The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-10-21
SOCKLESS SOCRATE.
Jerry Simpson Speaks to a Large
and Enthusiastic Crowd at
ArmOurdale.
RACY ACCOUNT OF HIS SPEECH
His Funny Illustration Of Fiat Value Ia
MODcy..He Scores Point on the
Pearl Button Industry.

1erenC VaSaTIeS Vi curry OiihPSO"'
Exaggerated accounts of his vulgarity
are spread abroad, and stories of his
ignorance and general disqualification
for the high Office he holds are very
common. The Investigator therefor
who went to Armourdale Friday night
in hopes of hearing this wild "hood-
lum" of the prairies and being prop
erly shocked by his idiosyncrasies,
doubtless met with. a keen disapoint-
ment.
McLean's hall, where Jerry spoke,
is at the top of block of business
houses, and reached by narrow wind
ms staircase which is " practical death
trap and which the authorities of
Armourdale ought to look into and at
least straighten. Friday night it was
packed from top to bottom. The
crowd spread out ON the pavement be-
low and fingered there as if in hopes
of catching, even from that distance,
some droppings Of the truth being dis
seminated above. The hall, mean
while, was packed to sufocation with
crowd Of sober, earnest looking men
mostly the wage workers of the dis
trict, and u few women, who are al
ways present more or less at the peo-
pies party meetings. The windows
were generally closed, the crowd stood
packed IN like sardnes, and the at
mosphere was thick enough to be cut
in slices and passed around for refresh
ment, and yet the crowd never stirred
and apparently remained quite uncon-
scious of discomfort for two solid hours
while Jerry pointed to them the way
to better times and juster fortunes.
What was the sorcery by which
Jerry held the crowdp Jerry Simpson
is rather slight and pale faced man,
with broad forehead and a worn face
when bears traces OF hard times, but
also of earnest thinking His unusu-
ally bright eyes are perhaps the most
striking feature of face which would
be recognized anywhere as the coun-
tenance of a man deeply in earnest,
and accustomed to follow fearlessly
the dictates of his own conscience.
The face CT q "crank," if you will, but
one of those divine cranks who move
the world,
Jerry speaks the language of the
people, frequently lapses:into indiffer-
ent grammer and pronounces many
words like a man who has ready many
books alone, without companionship,
and quite indifferent to the pronuncia-
ton of the language he reads. but
never hears spoken.
Rabelais doubtless pronounced the
French of the sixteenth century in
very much the same way and took
pride in it. But Jerry's language is
pointed, witty, containing no redund-
ant phrases, and hits the mark every
time, as can be easily seen by the
sympathetic grunts, cheers and shouts
of laughter of his audience. His adj
dress was one of those characteristic
peoples party speeches, in Jerry Simp-
sons pecuia" style, which are doing
so much to educate the people on the
special subjects which demand the at
teDtion of the American citizen at the
present time. They have been
asleep for the last twenty years and
many acts of legislation have been
passed which would have never been
formulated If the populace had been
awake to its own interests. Jerry
Simpson and his confreres are simply
awakening it from its slumbers and
naturally win the hearty curses OF
people who would rather sleep longer.
The address which Jerry gave his
audience last night contained n great
deal of solid economic truth, no old
stories, and no political lies. 1t was
grouped about the three fundamental
points which the populists make the
head and front of their doctrine
though Jerry did not say much about
the land question, and did drop some
very interesting remarks about the
tariff. His discussion of the money
question was very clear and simple
statement of the truth in the honest
dollar controversy, evidently intended
for the instruction of his hearers, and
their fertilization against the insidiou!
attack of the ''gold bugs" and hii
illustration of "fiat money" was very
much to the point. After explaining
tnat fat is simply the stamp of the
government which makes anything
money. he held up silver half dollar
and went on: "Now the law says Il
1 put a hole through this half dollar i
is only worth 35 cents. can put the
hole through so that not an atom o.
metal is lost, but it is worth 35 cent
just the same. l put another holt
through and it is worth only 20 cents
l 60 on punching holes Though, until
though hold the half dollar in m,
hand aud not an atom of it is lost,
owe the government 10 cents. Nov
what on earth have been putting
holes through" exclaimed Jerry, a
If worn ont with useless controversy