The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-10
By Common Consent No One At
tempts ANY Recriminations.
some of the Radical Populasta Are
Fust~a Probable In the Next
Election, Not for Priactple, Dut
fer OfAee-The Deaoerats Pre-.
pose to Make . Desperate E3ort
60 Get Up = Platform Pr~uisan~
10 Regulate EverytAing. rron
the Price Of Labor to Rentalo.

WICHITA. Kan. May Especial Corre-
spondencc Chicago Reccrd.-I have said
very little about politics In Kansas.
because there IL very little 10 say. Tho
masses Of tho people are SO busy getting
rich and SO we'll satisfied with their con.
dition that they do not take much interest
In anything else and the professional poli-
tfcians-the walking delegates who organ
ize reform movcments-are not as popular
as they were few years ago.
As rule the people OF Kansas arc fond
OF political discussion. They read and
talk and think on abstract subjects moro
than any other community In the world.
They like to thcortxe and experiment, and
arc progressive In their ideas a. well a. In
their methods. A Kansas farmer win ride
farther TO . r"liticai meeting than any
other man ir s.ss. world. Hence they are
easy prey ft demagogues. particularly
when times a. hard. prices low and things
don't SO to suit them: but no one can fool
them for q great while at any time They
require ocular demonstration within rca-
sonable limits, and when they discover
that a theory or q machine doesn't work
they take II TO pieces and generally md
out what Is the matter. They are fond Of
novelties In all branches OF life ana lines
OF experience and are willing to give al
most anything a trial.
For the last few years they have hnen
trying Populism. They have been told that
the theories advanced by the leaders Of
that party were q universal panacea for
all ills that human kind n heir to, and at
one time they were almost convinced that
the FREQ coinage Of silver at a ratio Of 10
to I was absolutely necessary to restore
prosperity In this country and secure
prices for wheat. corn. cattle. hogs and
poultry that would make thclr cultivation
profitable.
A period OF prosperity such an they never
before experienced and scarcely hoped for
has blessed the state without tho aid of
legislative action. and they SEQ the fallacy
of the theories they have been advocating
with so much ardor. As a result the Popu-
list party In Kansas II practically extinct.
but the leaders are making heroic efforts
20 revive and reorganixe II with new issues
that are very close to socialism. The Ad-
vocate. Of Topeka, the leading organ Of
the popallst party. OF which ex-senator
PETER was the editor for many years. has
already renounced Populsm and declared
for socialism. II has n large following In
the state The other Populist newspapers
regard II as an oracle. and although Ser.
ator PETER has nothing TO do with II now.
Il retains the odor OF sanctity ana tho
reputation OF wisdom.
+ r
The greater number OF the Popuiists are
.crawiing back under the tents" Of the old
parties. and their former associates permit
them to do so withou, recrimination. BY
Fka~~
or Republican renounces Popuism no re-
marks are made and no questions are asked
I'VE lose a good deal OF fun by our for
hearance." sald one OF the local leaders at
CherryaaIe the other day. "ana sometimes
II ls impossible to prevent the boye from
'toshing' those xho have been particularly
prominent in the popuiist or silver move
men:. Some OF the returning prodIgals
are good-natured and inclined to take
humorous view of their experience. II
happened the other day that oar Repub-
Mcan club voted sixteen in favor OF a cer-
tain proposition and one against II, where
upon. when the result was announced. an
old chap who has been very active In fas
free coinage ranks ard has only recently
returned to the Republican party. arose
and With a grin on his face remarked:
i
the negative, but as I've already had
enough OF Is 20 in mine. I viii move 10
make II unan!mous.'
DO they feel any resentment toward
thsir cid ieadersr' I ask@d
Perhaps. but they won't show .. They
don; say much an9 don't take any notice
OF them"
''How do the leading silver men account
for she restoration os prosperity without
free eofnage,"
They don't try TO aecoun, sor II: they
simply decline 20 discuss the subject and
the leaders are KEEP. busy denying what
they formerly said. Fer instance, Mr. PEI
fer now declares that be never said that
Ii Kansas ~as put on the auction block and
scid a. shsriG's sale IL wocld nes bring
enough 20 pay tts debts. He denies that
ne ever urnd such lanxuage. Jerry sinp-
son now explains ssas he meant the people
IN the sisms of the great cities Instead Of
,aa population os his dsssract when he said.
The men are selling their honor. the wo-
men their virtue and the children are beg
wfnx for bread but krow hundred peo-
pie who heard PETER and Simpson say
those sane things They were stock
phrases zeed in al their speeches 80 de-
aersle the condition Of affairs in KanAaa