People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-01-24
Kansas Not Disgraced But Honored.

the principle that they are the center
Of the universe around which revolves
all the intelligence and enlightenment
that is worthy Of recognition. This
event was a swell affair. 1t was held
in the Representative hall and the
elite of the city was present, expect
ing to hear something that would be
pleasant to their aristOcratiC tastes.
Their refined" feelings were no
doubt shocked to have their disting-
uished guest throw the following at
them. We quote from the State
Journals report:
Justice Brewer after dwelling on the
history Of Kansas intellectual and
moral growth said:
"The next matter which l shall
notice is disclosed by the curious
political resolutions Of the last three
or four years. l am not here to dis
cuss politics, but significant fact is
that state which in 1868 out of a
total of 100000 votes cast lao, 700 more
Republican than Populist votes, in
1892 elected the latter's ticket.
ut must not be assumed that this
sprang simply from restlessness and
desire for change. The POpulist party
was not a mere cave of Adullam into
which every one that was in debt,
and every one that was disconnected,
gathered themselves
II heard a thoughtful gentleman
say that in all social disturbances
heretofore the farmers have been the
conservative body, unaffected by pass.
ing whims and fOllies, while the signi.
fcant, and to him the most dangerous
feature of the POpulist movement in
Kansas, lay in the fact that its
strength was with the farmers in the
country and not with the rabble in
the city.
"The meaning of this movement is
not difficult to see. There was a deer
and earnest conviction that money
was becoming an unhOly master in
social and political life, and that the
golden calf was the growing object Of
the nations worship. Its central
thought was emancipation from the
domination of money, the elimination
from society of classes based upon
wealth. Various were the concrete
forms 10 which this thought was ex-
pressed. Free coinage of silver, more
currency, reduction of railroad rates,
stay laws, and other like propositions
which have taken hold upon Kansas
as upon other states, all root them
selves into the Idea that somehow or
other money is becoming master and
man a slave; that the creditor has
controlled the legislation of the land
and made it operate in his behal If;
and that the full freedom of the in
dividual can only be secured by un-
doing all that legislation. 1t is man
rather than than money, individual
instead of property-which must be
protected. Love thy neighbOr as
myself meant the man rather than
his possessions.
81 have only outlined these move
ments. / have time for nothing more
and l have outlined them merely as
salient features in the history of Kan
sas. They constitute epochs in state
life. L do not stop to commend or
condemn all that has been doing along
these different lines. Doubtless there
have been many wrongs, but that
does not justify Withholding praise
for the noble spirit which sought in
and through them better day fol-
man. Whatever may have been the
blunders committed in Kansas in
these various movements, or in all
her life, she is entitled to the utmost
praise for that enthusiasm for a
larger more perfect and universal
liberty which has prompted bel
efforts"
Justice Brewer walked loud applause
by the following: kansas position
as a leader is evinced by her enemies
Go where you will throughout thi;
land, whenever you find one mourning
over the loss of his slaves, he will BE-
cursing Kansas. If you find one sigh,
ing for the times when woman lived
only to atone for the supposed larceny
of a rib, you will hear him hiss out,
Kansas the rum-seller violates the
third commandment and fills out the
sentence with Kansas and Wall
street, whenever it fears that the
grasp of its 1900 ducats on the life OF
the nation is lessening, groans out
simply Kansas"