Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-02-17

advice on the un-democratic tendency of the
age. The practice of giving few of our lead
ing citizens as much power as possible seems to
awaken very little concern in the American
mind, but it is as surely undermining the sta
bility of the nation as the same custom did that
of Rome, seventeen or eighteen hundred years
aga, and, in doing so, is simply following Out
the principle of cause and effect.
| am not disposed to attack the characters OF
our public men, and condemn them as weak
ings or puppets, for it is my conviction that
they are truly representative men, but they are
human, and it is human to err, especially when
great personal interests are at stake. Conse-
quenty, when we place the responsibility OF
choosing our national lawmakers on few
men instead of on the many, they are compelled
to Withstand the stress of all the political
influence concentrated at one point for su-
preme purpose To come out of the conflict
untarnished is an undenabe mark of an an
extraordinarily strong character.
When men spend weeks, and even months,
of their time for All election at a daily expense
of more than 81 900, it must be we'll known
that there are some methods being used that
are not conducive to the health of the republic.
claim it is as unfair to the Legislators to place
the responsibility upon them as it is to deprive
the voter of an opportunity to say who shall
represent him. Yet, even this might be per-
mitted if it were not for the nefarious character
of some of the political bosses who do the lob
bving in the legislative halls With barrel
of money and all oiled tongue they continue to
boom their candidate, stopping at nothing short
of open bribery, and sometimes, when the case
is desperate; that plan is adopted.
MANY Of the uluer readers of the AGITATOR
will remember the prolonged deadlock in Illi-
nos preceding tine election of Senator John A.
Logan. One of the representatives i'll that
legislature recently told Inc that he could have
feathered his nest for life time by accepting
the offers of Mr. Logan's opponents, and that,
while he refused there were number of votes
cast in that election which could be explained
from no other hypothesis than that money had
Senator Quay build his expectations of another
term? and who doubts that the present dead
lock in Pennsylvania is due to his influence as
a politician rather than as statesman' When
a great commonwealth is wheedled into elect
ing man who is out on heavy bail for the
violation of law as its representative in the up
per house of congress, then there is an African
in the woodpile. If left to popular vote,
Ouay's chances would be very greatly dimin-
ished, and the probabilities are that he would
be gloriously turned down
These are only few potent reasons for
change in our elective policy and | would
fain add more were this letter not already too
long 1t would even be pleasure to debate
the question again with the oldtime school
frcnds, and am confident that could enter
tain Colonel Bouck mud Major Gear more sue
cessrully than the previous occasion.
In the next campaign, let us not forget the
condition that confronted the different states i'll
the senatorial contests of 1890 Nebraska is
having all object lesson that II be of appreci-
able benefit to the party that declares, i'll its
next platform, for the election of senators by
popular vote. Even Hon. M. L. Hayward, the
prominent Republican candidate, thinks the
plan would be advisable, and certainly more
satisfactory to the people. H, A. KELSEY.
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