Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-08-07
THE CRIME OF 1873 ECLIPSED BY THE
CRIME OF 1908

Several weeks ago, the AGrrAToR published,
under the head of "Military Depotism," an
expose of nefarious military law that was en-
acted by congress, by stealth, which gives the
president of the United States greater military
power than is possessed by the of Russia.
1t has been denied by many Republicans and
Democrats that there is such law in existence,
but it has been proven beyond doubt that the
law was enacted. Last weeks Appeal to
Reason contains the result of an examination
of the records at Washington, from which we
quote, as follows:
"When the Appeal to Reason first published
the essential sections of the new militia bill,
the Democrats and Republicans, on being con-
fouted with it, declared that no such bill had
been passed, and that the whole thing was
hoax of the Socialists. No great daily had
mentioned it; no prominent old-party man
pretended to know anything about it. There
fore, it was plain that the Socialists had invent
ed the whole story to incite the people against
the good old party politicians
"rne doubling Thomases may now read the
following FACTS, given by the Congressional
Record of June 80, December 9, IS, I6 and II,
1902, and January and "a, 1903. These
facts prove beyond doubt
"(1) That the Republican administration
made delibrate attempt to institute central
lied military government;
"(2) That the militia committee (Demo-
Gratis and Republicans) unanimously endorsed
the attempt aud conspired to rush the bill
through congress-;
"(3) That the war department was, and is, a
party to this conspiracy, and has made plans
to carry out this policy;
''(4) That this conspiracy is aimed at the
working class OF this country-and that it
succeeded;
"(5) That the capitalist press, which is al
ways so quick to report trade union outrages'
and mob rule, did not consider this Capitalist
outage and institution of 'snob rule as news,
and
"(6) That the Socialist press alone had
watchful eye on the capitalist politicians in
Washington, and raised warning cry when
the liberty of the great mass of the people, the
working Glass; was threatened.
"The bill was introduced in the house of rep
resentatives on June 80, 1902, by Representative
Dick, of. Ohio, former general in the Union
army, who acted for the majority of the militia
committee. This is the same man who acts as
Hanna's campaign manager, and who was
charged by the Ohio senate with having cor
rupted the Ohio Legislature in the interest of
Hanna Immediately after the bill had been
read by the clerk, representative Stark, of Ne
hraska, acting for the minority of the commit
tee, asked that second be ordered. Repre-
sentative Dick followed this up with equest
that second be considered as ordered, and tn,
speaker of the house, quickly responding, de-
clared that second had been ordered by unan-
nons consent, and that the two speakers of
the committee had each twenty minutes to in.
troduce the bill. The purpose Of these tactics
will be understood when it is known that the
bill contained section which was not german
to the militia organization, and that by order
ing a second, the discussion of the bill was
limited to few minutes, giving the opposition
no tire to study and amend the bill. This
x,s 50 much more outrageous, as the great ma
i of the representatives knew nothing of
ntents of the bill, although it was claim
:. ha, the bill had been Unanimously report
ed by the committee on March 20, 1902.