Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS
Newspaper Page Text
WHAT MAT HAPPE3T. (Continued from page t) scores of hero-worshipped names to con jure with. Democracy haa none to compete with McKinley,Roed or Lincoln. A national campaign is largely a matter of shouting, hurrah and manufactured enthusiasm over the personnel of the presidential candidate. Inthia line re publicanism ia opulent, and democracy is poverty stricken. True, there are conspicuous and admired leaders in the democratic party, but the sectional line and the Tammany tiger cnt into the unanimity of sentiment necessary to harmonize hurrahing. It follows, then, as the night the day, that the republican party will be the machine which the gold bugs will aid in the next presi dential campaign. It will be the chosen instrumentality of capitalism and mon opoly for the next presidential term. It is, however, by no means written in the book of fate or told by the stars that either of the old parties will win in 1896. The people may take a hand in the game and checkmate goldbuggery and bring its manipulations to naught The democratic party is doomed. The republican party haa all the vantage ground above pointed out, but it is also happily true that its one issue, "protec tion," is daily and hourly getting fuller of holes through whioh the people see ita f rands, its shams, and its hypocracy. It is not at all impossible that before the vote of 1896 is taken, education and events will have combined to rouse the people to assert their power and demand the restoration of their rights and of the conditions of prosperity. Let it not be lost sight of that the present administration is far from be ing the chief enemy to be fought. We should keep it before the people that even though the panic and the heart rending distress of the country occurred during the democratic administration, yet it was all brought about by in strumentalities which were the work of ita republican predecessors, and that not one line or letter of republican made I laws were repealed before the worst had come. The dangerous system which made the hard timea possible waa the creature of republican legislation, and was and i3 sustained and upheld by democrats and republicans alike. Another matter it ia wise to con stantly bear in mind. 7 hat is the fact that the rank and file of voters in the two old parties are not in the least re sponsible for the national policy or the national legislation of the parties whose names they own and cherish. The rank and file were not consulted as to party issues, or informed beforehand as to congressional legislation, hence they should not be arraigned as guilty of the impoverishment of the maesea and the enrichment of the classes. Bearing this constantly in mind will lessen the asper ity of discussion between neighbor and neighbor, and greatly accelerate the ed ucation upon which we must rely for success. National, not local or state legislation, has wrought the downfall of prosperity, and national legislation can alone restore it, hence no looal heat or recrimination should be indulged in. Fredrick Douglas delivered a power ful and eloquent address to an immense and enthusiastic audience in this city last week, in which he said: "When the moral sense of a nation begins to decline and the wheels of progress to roll back ward, there is no telling how low the one may fall or where the other will stop. This downward tendency haa al ready swept away the important safe guards. It has invaded the supreme mnrt Tt haa HentmvAfl th nivi rtahta biU and converted the republican party ' into s party of money rather than a party of morals; a party of the past rather than ft party of progress; a party of materia) interests rather than a party of humanity and justice." This ntter loss of confidence in re publicanism which Fredrick Douglas voices is shared by increasing thousands of the best men in that once grand old party. It is gloriously hopeful for the new party of the people that so great a leader as Mr. Douglas should at length open his eyes to the utter uselessnesa of looking to the republican party for any service to the people. Should there be among the Populist readers of this letter any who are tern porarily disheartened by the disturb ance and mischief making which is at work inside the party in Kansas, let them turn from the close view and be cheered by the swift grand march of our reform ideas throughout the coun try. And let them further take heart considering the splendid representation which we have in congress. Four men, strong, great and true in the senate Ptffir, Kyle, Allen and Stewart. Eleven men alert and competent and constantly on guard in the house. These fifteen representatives of the people from their while go many people are out of employ ment and so many others are deprived of their usual incomes. Persona skilled in political economy will argue that the more society entertains the batter it will be for all classes, on the principle that money will thereby be put in circula tion. Thia probably ia the correct way to view the matter, but, on the other hand, there ia a strong tendency at the present time to regard the lich man with disfavor. "There are some so ignorant and en vious as to consider every manifestation of wealth a personal affront to them selves. It waa thia spirit whioh in' duoed a crazy man not long ago to hurl a rock through Dslmonioo's window be cause some well-dres3od gentlemen were seated there, and it waa thia spirit whioh impelled another crazy man to throw a bomb at some neat-appearing persons in a theatre in Spain. Such un fortunate persona are the most malig nant enemies of society, and it is gener ally thought that they are very few in number. The truth of the matter is, however, that they are vary numerous, and at thia present moment are apt to assert themselves. "If we were all philosophera