Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-11-07

kENATOR w. a. PEFFER, KANSAS.
will save these letters by putting them
in your scrap-book you will have
better idea of how the men move in
the political contests for personal and
party supremacy.
The first populist elected to the SEN
ate was William Alfred PETER, of Kan
sas, who surprised the whole world by
defeating the brilliant partisan orator
John ]. Ingalls,. He Immediately be-
came the target for the ridicule of the
political writer's of both the older part
les. Because he wears long, flowing
beard, the photographers and picture
makers make fun of his beard AS
matter of fact, nobody could say any
thing against Senator PETER himself.
He is one of the most correct, honor
able and upright members of the United
States senate. He is Ga years of age,
although he looks much younger. In
deed, he might easily pass for man
twenty years younger. He has not
gray hair, his skin is healthy, his step
elastic, and no traces of the lapse of
time appear in this quiet, dignifed and
modest senior senator from Kansas. He
was born on farm, taught country
schools, educated himself, became a
farmer, opened farm in the frontier of
Indiana, sold it and then purchased
farm in Missouri. He was there when
the war began, but, being a union man,
he removed to Illinois, and there en-
listed as private soldier in the Eighty.
third Illinois infantry.
That sort of man, self made, honest,
frontiersman, making a home for him
self, should not be an object of ridicule
10y any class of American citizens. Few
1nien, indeed, have marked out for them
:selves more commendable course of
life. He remained in the army until
the close of the war, and was several
times promoted for efficient services.
He studied law when the army
was not moving, instead of smok-
ing, drinking and gambling his
time away. He removed to Kan
-sas in 1870, practiced law, and es-
tablished two newspapers. He was a
member of the Kansas state senate, and
a republican presidential elector in
1880, on the Garfield ticket. He became
editor of the Kansas Farmer in 1881 and
continued to edit that excellent paper
until 1890, when he was elected to the
senate by the peoples party which then
sprang into being. On all great nation
al questions he has been republican,
and when he came to the senate he took
a seat on the republican side of the
L II
nvas a warm personal friend of the late
Senator Plumb, who was one of the
greatest men the state of Kansas ever
produced. There is no more honorable
man in public life to-day than Senator
PETER, of Kansas.
William Vincent Allen, senior senator
from Nebraska, is a populist. He is
one of the broadcast men intellectually
and at the same time one of the biggest
men physically in congress to-day. He
is man of little more than six feet tall.
weighs about 240 pounds, is splendidly
proportional and picture of perfect
health. His face is smooth shaven
and his countenance is classic. He is
as gentle as woman, refined in manner
and possesses aheartas kind andgener
Gus as man ever had. know him well
and like no man better in public life
He is friend one can tie TO, and in
whom one can rely with perfect con
fidence. He is only AZ years old, and
will probably long remain in public
life. lie was a poor boy and was edu
Gated in the common schools of Iowa
He attended the Upper Iowa university
for awhile, but when the civil war be
gan, like so many other patriotic young
men, he put asidehis books and shout
dered musSet. AS private soldier
an the Thirty-second Iowa infantry
<Shen only II years of age, he entered
the service and remained until the clos'
of the war; he then studied law, ant
removed to Nebraska, where he prac
ssced his profession until elected judge
of the Ninth district of Nebraska. IL,
was always a republican, but cspouset
the principles of the populist party
and became permanent president of the
populist state convention of Nebrask;
In IS02. He was elected to the senate
"a a populist, 10 succeed Senator Pad
dock. who. by the way. was t. man ever.