Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-07-19
Patriotism Versus Treason.

for populism. Just at time last
week when order was suspended
throughout the entire country, laws
apparently powerless. violence
supreme, life in danger and property
in the very arms Of destruction,
Senator PETER, Of this State, for the
purpose Of adding fuel to the flames
sounded the trumpet Of sedition in
in the United States senate by the in.
PRODUCTION Of the "0mnibus resolu-
ton" embracing all Populistic and
socialistic doctrines and providing:
First, that all public functions
ought to be exercised through public
agents; second, that all interstate
railroads ought to be brought under
one control, and the supervision Of
public officers and charges for
train transportation Of persons and
property throughout the United
States ought to be uniform, and that
wages Of employees ought to be rcgu-
lated by law and paid promptly in
money; third, that all coal beds ought
to be owned and worked by the gov
eminent; fourth, that oil money used
by the people ought to be supplied
only by the government Of the United
States; and, fifth, that all revenues Of
the government ought to be raised by
taxes upon real estate.
And in support Of these hallucina-
tions Mr.. PETER succeeded in getting
of one Of the most unpatriotic, II not
downright reasonable, speeches that
has been heard in the United States
senate since Appomattox' His
antlpathy to a republican form Of
government is strikingly presented
in the following quotation from his
speech as found in the Congressional
Record on page 1896:
II do not wonder sometimes that
there Is growing feeling against the
condition Of things at Washington. |
do not wonder sometimes that men
write me and say, Would to God that
the senate was abolished | wrote to
q friend the other day that ! was
ready for Its abolition and would go
still further and vote for the.abolition
OF the house Of representatives, and
would favor that the personnel Of the
should BIO confined to q
few men, not to exceed one from
each State, and let them select pre-
siding officer from their own number.
The fewer governors we have in this
country the better, Mr.. President"
This is the first public declaration
Of any United States senator in favor
Of doing away with u republican form
Of government, administered by the
representatives elected by the people,
and substituting therefor an ollgarchy
after the manner in which France was
governed by q COMMITTEE Of Public
Safety" during the Reign Of Terror in
the time Of French Revolution. Mr..
PETER Is for the overthrow of the con-
he wants the senate and
house Of representatives swept away;
the government abolished; he adj
vocates the suspension OF the laws
that all business may be forced to
cease and that the right Of property
may end, and that anarchy may
ensue.
But fortunately for the American
people when treason lifts Its head in
public places in the United States
there have always been men of
patriotism who were ready to stand
up and smitc II. And when Mr.
PETER raised his voice in favor Of sedi-
ton, OF lawlessness, OF anarchy and
of genera, ruin, 1t is a source Of innn-
ite satisfaction that there were loyal
men in the United States senate who
were not afraid to stand up and re-
buke him on the spot.
Senator Davis, of Minnesota, re-
piled to the reasonable arguments Of
Mr., PETER In a fifteen minute speech,
which was one Of the most eloquent,
patriotic and logical that has ever
been heard In the United States SEN
ate. Mr. Davis is a Republican, but
the patriotism Of Senator Davis was
not more marked than the enthusiasts
tic exhibition Of loyalty on the part of
the two great Southern leaders dur
Ing the war. These were Senator
Gorden, Of Georgia, and Senator Dan
Iels, Of Virginia.
In his reply to Mr.. PETER here are
some Of the words Of Senator Gordon,
one OF the greatest Of the Southern
orators and Confederate soldier,
"Mr. President; The senator from
Kansas (Mr. Peifer) closed his some