The advocate. [volume], August 06, 1890, Page 6, Image 6

About The advocate. [volume] (Meriden, Kan.) 1889-1892

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
0
oru roSITIO.V'OKFINEO.
, There appears to to no litt!) imxio
iy jusoino quarters that The Advo-
Ci'i'K fhall declare its position upon
certain questions, definitely and fully.
Having been solicited to do thin per
sonally and by hiter; and having no
objection to making such declarations
i:A will define our jmiition positively
mid unmistakably, wo nhall comply
r..i fjtlly ae pessiblo at this time).
Having bem identified vith tho re
publican party in its , uarly struggles
for political supremacy, always hav
ing believed that , tho great conflict
bet worn tho north nnd the south was
conducted to a successful termination
laredy through' tho' patriotism of
that party,' partaking in a largo
measure of the prejudices common to
tho pcetploas a .result of ,tho great
struggle; tho influences that have)
deprewod tho industries of tho coun
try having been so applied as to sev
curo thin depression by so gradual a
process that its succosaivo steps wero
alinont imperceptible ut the time, liko
many others wo drifted with tho cur
rent for many years, fully realizing
that something was wrong, out una
blo to clearly discern tho truo cause
of our troub)e. Party prejudice ten
ded to prevent such investigation as
was necessary to arrivo at correct
ccncluniona Dissatisfied with list
ing conditions, forced by tho logic of
ovents to tho conclusion that thoso
conditions' wero constantly growing
worse, wo wore nt length arousod to
such inemiry itSjWo bediovo has led to
an understanding of tho causes that
uadorlio our presont situation. It ro
quired no trilling struggle! to aban
don tho jolitical associations of a
lifetime. Conscious, howovor, that
vicious legislation is ontiroly reispon
i.iblo for tho eleplorablo condition of
our industries and tho rapidly in
creamng poverty of our people1, know
ing that the oxihting parties havo in
flicted that legislation upon the coun
try in tho darkest, days of its oxis
tonce nud when tho attention of tho
pec-plo was diverted by the exciting
and all-absorbing iwont3 of the war,
1 and the perils thut succeeded it, and
'being an eyo witness to thti indisposi
tionof tho parties to remedy tho ovils
for which they aro responsible, wo havo
boW forced' to abandon ' ouV ' former
.political affiliations m (ho pnJy con
fiistent courso wo could intelligently
pursuo. , . m . . . , . ,
Looting backward and reviewing
Upgrowth and progress and prac
tices of parMos, wo cannot fail to dis
cover wherein the people) themselves
&ro responsible for the evils with
which they aro afilictoel , Political
corruption has, boon rogardexl witli
indifference and its results accepted
, without protect i Party fealty is re
sponsible for it all: ; It has been cus
tcmry and is to-day to sustain tho
straight party ticket, regarelless' of
tho character of the nominees, tho
principles by which their lives are
govemodor tho methods employed
"to promoto their preferment In
this way tho most corrupt, tho moot
iii;'crapdOus, many of whom have
f.chi.ev?d financial ' success by tho
racist questionable means, aro enabled,
bythenrill gotten gains to achievo
IxrtUiail suee us through manipula
tion of primaries and eonventien;?;
and their unscrupulous methods have
been ratified by tho people at the
polio. Such mm promobd to ro
sjxwLnblo jwuitions by such methods,
may bo exacted to betray tho intor
ejfiti of their constituents whenever
they And it profitable to elo S3.
Another practice that is largely re
sjtonsiblo for tho twlitical evils of the
past, and which merits severest con
demnation, is tho incorjwration m
party platforms of a multitudo of
questions with no oarthly purposo
but to catch vote's. Thoso ia many
iustiincos are clothed in ambiguous
language), susceptible) of elifforemt
interpretations to mwt tho nocoHsi-
ties of different localities. ' So com
mon has this practico becomo that all
havo realized for many years that
party platforms were no indication of
party pejlicios. They aro a mero
play upon words for political effect.
