Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-10-22

ent system, enables him to buy of what
the Kansas soldier produces at a price
that means death and ruin to the pri-
vate in the ranks. 1t would be doubt
full compliment to say that the rank and
file Of the boys who carried the muskets
are not as well equipped mentally and
morally to decide how they ought to
cast their ballot in this or any other
campaign as are any of these Junketing
generals of fat salaries.
General Howard's fitness to direct
the old boys who carried the guns as to
their duty will appear all the more out
of joint in a, political contest involving
bered how the Freedman's Bureau, un-
der his presidency and management,
after the close of the war, went into
bankruptcy and swallowed up the saw
ings of thousands of poor colored peo-
pie all over the country. In view Of
this it comes with poor grace for him to
stand up before an audience of exsol-
diers in Kansas and call them anarchists
and repudiators when they contemplate
voting for Bryan. as many of them do.
And General Alger's remark to an old
army comrade who hurrahed for Bryan
when he said ''some people are not de-
cent will not solidify the votes of the
rank and file in favor of Major McKin-
ley.
AS matter of fact not one of these
big generals can make speech on fin
ance, and what little they did say was
often offensive. For instance, General
Sickles said in one speech, ''when the
east wants a hired man from the west
we will let you know" Then he said
at another place, 'anybody who wants
free silver is wrong here. or else here"
pointing to his head and heart. This
insinuation was that those who favor
equal coinage of one of the money
metals of the constitution with gold are
either fools or knaves. On every quart
er section of land occupied in Barton
county will be found a farmer who.
without moments notice, can make
better and more logical speech on fin
ance than either Alger, Sickies or How
ard.
One of these palace car campaigners
made what he thought was ten-strIke
argument IN Kansas City. when he said
that Major Mckinley was nominated by
| the workingmen of the country and
would be elected by them. The work
ingmen who are instrumental in secur-
ing McKinley's nomination are such
well known laborers as Mark Hanna,
the millionaire president of the Iron
Ore Trust. Chauncey M. Depew. mil
lionaire railroader and president of the
New York Central railroad, Mr.. Hobart
millionaire member of the Coal Trust,
and candidate for vice president on the
republican ticket, and who, when they
asked him what he was going to put up
in the campaign, srid, ''the price of
coal," Editor Kohlsaat, the millionaire
newspaper man of Chicago, millionaire
Trumbo, of California, and Senator
Thurston. of Nebraska, the attorney
and chief lobbyist of the Union Pacific
| railroad. These are the well known
laborers and laboring men who piled the
pick and shovel in the interest of Nc
Kinley.
No one will for moment deny the
fact that these men, every one of them.
are professional politicians and nothing
else. To call them working men in the
sense that that word is generally used
aud understood is a libel on the men
who earn their bread by the sweat of
their brow. The real workingmen,
those who work with their hands and
not their jaws or check books, will take
a hand in the fight this year. and when
their protest against Mark Hanna and
his gang is filed it will be seen that Mr..
Mckinley will be elected-to private
citizenship.
To show how spiteful these old gen
erals can be when they take notion,
Corporal Tanner in his speech at Atch-
inson referred to Mr.. Bryan as an
anarchist, and said ''there is going to
be a funeral on November 3rd, and
Nebraska will furnish the corpse. !"
Compare this allusion to Mrs. Bryan's
action when these same generals passed
her house in Lincoln a few days ago.
Knowing that they were moving heaven
and earth to beat her husband, yet she
appeared at the door of her residence
with a tastefully decorated picture of
Major Mckinley, and displayed it to
the gaze of the old generals who cheer
ed her to the echo, and General Alger
SAID that the action of Mrs. Bryan had
been the most pleasant incident OF the
whole trip. Yet Tanner could hardly
wait until he got to Atchinson to insult
the lady who displayed the true worth
l,@~