The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-08-24

Owing to the extreme ~ heat and
the lack of an audience, principally
the lack of an audience) Major J. K.
Hudson, editor of the Topeka Capital,
failed to deliver his great Morrill, lee
ture Monday afternoon as advertised.
In the evening, however, a medium
sized audience of not very enthusiastic
Republicans were in attendance and
listened to an hours talk by the major.
The speech from beginning to end was a
TRADE of abuse and villification against
the Peoples party. Not once did he
get out of the narrow channel of state
politics, not once did he mention a ma
tional issue, not once did he mention
the present financial troubles or indus
trial disturbances, nor did he call up
that bewildering maze of words, the
Kansas state Republican platform. Not
a promise did he make for his party
should they be successful this fall, not
a principle did he advocate or recon-
mend. His line of argument was abuse
and he stuck to it well. Along toward
the last he brought out the bloody shirt
and waved it gracefully few times for
the benefit of the boys of 81, who are
SO blinded by Republican prejudice
that they do not realize that the late
war ended over a quarter of century
ago. He also strove to confound the
Alliance with the Peoples party and
refused to recognize the wonderful
spread of the reform movement, bring
ing in the time-wOrn chestnut about
"grIps" and 'locked doors''
Major HudSOn'S views have changed
great deal in the past 20 years. Once
he was near and in touch with the
great masses of our people, but now he
is a servant of the moneycrats. He
said Monday night:
The Peoples party never had an excuse for ex-
isting, never had excuse for being born and it
never should have existed, There was no reason
call for it, for the Republican party the party
of purity and honesty, was then in power, and was
guiding the ship of state in the safe channel Of
prosperity.
Now let us see what he said in
speech made at Topeka, Aug. 1, 1874,
at grange picnic and afterwards pub
ished in the Kansas Farmer, of which
he was then editor:
1t is useless sir for to say that there is no.
thing the matter, that the farmers of the whole
country are laboring under delusion, that this
great organization IS a farce. 1t has received in
the past and may expect to receive in the future,
all the and opposition that fraud and malice
can invent The organized cIiques and rings poll
teal and financial will continue to give it the most
consistent and united opposition Why, ask,
is this persistent and consistent antagonism7 Why
are the farmers permitted to raise organism
for their own protection and advantage without
arousing bitter opposition? Why is every effort
yet made by laboring people met with ridicue and
denunciation? What is the meaning of all farm
ers' movements? What are the causes that led to
its wonderful growth? In the great west here, 1t
is the first protest against doing all the work while
others take all the profit 1t is with simply the
first expressed determination to think and fer
ourselves without the aid and hindrance of others.
When year after year can witness immense
profits accommodating upon the handling of our
products three or four classes of citizens living
upon the profits which made between the pro-
Queer and consumer, when can witness sys-
tematlc combination to secure control OF our
staple crops, reaching from the the west,
which places the farmers of the country at its
mercy and makes II necessity for the producer
to take less than the cost of production when
he knows the supply is not equal to the demand,
has 1t not become the plain duty of every producer
to defend himself? Have not seen these
commonplace facts every year? Have not
been made to pay living profit to all with whom
we dealt? profit which permits the accumula- |
ton of a competence without the privilege in re-
turn of asking the cost of our productions.
The major, it will be seen, has chang
ed his opinion about nothing being the
matter with the toilers of our country
since he took charge of the subsidized
Topeka Capital. In winding up Mr..
Hudson said:
Members of the Republican party, old and young
old men who have always voted with the grand
old party, young men who are about to cast their
and state, vote 1t from top to bottom. No matter
whether the men who compose that ticket are
your choice not. Vote 1t for principle, your
Democratic friends and urge them to vote 1t
mere matter of business, make any sacrifice TO Sc
the of the Republican ticket this fall
Old soldier Republicans, go to your comrades who
with the Peoples party, in kind and gentle
vote with the Republicans, show them that it is
their duty, something they to their fallen
comrades, their widows and their orphans. 1t is
principle, not men, we are voting for this fall
iS q Of tO hot
same man said when editor of the Kan
sas Farmer. Listen to it:
''Put fool at the head and an idiot at the tail of
the Republican ticket and it will carry the by
10000 majority said prominent Republican to |
the writer few days ago. mo matter who is |
nominated by the Republicans they will be cleo |
ted" is the precise language of half dozen others
We ask the people of Kansas is this possible? If
there is shadow of truth in this, and we fear
there is is it account of stupidity of blindly
following the lead of those who make tickets? |
Have men lost the ability to think and act for
themselves that they will blindly vote ticket be-
cause it is headed Republican? In times gone by
when the success of the Republican ticket meant |
the preservation of the government, voted
principles, not men. Those times have passed, no
the public questions of the day. are divided with
out regard to party. Today we see our greatest
want is men for craftsmanship, for the honest ad-
ministration of affairs IN times of peace. The
grand old Republican party, with its histories and
victories, drunk with unlimited power, insolently
declares, through its representative men, that
idiots and ackasses may ride into power upon the
prestige of its name This is a great mistake. |
Men who helped make the Republican party,
who have been true and fearless champions of its
principle in the darkest hours of its perils, will
not tamely submit to the dictation of any
ton. Today never before, there is assertion
of independence and liberty from party trammels
throughout the length and breadth of Kansas.
By these quotations from the editor
ials and speeches of Major Hudson it
will be seen that he, at one time, was on
the side of right and humanity, and
both of the above utteranceS, made
when hewas editor of the Kansas Farmer
and before capitals iron hand had him
in its grasp, read like prophecy that
has been fulfilled Especially is this
true of his declaration of twenty years
ago when he said the farmers move
ment at that time, which has gradually
evoluted into the Peoples party of to-
day, had received in the past, and may
expect to receive in the future, all the
sneers and opposition that fraud and
malice can invent" He is making
speeches for the Republican party, and
as the representative of that party, he
is now sneering and opposing these
same toilers. Why does he do it? Be
cause the money power has him at its
mercy, and the refusal to do their bid
ding means for him financial ruin. A
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