Wo aro all conscious that these things
are true). We have) known them for
lo, thewe) many years.
Now wo aro at tho very beginning
of a new political movement. We
havo taken no steps that as yet com
mit us to tho follies of our political
predecessors. Wo should profit by
their mistakes and avoid tho causos
that have led them into corruption and
that now threaten their overthrow.
Such aro our viowa of the post and
tho present. Our jKition with
referenco to tho futuro may bo stated
as follows: , ,
Our platform should be brief,
pointed and susceptiblo of but ono
interpretation. It should contain no
proiweition that wo havo not fully
determined shall be enactod into law.
Wo should inako but few domauds at
this timo, nnd tlwy should embrace
thoso questions concerning which
there is greatest present need of
legislation ejuestions involving pos
sibilities of mest speedy redief to the
industries of our country, and surest
promise of tho salvation of our homes
from tho greed and avarico of grasp
ing capitalists and corporations. It
is not every question that is pressing
upon the attention of tho people that
should be) incorporatoel into our first
platform. Wo are now standing in
tho shaelow of a great peril. Every
passing day witnesses tho taming of
many families away from tho eloors
of tho homes for which they havo
struggled and toilod during tho bost
years of their lives. Labor is idlo
and tramps aro multiplying. Starva
tion and want lead to tlegradation
and crime. The ono paramount
quwtien which overshadows all
others and sinks thorn into insignifi
cance by comparison at this time, is
tho question of homes for our people.
Shall wobocomo a nation of serfs
and tramps, or shall our liberties and
our lireaieles bo protected from fur
ther invasion? Iieforo this question
all othors must down. No matter
what their importance may be, they
can afford to wait Tho question
now is, not what evils threaten to
afflict our homes, but shall wo have
any homes that may bo subject to
affliction! Thoso ejuestieins there
fore that relate to the salvation and
protection of American homes and
jirenides are the quentions thct de
mand meft immediato consideration.
Another essential element to suc
cess of tho people's patty is unity of
thought and sentiment and partwie).
No (jueuition should bo incorporated
into our platform concerning which
our own !iie'm)ewhip differ in opinion.
Uniteel we stand; elivideel wo fall.
The only hope of the enemy is in our
division, and to effect this they aro
concentrating every effort, Shall wo
permit them to succeed? It is with
in our jK)wor either tej remain umtexl
and triumph or to become divided
and suffer dofemt Tho means are in
our own hands. What shall bo our
choice?
The seven domands of the St
Louis council woro promulgated in
December, IWX Theiro has Iwen am
ple timo for their examination by tho
people). They havo beien dintributod
east, west north and soutli, havo beon
read and ro-rend and made the sub-
joct of meditation and discussion at
eivery fireside in tho land. They
have been ratified by every sub-alliance),
Grango, Farmers' Mutual Bene
fit Association and Knights of Labor
assembly in every part of tho coun
try. Thero is practically but ono
opinion concorning them. No peliti-
cal party has ovor gono before tho
people in any contest ujon "a plat
form that has received tho previous
endorsement of tho pexplo that thn
has received. If wo decide to wtand
upon this platform and to ignore for
tho timo being ovory other issue wo
cannot bo divided Wo havo declared
our adhesion to tho platform in ael
vanca . Our enomios know thoy can
not divide us on any of thoso ques
tions, aud hence they aro moving
Heaven and earth to injeict othors in
to our canvas against our will. Lot
us seo to it that they most ignomini
ously fail.
Tho principles of tho St Louis do
mands onactesl into law vill bring re-
lief to tho crippled indusiriew of tho
country, arrest tho devastation of
homes, give employment to labor, in
suro fair prices for our prexlucts, feed
tho hungry, clotho tho naked, dimin
ish crime by removing its most
powerful incentive, and bring joy and
glaelnoss to hearts now in despair.
