People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-09-10
Republican fleetings.

The Republicans had poor success
in bringing a crowd to town last Fri.
day to hear the Hon. Geo. W. Potter
of New York. But for the city PEG.
pie the audience would have been as
much Of failure as the speech.
There were not over POO people in
from the country. More were in on
Saturday, with no attraction, than on
Friday.
But the crowd was all, and more.
than the speech merited. The gen.
tleman mailing from New York, the
land of wisdom (?), many thought his
effort would be an able one, but they
we're doomed to Disappointment.
There was absolutely nothing 10 this
speech. 1t was on par with the ac-
credited view the nabobS of the east
hold of the Ignorant west" They
seem to think that nonsenSical, ludi-
crOus stories are all our people are
capable of digesting. This fellow,
Potter, did not seem to have any late
stories. They were extremely stale.
He told four at the close, without 10
any way applying them.
One man went into place of bust
ness on North Washington avenue
after chad finished, and said: swell,
| drove twelve miles to hear that
fellow speak, and he didn't have any
thing to offer but some calf-tail
stories 1t will be cold day when |
come back again."
1t is really an insult to the state Of
Kansas to impose such fellows upon
them. 1t is wonder that some Re-
publican paper does not roast him.
We will venture that a whole lot OF
kicking is being done by mail. Potter
closed by saying: you have got
here in Kansas the most best cam
paign speakers l have met with any
where"
R. B. WEIGH, Of Topeka, then ad.
dressed the people. He met the
charge that the Republican party had
legislated in favor OF the rich and
against the poor by pointing to the
homestead and exemption laws-laws
that are almost as old as Kansas
laws that were passed when most
Populists were Republicans and
helped pass them-when the Repub-
lican party could justly lay claim 10
being the party of the people. He
mentioned no law that had been
passed within the last twenty-five
years.
He then challenged the Populists to
name a single law, state or national,
that the Republican party had passed
which was not In the interest Of the
door rather than the rich,
We presume be would have been
ready to show the national banking
act was for the benefit Of the poor,
likewise the refunding act, whereby
the greenbacks were converted into
interest-bearing bonds: likewise the
so-called credit-strengthening act,
the characterization Of silver and the
gradual and stealthy establishment of
the gold standard 10 this country,
against the protestation Of its own
leaders-Blaine, Logan, Garfield and
Others. These were all to help the
poor ~.
And the poor are under such great
obligations to that party for the
repeal of the income tax, and the re-
funding of the Pacific railroad debts!
In Kansas the sins of the Republi-
can party are more Of omission than
of commission. For six years the
people have been trying to get max
imum freight rate law. such as the
people of Nebraska, Iowa. Illinois
and Missouri have. but that party
has killed them at every session.
And all legislation that in any way
touches the interests Of the railroads
suffers a like fate. OF course this IS
all in the interest Of the poor.