Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-03-19

my vote against the appropriation for
the Worlds Columbian Exposition.
which I trust you Will be kind enough
to publish in your next weeks paper.
This protest was spread upon the jour
nal of the house:
MY REASONS.
ssWhen the doors of the treasury are
once opened to ill the requirements of
this bill, it is but reasonable to suppose
that it will not end with the ex-
penditure of S100,0 900 or S15O,O00.
Now, let us look the matter squarely
in the face, and ask ourselves
the question:: Is it wise, is it
just OF prudent to cast our votes for
such large appropriation, knowing as
we do the condition of the people off
whom it would come? The reputation
of our state has suffered by the false
and malicious Misrepresentation of
partisan press and the representatives
of mOneyed rings Banks and loan
agents have written to eastern loan
companies the most willful misrepre-
sentations; they published far and wide
threatening letters, purporting to have
come from them, that they would close
their present loans and withdraw their
capital from our state-tO intimidate
and coerce our people, whose only crime
was that they dared to assert their con-
stitutional rights, and hurl from power
d party that had been false to its
pledges. Let us look at the facts as
they stand before US. We need not
consume time to go back to past his
tory to find them. We need only to
refer to the daily journals OF this pres
ent legislature. There you will see
the undisputable evidence that the
representatives of the republican party
ON this floor have recorded their votes
against every general measure intend
ed by the majority for the relief of the
people.
Now, at the close of this session,
after a republican senate has pigeon
holed all Of our important bills, they
come to US beseaching lis to vote away
from our already burdened taxpayers
this vast sum Of money, to contradict
and give the lie to what they have
already published to the world against
our people. [ would say to the other
branch of this legislature, if you are
SO willing to impose this burden upon
the people it is but simple Justice that
you should dc something for them in
return; pass the bill relating to the
foreclosure of MOI tgages; the bill pre-
venting the taking of usury; the bill re-
dncing the passenger and freight rates
on our railroads; the bill making silver
a legal tender for all debts in this state.
Do that and we will JOIN hands with
you in any enterprise to uphold the
honor and increase the prosperity of
our state.
''Who is it that are here lobbying in
the interests of this bill? Is it the
tillers of our soul? No; they are the
place-hunters, the land and loan
agents, already loaded down by past
bOOms. and now seek to inaugurate
another, to unload their deprecated Sc
curities. We, who represent the ma
jority ON this floor, come from among
that class of people that pay more than
their just proportion of the expenses of
our state government; they pay tax on
all they have; their property is all WIS.,
ible, and cannot be concealed from the
scrutiny of the assessors. They are cot
the holders of bank stocks, railroads
stocks, or other bonds locked up in
safes, whose locks and bolts will not
yield, even to the solemn obligations of
an oath. We come from people that
have to battle with drOuthS and hot
winds; adverse seasons have driven
to the last emergency, to borrow money
at ruinOus rates Of interest. which has
eaten up their substance, and left them
hopelessly in debt. We came here
pledged to retrenchment and reform.
Let us stand by our pledges to the end.
| therefore vote No OH this Sill.''
NJ. W. CoBUN.