished
through the initiative and referendum
Then comes declaration for the public
ownership of the great utilities, things
which are used alike by all the people.
such as water, light, transportation, etc.
Not content with this, the platform In
vades the realm Of private business and
declares for the public ownership and
operation of cattle markets and for the
establishment Of State insurance. But
lily disguised is a declaration for the
public ownership of everything, the
FARMS the shops, the mills, and all the
means OF production and livelihood. 1t
was freely and openly declared on the
floor OF the convention that the public
operation OF the stock yards was but the
opening wedge to admit the public OPP
Grafton Of everything. One enthusias-
tic delegate shouted In his Joy: Thank
God, there is no turning back now; So
cialism is about to become q fact In
Kansas"
But is 1t about to become fact In
Kansas? We think not. II we have not
mistaken the temper OF the sturdy sons
of Kansas, who, with their superior in-
telligence and industry, have carved for
themselves out of the wilderness homes
and property, they will rise and smite
the accursed folly which is threatening
them. Now that the POpulists have
lifted the veil there need be no fear OF