we would ' Dr. Gbovsr The patient ia getting on finely and seems to have absorbed about afford to lose, but 1 thins: I'll just prescribe a as much blood as the subject can little of Dr. Carlisle's fifty million bond issue tonic. vantage ground in congress wield en ormous influence. Their speeches are read throughout the nation and carry the weight of conviction. Add to this the marvelous growth of reform liter ature and the solid work of the reform newspapers and we have abundant ground for high hope and cheerful as surance that the triumph of justice is not far off. Annie L Diggs. IT'S SAD INDEED That Hew York "Sassiety'' Folks Must Curtail Living Expenses to $30,000 a Person. Ward McAllister, the leader of upper crust society in New York, has lately been "earning" his living by writing society news for the papers. It is sup posed that he gets more pay for this work from his associates than he does from the papers. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that he reflects the sentiments of "the four hundred" when he writes, whether he writes sense or nonsense. In the New York World of January 11, he says: "Society is now earnestly discussing the question whether it would be wise to entertain on ft large scale tb:s winter adopt the other side of the question and do all in our power to cheer up the rich man and encourage him to spend his money. The fact is that a large num ber of people who work to furnish lux uries for the rioh are now the greatest sufferers. If every man should give up smoking, a vast number would be thrown out of employment, and there would be great distress. The sams thing happens when rich people do as they are now doing discharging their man-servants, renting their stables, giving no orders to their florists, their tailors, their jewelers, their wine merchants, giving no enter tainments, employing no musicians and no caterers. A considerable number ia thus added to the army of the unem ployed. "When France passed through just such a financial distress as we are now experiencing. Napoleon ordered his min isters to open their houses and entertain lavishly. He reprimanded one of his ministers for coming to the Tulleries in a fiacre, ordering him at once to pur chase an equipage suitable to his posi tion. In fact, many think that it ia now the duty of every one to spend to the ex tent of his ability for the purpose of tar nisHng employment to the people. "Few people realize what a treman dous shrink -ge there haa been in the fortunes of wealthy men during the past year. It ia estimated that there are at present $1,600,000,000 of capital lying idle and paying no interest A friend of mine who had an income of $50,000 a year is now actually pinohsd by tha hard tims, his bonds and stocks paying him nothing on his investment. ' "But the rich man, aside from beic obliged to lay out enormous sums in or der to live, is haunted by the constant fear of losing all his gains. In addition to thia he ia looked upon to provide charity, and to aot as a target for crazy bomb-throwers. "A gentleman who is unusually well advised in financial matters told me re cently that a reaction waa coming surely. Everything, however, will be on a lower scale. Prices will fall. The necessities and luxuries of life and labor will be much cheaper than before. Many oper ators in the large faotories have already agreed to receive a lower rate of wages. They have been compelled to do thia in order to live. "On the other hand, they will be obliged to pay less for food. The result will probably be very satisfactory, as we shall be upon a healthier and lees ex pensive basia than ever before. Rich men will also be obliged to curtail their expenses. Men who used to spend $50,- 000 or $00,000 a year will have to corns down to $30,000." Kansas Railroad Assessments. Oar attention having again been called to thia subject by statements made in the daily press of the east in connection with the effort of the Santa Fe to effect a compromise of ths taxes with the several counties on the basis of their assessment of 1892 or in case of failure to do so to appeal to the courts, and the further statement that the Rock Island assessment for 1893 waa $187,000 less than their assessment for 1892. For the benefit of our readers and the public we have made a thorough ex amination of the records and offioial re ports and find that there is no truth whatever in the last statement, but on the contrary the Rook Island company was raised next to that of the Santa Fe, The assessments of the four main sys tems of railroads in the state of Kansas as taken from the assessor's report show the following state of facts: A., T. & S. F. aise33mit, 1893, on 2.591 91 miles of main track was $20 885,193 60 or $7,805.98 per mile. Tha assessment on the same mileage, whioh waa lowered almost $2,500,000 in 1892, was $16,137,097.93, or 20 3 per cent, less than in 1893. The U. P. which ha) 1,161.02 miles of main track in Kansas was assessed for the year 1893 $8,382,635 71, or $7,220 per mil, and in 1892 $7,113,702 83, or $6,118 per mile, which is 17.8 par cent, above their assessment of 1892. The M. P. which has 2,222 milea of main track in Kansas waa assessed for the year 1893 $12,380,791.62, or a valua tion of $5,572 85 per mile, and in 1892 on same mileage $10,961,007.92, or $1,923.01 per mile, whioh ia less by 129 per cent. l it..:. a lorvi The C. & R. I. which has 1,051.31 milea of main track in Karat was as sessed for the year 1893 $7,207 732 62, or an average valuation of $9,855.76 per mile, and in 1892 nn same mileage $6,011,09550, or $5.739 32, which shows an increase of lf.3 per cent, over their assessment for 1892. Toe report shows that with but two exceptions all the roads were assesd higher thia year than any previous year, the average rate of raise being about 15 per cent., or something ovr $10,000,000 above the assnnta of 1802.