Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-02-23
A KANSAS POPULlST.
Hon. Jerry Simpson on the Concern
tration of Wealth.
Popu!isss Hope 10 Hold the Balancs Ct Power
in Kexi House.

The Hon. Jerry Simpson, representative
of the 81 counties and the LIS. 2GS people
which constitutes 1he truly remarkable
Seventh district of Kansas, is now well
into his second term, and his costatesmeD
are just beginning to understand MN.
People who have seen him hundreds OF
times differ radically in opinions as 10
whether he is small man or of only me-
dunn size, muscular or delicate, well OF
roughly dressed. and so on. AS bedrocA
fact, Jerry is 5 feet 10 inches high, weighs
100 pounds, has black hair, dark sailo"
skin and very dark gray eyes, wears PLAIN
dark brown clothes, No. z shoes ana Isle
thread socks. Yet ne does not look nearly
so big as he is, his face being very small
and spare and his clothes fitting loosely.
He is what is known out west as sing
ed cat'-that is, very much stronger than
he appears. He is very muscular ana very
healthy, was sailor 90 years, but enjoys
all the refinements Of life, and his modest
residence at POS Maryland avenue is quite
richly furnished and is one OF the pleas
ATTEST places in the city for an evening
chat. And, finally, it may be said that
responsibility has had the same steadying
effect on Jerry as it has on all radical
VI eooNs S~ "
made him modify his views somewhat.
Mr.. simpsons View.
81 am,'' says Mr.. Simpson, "a single
taxer of the Henry George kind, though
do not think the single tax would produce
all the benefits claimed for it, do think,
however, that Georges book Progress ana
Poverty is the most wonderful book OF
this century. In fact, it is about the only
book know of that is all music in style
and all unanswerable logic in the sense,
and l don't wonder that it has had SO
great circulation. l am very proud OF
Mr.. Georges friendship and save carefully
every letter get from him. Now, about
our Kansas Populists. OF course this Re-
publican talk about cleaning us out this
year is all talk. We are stronger than
ever, and, as to the squabbles between
Populists in Kansas, that Is nothing but
what the party in power has in every state,
and in the end it makes us stronger. Now,
didn't really care anything about re-eiec-
ton and, in fact, did not intend to run
until saw how things were going in this
house and saw also that the quack schemes
of both the old parties wouldn't and
couldn't do what they promised. now
rather expect that the Populists will hold
the balance of power in the house the next
time, and want to be here to enjoy it.
The farmers Lot. ...
."Now, about the grand irrigation work
and the farmers, and the Ocala platform
and I'll the rest, will sum it all up tc
this: 1t would be suicidal nonsense tt
stimulate the farming business any more
out west at the expense of the present
farmers, and the biz, job is to see that the
present set Of farmers get something fol
their work. Why, look at it. Land as an
investment is worth nothing at all, and ii
costs something to own it. The men who
work it did for awhile simply get the Or
binary wages of unskilled labor, but now
they don't get that. The commonest kind
of common laborer is entitled to his
board and 81 day. But where is the
farmer who makes that for himself and
each man working on a farm? Now, about
the trouble and the cause of it all: The
big evil of this age is the concentratio OF
wealth in q few localities and a few hands
and it completely knocks anything in his
tory. What's the sense in saying that {;
.aboring man is a little better Off than hC
was 40 years ago? Ii he isn't more than
twice as well off. our whole system is O
beastly failure. The inventions in 20 years
have great deal more than doubled the
power of man to produce, and as capital
already had profit enough the laborine
man is honestly entitled to Il great deal
more than twice what he did receive, and
il he doesn't get it he is robbed
"The remedies2 Well, of course / an
dead against the tariff. and of course an
in favor OF taxing vacant city lots pretty
high. | could name 4 few tracts of land
that are held in such Il way as to max.
their ownership an oppression. Now, if
had my way, | would pop down the taS
so heavy on those lots that the fellows
would yell for somebody to help 'em let
20. OF course l am in favor of general
regulation of railroads, and | don't at all
like the way these committees are made
up. OF course don't say that things are
fixed to let the railroads have every thing
their own way. but some of the symptoms
are very suspicious. In looking over his
tory you will find that it took the old ma
tions hundreds and hundreds of years to
get the wealth and power concentrated in
few hands as much as we have done i'll
40 years. Well, the explanation is very
simple. The old nations had no railroads
or telegraphs or steam engines. We can
create wealth 40 times as fast as they
could, and the fellows who have euchred
the people out of the natural opportunities
for wealth have got the whole benefit OF
it; hence these kicks. We're going at il
rather awkwardly.' they say. OF course
we are The soldiers of liberty always be
gin their work in an awfully clumsy, awk-
ward fashion, but they have got to begin
and we have got to begin. We have al
ready done \ good deal, but it is nothing
to what we will do, and, as to our being
beaten in Kansas this year, don't you take
bit of stock in it. 1t s bosh'
The Tariff Discussion.
Thus far Jerry and the other Populists
in general way agree. They all look for
ward 20 holding the balance of power in
the next house, and it is generally expect
cd that if they do they will then act with
the Republicans, it being their policy to
down the dominant party of the time. 1t
is amusing to turn from such takers and
listen to the grand schemes projected by
the class who think everything ought to
be about as it is, only great deal more
10. In this line also it is amusing to note
the varied prophecies of distant papers or
resident lobbyists on the action of the sen
ate. Every morning we are solemnly as
sured that the Wilson bill will go through
the senate very little changed from its
"a - IL 4