Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-03-09
THE CURE FOR TRUSTS.
An Address to the People OF
Kansas by the Press Bu-
reau of the Populist
State Committee.
To the People OF Kansas:

To the People OF Kansas:
The present rank growth OF indus
trial and business tyrants--the trusts,
syndicates and corporations, which
to-day rule and Cypress the American
people-is the natural and inevitable
outrrowth Of tho selfsaness which
permeates poor and rich alike in our
land. Each man has devoted his time
and energy SO exclusively to the Pur-
suit of his own little personal ambi'
tions, to the struggle for the almighty
dollar, that he has been criminally
and dangerously indifferent to grave
questions OF public welfare. In sor-
did contest like this, not only the
powerful and cunning, but the most
brutal and constituencies must neces-
sarily win. They arc the "httest"
for such a sodden struggle. II his
tory teaches one lesson it is this, that
O nation that Is sunk in materislism,
selfshness and greed. will breed ty-
ran Is as naturally as a carcass breeds
maggots.
Our nineteenth century tyrants are
neither few nor weak. They control
all the arteries Of commerce and most
of the necessaries of life. They WELD q
power not possessed by Queen Victor
Ia nor Emperor Willamette power
to levy taxes without the consent OF
their subjects Each one of the hum
dreds of trusts, syndicates. combines
or corporations which have practical
monopolies ON the different necessi-
ties of life, is able. in addition to the
fair average profit obtained by bust
ness men competing with each other,
to levy a monopoly tax on every
American sovereign ca who Is forced
to use its product No English lord
exerts the colossal influence OF Hunt
ington, the railroad inagnate; no Gsr-
man baron yields 1.-THE Of the tyr
annical fore, Of Rockefeller the
Standard Oil king; no Italian prince
is more than doll in power. when
compared to our Napoleon OF finance,
Pierpout Morgan, or our even more
Industrious suzerain of tyrants, Mark
Hanna.
What are we going to do about it?
First comes the battle OF the poll.
ticians; we must Conquer the enemy
at the polls. Second comes the battle
between statesmen; we must complete
the subjugstion In the halls OF Con-
gress, and in the courts, where the
/ last stand will be made.
As to the first part OF our program,
the defeat of the enemy at the polis,
we NAV a. we'll acknowledge at the
start that it will prove no easy task.
The powers of organized greed so
completely dominate in the strong
holds of our national life and pros
perity that their financial resources
for the struggle are as insxhaustio bic
as our national wealth. When they
want $50, 900, 900 for campaign fund.
all they have to do is to levy an ad-
ditional tax on their victims for that
amount If they need twice that
much, with which to debauch voters,
the process is simply repeated. 1t il
clear that we have to fight unlimited
wealth in the hands OF absolutely I'M
scrupulous men. Can we VIM
There is only one force on earth
that is more powerful than Doodle,
and that is a moral indignation. q
moral enthusiasm, a patriotic devo'
ton which is ready to sacrifice time
money and life itself to principle. A
man who is on fire with q love Of
humanity. homo and country, eau
neither be bribed nor bulldoz,d. Like
Achilles, he is invulnerab!e Each
one must &c forth, not to see what he
can gain for himself, but with grim
determination and a sublime devotion
to see how best he can spend himself
to accomplish most for our common
cause. Unless the cause is dearer tt
us than personal gain or personal am
bition not only will we fail, but we
will deserve to fail. The orga iizee
Sc fishness of the masses can neve'
overcome the organized selhshness
and greed of plutocracy, bat the or
ranizei altruism, the organized self
sacrifice, of the common people Is IA
resistless as the rythmical movemen
of the tides.
Therefore it is that this year WI
hive asked the people to pay the
expenses of their campaign against
their industrial and commercial
tyranta Not only is it pAs.asary &c
have money with which to carry OF
q campaign of education a'd organi
cation, but it Is even more necessar,
that every man who believes with u
and who expects to enjoy the results
of the peoples victory, shall labor ant
fight, shall vote and contribute hi
mite with all the rest 1t is essentia
that the rank and file Of our party
shall enter into the spirit OF the cam
paiQn, shall become dominated by thu
spirit Of self.sacridce, which once
started will set the very prairies adr'
with a divine conh,gration, which nc
power in earth or hell can quench
. The selfishness and indifference which
would refuse to contribute ones shar
toward paying the expenses OF one''
own battle for freedom is the yer.
sub. soil from which past and pres
! emit tyranny has sprung The mel
who are not willing, at any sacrifice