Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1905-05-19
WILL NOT SLUMP.

The Twice-a Week Capital of recent date
asks the question, "Wlll the People Slump?"
Our answer is that the people never slump.
1t is the politician who slumps. Half of the
political life of the politician is passed in
slumping and seeking personal preferment or
Doodle.
The Capital assumes that the popular upris.
ing in Kansas, and elsewhere, is a kind of
wind that, after time, will blow out, and
things will drop back to where they were
The Capital assumes that the present wave
of indignation is so transient that, after while,
the people will permit the corporations to rule
and rob to their hearts content. Does the
Capital take the people for mere clods, yokels
and serfs? Does lne Capital or any one else,
imagine that it is possible for the people to
ever let up in their war on corporations until
every corporation has taken its proper and le-
gitimate place in society and government?
1t so, there will be some surprises. No revo-
went back and died out The rose that has
started to bloom does so. In time, it develops.
The people can't slump. Nothing is to be
gained, for the people, in slump, but much is
to be lost. The people may fight and lose, and
be no worse off. They may fight and win, and
be immense gamers. 1t is only a question of
time when, under present greed of corpora.
tious, the people will lose everything but
mere existence. AS we'll be exhausted in
battle in which honor and courage and man
hood are vndicated as to lie down and be run
over and have nothing-not even character.
The people will not slump. They may be
deceived-may be led into endorsing compro-
mises-may even be fools enough to let the
politicians and corporations fleece them for
longer time, but some of the people will neither
be deceived or 60 back.
Present.day sentiment was held by Populists
years and years ago. The seed sown is bear
ing fruit. The whole nation is becoming
Populistic in some things. Sooner or later,
the nation will become Populistic in all things.
1t is only three-quarters OF a century since
there were few Abolitionists. Now, not one
man in ten thousand believes in chattel slavery.
The people are not only moving, but moving
rapidly. People think. Many people are ed
ucated. People read, and have ceased to wor-
ship men. crown is not half as sacred as
cradle, and title to nobility cuts about as
much of figure as professorship in dance
hall. Blind leadership of men is losing its
grip. People cont have to depend on the pol
itician for their politics, nor on preachers for
their religion. Reason ha. more rule, and
statecraft and priestcraft less rule. Friendly
leadership is coming. 1t is here. We will
match brains to brains, schemes to schemes,
countermine to mine; strike blow for blow.
AS long as we have Roosevelt, Folk, La Fol-
lette, Deneen, and even our own Hoch, there
will be no slumping.
The mere Doodle politician will slump--sure
to if there is any money in it, Newspapers
may slump, and some of them probably will.
Preachers may slump away from the gospel.
Professors in universities and presidents of col
leges may slump, but the great plain, intelli-
gent, common people of America will not
slump or show the white feather till the rela-
tions between the capitalist and the working
people are so adjusted that the laborer shall be
rewarded according to his deeds.