Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-09-28
Truths That Burn.


the west. Hon. John Madden, who had
always worked for the republican party.
declines the nomination as presidential
elector. His letter is SO pointed and
valuable as to merit the attention of the
voters Of Kansas. 1t is as follows:
Cottonwood FALLS, KANSAS,
August 22nd, 1892.
Hon. M. Simpson, Chairman Republ-
can State Central Committee, Topeka,
Kansas:
My Dear Sir-Your letter of the 9th inst.
requesting my services in the state cam
paign in behalf of the republican party,
duly received. will state the reasons
why cannot accept your invitation. and
hope the same may be received by you as
sufficient; they are not intended to be
personal, and hope you Will receive
them in the same kind spirit in which
they are penned. They are reasons why
oppose q system which in my judg-
ment is not truly American.
l have never been what might be
termed g partisan, for the reason l
could never see anything sacred in po-
litical doctrines when they did not i'm
press the consciences of men as being
right.
have always been opposed to the
protection of one class of men at the
expense of the great wealth producing
masses, and never supposed any party
would be short sighted enough to at
tempt thing of that kind. find L
have been mistaken, like thousands
of other men who have been voting
with the republican party. and we see
our brethren of the producing and la
boring classes surrounded by condi-
lions which are absolutely appalling,
and the great question now is to save
them before il is too late.
am an American by birth. training,
and education, and as such l am unal-
terably opposed to any movement of
men that tends to set aside the sim
! pie faith and loyalty of the fathers and
create conditions unnatural and I'M
American. whereby capital becomes
heartless oligarchy, and labor drops
down to the level of a homeless and
hopeless peonage.
Partisan prejudice can not close the
hoodgates through which rush the
clear and living waters of truth; neither
can it's blind dogmas draw unto them
selves respect, veneration or reverence,
when hungry thousands clamor for
bread, and labor's voice is heard at
every gathering demanding protection,
and it is answered by Pinkerton bullets.
The motto, "Stand Up for Kansas
on your letter head, in view of the con-
dition to which the toiling masses have
been reduced; in view of the fact that
your political system has contracted
the peoples money, so that Obliga-
tions can not be paid; IN view of the
fact that the homes are being sold un-
der mortgage and passing into the
hands of syndicates; in view Of the
foot that the people have been robbed
by railroad corporations and transpor
tatiOn lines; in view of the fact that
trusts and combines control the PEG
pies market and get what is left; il
view of the fact that you passed al
inlouitous law extending municipal
aid to railroads, and now a great nun
Der of the counties of Kansas ar,
resting in the sleep of death unde
bonds voted by hired voters of thu
companies through the OPERATOR: o
such a law; in view of the fact tina
such system of municipal aid ha
been maintained, even when its repea
was urged by your patriotic govern
or, John A. Martin; in view of tn
fact that our immense wheat crop O
this year is being already absorbed b
: the railroads and wheat combines j
view of the fact that the most indus
. trIous can scarcely maintain them
: selves and families, the motto, Stan
Up for Kansas, )" Is unnatural, inhuma
and ghoulIsh, and sounds like the ho
low mockery of winds blowing ov,
\ graves.
! You say you want speakers, ''capab
q of expoundine party doctrine, and g
3 pecially the magnificent service whiC
. the present administration has rel
: dered the farmers and laboring men
= the country"
q NOT FOR HARRISON NOW.
It AS you know, four years ago, as OF
II of the presidential electors of Kansa
> 1 cast my vote direct for Benjami
t Harrison. 1 hoped then a change
J. administration would benefit the coul
IS try and tighten some of the burden
= resting upon the people. In the car
J. paign of that year advised the bar
% footed men whom l met at polite
g meetings in western Kansas, to vo
l. for republican supremacy. 1 shs
never forget the pathos of some of tho
IS gatherings, when l stood in the pre-
s ence of toil-brown men and WON,
~ whose faces indicated that they nee
t. ed bread.
I'd With these things in mind, al
deeply impressed as I am with t
D. frighful condition of the people, a
i'd in no mood to expound the "magni
I'd cent services which you say this a
ut ministration has rendered the poop
a. If the services have been as you clai
W the people need not be told OF thel
a. as results speak for themselves. T
IF fact is, the administration has rendt
he ed magnificent service" not to t
farmers and laborerS, but to the Co
negies, with their PInkertOns; t
rs McLeods, with their coal trusts; t
he Armours, with their beef combine
Up and the Goulds, with their railro
p systems, and in fact, all of the ma
re agencies formed for the purpose
to controlling the output of the MINE
ed the shops. the fields. and the farms.
n h 5a,or+od fr,