Let us havo the St Louis platform
and that alone. No other issue, how
over important in itself, should bo
permitted to afford a precedent for
enlargement in any othor direction.
llight hero is another danger that
must not bo overlooked or forgotten.
Wo may do indirectly what wo would
decline to elo directly. By tho nomi
nation of a candidate) who has been
so positive and outspoken in his
declarations as to associate his name
intimately with any question of pub
lic policy not included in tho St
Louis domands, wo should as effec
tually endorse that policy aa if we
made it tho subject of a positive
declaration in our platform. This is
a danger now most to bo dreaded.
Tho most strenuous efforts aro at
this timo being put forth to compass
our nun by this method. There aro
thousanels of men in the state of
Kansas thoroughly qualified to fill
any oflicej in the gift e)f the' pMplo
against whom this objection cannot
be) urged We should have such a
man at the had of the ticket.
The iiqtortanco of securing good
men for ewcry jHwition ujmki our
ticket cannot bo over estimated. per
senal ambitions should bo ignored.
It is imjortant that delegates te tho
state convention should be thinking
who the)y want for tho jwsitions ef
trust at their eliHjtosal. Let every
delegation come up to the conven
tion prepared to present tho nameis of
geod men for every oflice, but me'st
especially let us havo a man for the
head of tho ticket who is net only ef
unimpe;acliable character and unques
tionable ability, but a mau who is
also free from auy entanglements
that will make his nomination an in
dorsement of any question not in
cluded In our seven demanels. The
foregoing remarks we beliovo to
cover the subjects concerning which
inquiry has been made, and to fully
express our views in relation tluwto.
With, regard to candidates we) would
add one word. Wo have no pets,
and no names to suggest for any josi
tion. We shall bo satisfied with geod
men, from any part of tho state). Ij
calHy will cut no figure. Let tfyo
pooplo exerciso tKoir choice) and wo
phall bo satisfied, if they elo not by
their nomination ask us to commit
ourselves to a question of public
policy outside of thewe involved in
tho St. Louis platform, ami to which
wo aro unalterably opiosed.
I Am well convinced that the allUncd caiimrt,
liint loutf mid I proinme to y,:iUwr la tho Iioncy
heforc It nil ruim out. Tho farmers luive cut
down tho tree) for us and wo would lu fool not
totakotho sweets nprcad out Insfore un. Wo
can fly our papor whllo the alliance) doen List,
while It coNts im prae'tlcally nothing, and when
tho downfall Is within Hlht wo ran sell em' 'xur
scrljiUDU list to tho KanMH tvrmnr and thus
mako a socoud pile AUbuwe Ttibnnfi.
Tho alovo paragraph is going the
rounds of tho republican, press. , It
had its origin in tho fertile brain of
A. O. Stacoy anel first appeared in
tho Kansas City Journal. .Mr., A. 0.
Stacey is a liar by nature and this is
one of his champion elYorta No
such conversation and no conversa
tion upon this subject over took place
Imtwenn any representative of The
AimkjATu; and Mr. Stacey or any
other person. It is ono of tho repub
lican argumonts of . this campaign.
Of course it ought to defeat tho ( Can
didates of the) people's party anel
wreck tho allianco. Such tremenelous
intellectual efforts should ; and , un
doubteelly do receivo their roward.
Tho Topeka 'Capital of July 31
publishes tho delinquent tax lint of
Shawneo county for 1880. It occu
pies almost threo pages of that issue.
and Shawneo is ono of tho wealthiest
counties in tho state. Kansas is en
joying an era of unparalleled pros
perity; of courso it is. Tho Capital
ksayg so, and who will dispute what
tho Capital says? ,
Alliances, Granges, Knights of
Labor assemblies, Citizens' Alliances
and others desiring to secure the ser
vices of Mrs. M. E. Lease at picnics,
mass meetings anel conventions,
should address IL & 1m Vincent,
Winfield, Kansas, for dates.