The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-07-07
STORY ABOUT JIM LANE.
Two Lies That No One Believed, bus which
Answered His Purpose.

STORY ABOUT jim LANE.
Two Lies That No One Believed, bus which
Answered His Purpose.
1t was the LIST Of March. 1861, and a
special election was pending to fill a
vacancy in the Kansas House, in the
Eighth district, in Douglas County
The candidates were Waiter B. Davis
and L. L. Jones, the former Lane and
the latter anti-Lane in politics The
contest was heated about seven times
hotter than usual, even for those days.
The leader of the opposition in Clinton
was ALT Curtis lawyer of some note,
IAN ambitious politician who had been
in the Territorial Legislature two years
before. He was somehow ''lost in the
shuttle" and died too soon. He was an
active fellow and made no end of
trouble for the followers of Lane
around Clinton. The grim chieftain"
appointed meeting and gave it out
that there was going to be trouble.
That was enough; the whole country
was on hand.
Lane was behind time. as usual, but
not a man moved or became impatient
When he had at last arrived they made
way for him as though ne had been .
king. He strobe to the platform, and,
handing his hat to one Of those nearest
him and his cloak to another, without
introduction or preliminary remarks
began his speech. His words were in
cisive, his sentences epigrammatic.
and his manner vio'ent from the
start. He reviewed the Kan
sas struggle in fewer words
and with greater force than would have
been possible for any other man of his
his vocabulary of invectives and hurled
anathemas right and left Men lodged
as II from missiles, and qnaked under
his denuhciation like children in a
thunderstorm. He threw aside his
coat, then his vest, and finally tore his
collar from his neck and exposed his
hairy. bulldog breast. His long hair
tossed from side t. side his bony arms
assailed imaginary foes in every direc-
ton, his eyes glistened like madinan's,
and tobacco saliva dripped from the
corners Of his cruel mouth.
He claimed every thing. lie was the
savior OF Kansas. His friends were the
disciples of a savior and their opponents
were public enemies and outlaws. He
set up men OF straw and knocked them
down promiscuously. lie attributed to
his opponents the most preposterous
sentiments. and imputed sayings that
would have shamed thief. Any other
man would have been mobbed or boot
ed cut of the country. And yet he was
received as one inspired and his sayings
as gospel. 1t would have been a roar
ing farce if it had not been a raging
tragedy.
Finally Curtis called him liar
Lane glanced at him but finally went
on. Presently. as if thought had
struck him. he sprang to his coat and
snatched piece of paper from his
pocket. Then opening it before the
audience he said: Here is the evidence
of what say. Here is letter written
by ALI Curtis to this man Jones. in
which he tells him to never mind the
settlers in the Rock Creek valley, be-
cause they are only damned cornbread
eaters. Iquote his exact language"
You're a liar" shouted Curtis.
Suddenly lowering his voice from his
customary Shrek to a conversational
tone, Lane said: MY friends, Jim
Lane is no saint. But back on the old
Indiana homestead he learned some
cardinal truths and imbibed some prin-
ciples from his old motherhood bless
her. In those old days of primitive
honesty, when we were glad to get
cornbread to cat, he was taught to re-
spect woman's virtue, and a though he
may have been derelict in other direc-
tions, and it is his constant lament that
he is not a better man, Jim Lane never
took advantage OF woman. Jim Lane
libertine! Great Goi.'
This exclamation he fairly shrieked.
Then he continued in quieter tone:
Jim Lane never took advantage of his
position with a little brief authority as
a member Of the Kansas Legislature al
Topeka to beguile fair girl, the idol
Of her parents, from the path Of virtue
and basely betray her. and then laugh
at her calamity until in her desperation
she threw herself in the path of q
prairie fire and was consumed. And
vet Great God. Alf Curtis did that
gerry thing"
The meeting was instantly adjourned
by a wave of Lanes. hand, and in the
throng and darkness and wild tumult Of
applause, Curtis was powerless to utter
a word in denial And yet not a man
believed either lie. They admired tho
tact of a man whose fertile brain could
evolve such subterfuges as the corn
bread story and the seduction SANDER.
Lane boosted of it outside to his bench
men before he left the crowd
Davis was elected.
Jones was killed at Wilson's creek
Kansas City Star.
Ancient Breathing Exercises.
Prof. Max Muller has recently pub
ffchAd a. 1,