Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-09-19
JUDGE PETERS SPEECH.

JUDGE PETERS SPEECH.
Judge Sam'l X. Peters, representative in
congress from this district, arrived here
Tuesday, and that evening, delivered
characteristic republican speech to II fair
sized audience, made:up Of democrats and
republicans. II was not brilliant effort.
and to tell the truth was not such a speech
as WIS to have been expected Of Judge Pc.
terra.
He prefaced his political remarks BY Civ.
ing his personal experience as n member
Of congress, relating how many letters he
received-an average Of thirty day-how
much trouble II was to attend to the de.
mands Of his constituents; with what Ia
Dor he managed to penetrate the myster-
iOus recesses of the departments what OBJ
stacles he had TO contend with In running
down" rascally pension agents, and by
what efforts he managed to obtain recogni-
on the floor of the house. We must con-
fess that feeling Of pity came DER us
when the judge Was reciting his grievances
but this wis in a manner dspellcd when
the thought occurred that il the duties Of a
congressman were so onerous, so body
rscking and misunderstanding. that Judge
Peters should not endanger his health and
comfort by again posing as candidate for
reelection. We would not have an Office
where all is work, and none is play, for
therein would lie chance to make Jack a
dull boy. Judge Peters closed this part OF
his talk By advising his constituents TO
'c'It II Short when addressing him. He
did not say for them to "hire a hall" but
the Inference was that he would BE- glad il
some OF them would.
He reviewed the history of the demo.
cratic party in flippant, half joking man
ner, dispOsing of tile grand statesmen Of
that purity in llasty and undignificd man.
ner. a much rs to say that from Jefferson
to Cleveland the party has had no worthy
men rs candidates or leaders. and certainly
none as much entitled to honor as the dis
tinguishcd member from the 9TH Kansas
congressional district.
His review Of the tariff question was
one-sidcd, decidedly 30; and there was
nothing new or interesting in this part Of
his talk. lie showed, to his own salisfac-
ton, that tire efi'ct Of free trade would be
to close the manufactures Of the east and
throw the operatives out west to engage in
Ike work OF producing for themselves /:
and TINT this would be the means Of cut
ting of all demands for the farmer. and
stockman's products, and therefore the
farmer and stockman should favor n high
protective tariff. He forgot, however, to
tell these same farmers and stockmen that
the prices they are required to pay for all
the neeessaries Of life void be decreased
from - to 20 per cent. IL FREE trade were
once established.
lie tried to make the impression that
without the revenue derived from import
duties that it would bycome necessary TO
lay dirct tax on the people OF about five
per cent. la order to meet the demands b.
ing made on the national treasury. Such
an assertion Is preposterOus; but should Il
DC fact. the people, the consumers, could
still afford TO pay the direct tax, for they
would be benefited four times the amount
by reduction in the price Of the articles
they must now buy from the rich mann.
factnrers Of the east. A high protective
tariff Is not the popular doctrine among
western consumers, and the republican
party cannot make 1t so.
Judge Peters, In answer TO a question.
announced II rs his belief that the Indian
Territory would not be openi for settle
nient for ten years; and he was almost
certain the present congress would do
nothing toward opening 1t. individually,
he was In favor Of tearing down the wall
on the southern boundary Of Kansas, and
would retoice when that vast and magnifi-
cent country south Of us Is penetrated by
railroads Until Il Is as seiye. For one he
was In favor OF building railroads into
that country even II the ties have to be
laid across the graves of every rlscally
red-skin now living tierel At the same
time Ice would not advise any one 10 at
tempt to settle in the Oklahoma country
until the government has given its per.
mission.
He also gave Il as his opinion that the
homestead and timber culture law will not
be repealed at present, though the bill for
Its repeal has already passed the lower
house and will come up before the senate,
possibly, at the called session. Even II the
bill should beccme law, it would not be
retrospective in its sction. and parties who
have settled on land prior to its passage
will not likely be troubled.
The judge did not see fit to say one
word for the republican state ticket, did
not mention Col. Martins name: ne did
not touch upon prohibition. and In fact no
local Issue.