The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-12-23
KANSAS IN THE SENATE.

The death of Senator Plumb is likely 10 be
regretted even more by the Democrats than
by the Republicans. The late Senator, al
though strong Republican in his political
sentiments. was nevertheless not enough of q
partisan to sustain the course of his party in
connection with the Mckinley bill when that
measure came 10 a vote in the Senate. He
saw that il was opposed to the wishes Of the
great mass of his constituents. ana without
hesitation he not only cast his vote against
its passage but used to good purpose his in
fuence with number Of his Republican col
leagues to induce them TO follow his example.
His successor in the Senate is likely to be
Republican, who will consider it to his in
terest TO stand by his party under all circum-
stances. 1t will be little short of a public
calamity if that statesman without Job,
Ingalls,, shall be appointed to fill the vacancy,
although il is not improbable that his parti-
sanship has been chastened by the recent
experience through which he has passed.
With such man as he filing one Of the
senatorships from Kansas, and PETER the
other, that State will enjoy the reputation Of
in that body.
ingalls, is noted almost exclusively for the
bitterness Of his rhetoric. lie is simply a
political scold who screeches without any re-
gard to consistency or principle. PETER. who
SO far has been principally distinguished for
the length Of his beard, which is of patriar-
cal proportions, has shown his true charac-
ter in the only bill which he has introduced
in the Senate since his entry into that body.
The bill provides for an appropriation of
100000 to take a special census based upon
four queries only. The three most important
of these queries are Are YOU in debt: Are you
paying interest on your debts; and finally. are
YOU paying anything for the use of rooms,
buildings, grounds, or anything else?
fall accounts be true it would be supereroga-
tory TO ask the first question of the farmers
of Senator PETERS own State as il is gene
over with MORTGAGES. Does the Senator wish
to console his constituents by showing that
largo proportion of the people of the United
States are in the same box with themselves?
The second question is one that will defeat
its own purpose rs few debtors will acknowl-
edge TO a census takor that they are not pay
ing interest on their debts. The most extra
ordinary question is the last, especially IN the
phrase: Are you paying anything for anything
else. an enigmatical query that seems to have
gotten tangled up in the Senator's beard.
Does Mr.. PETER wish TO show that there are
countless dead beats in the United States
that is. men who do not pay anything at all
for anything? Why should the Senator pro-
pose TO tax The people to prove this fact,
which can accomplish 10 good whatever?
Mr.. PETER exhibited his wisdom in not
further requiring it to be asked if the men
who do not pay anything for anything else"
AS to the political party which they preferred.
The principle embodied in this somewhat
mysterious sentence would seem to apply in
a measure TO tho chief benefciares under the
Mckinley law, who at the time they are de-
irving enormous profits from their protected
business are paying out practically nothing
in comparison with what they are acquiring.