The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-25
SIZING HIM UP.
Something About J. d. BOtkin
One Of the New Men
Who Is Going to Represent
Kansas In Congress.
TALKS A NEW PARTY
Doesn't Care What the Name
of 1t Is.
TALKS A NEW PARTY
Is Opposed to Retirement of
the Greenbacks.


Congressman at-Large J. d. Botkin,
who defeated r. W. Blue, was in the
city today.
Rev J. D Botkin is a native of Illi-
nois and was born in Logan county
that state. IN 1919 He was reared on
a farm and came west with his fathers
family IN 1866 and settled in Linn coun-
ty. After arriving in Kansas he
turned his attention to religious sub
jects and in 1870 entered the Illinois
conference Of the N z church Two
years later he entered De Paw uniVer-
sity at Greencastle. Ind. and remained
one year In 1882 he was transferred
TO the southwest Kansas conference
where he remained until he entered
the political arena, filing many pulplts
and serving as presiding elder OF the
Wichita district. Mr. Botkin is of
Wing and Abolition antecedents and
was a Republican until 1881. when he
cast his lot with the Prohibition party
He attended the Prohibition state con
ventiOn at Hutchinson in 1888 as a
spectator and was nominated for gov
ernor by that convention and made
canvass of the state. 1t is claimed by
some that he made some of the best
Union Labor speeches of that cam
paign OF this campaign he says
The enforced Investigations of that
campaign converted me to Populism,
before the Peoples Party was organ
lied" Two years ago he resigned his
pastorate and launched out in the sea
Of politics BY contesting the Third dis
trict with Congressman Kirkpatrick
Mr.. Botkin has a wife and four chill
dren. the children ranging in years from
to Il.
When asked today as to his views
on the idea of forming a new party
out Of the allied silver forces he said
Il have not seen what Senator Refter
or Marion Butler have said on this
matter but I have been thinking some
what about it myself. and my views
4rNnH "a va nH
Us in this country When the ques-
ton is simmered down to the final
analysis. it Is a contention between the
people on one hand and corporations
on the other, especially banking cor
poratfons And when the measure
that has been under contemplation for
some time comes before the nation,
that is the question of whether we
shall retire the greenbacks and issue
bonds in their place and let the banks
issue the currency of the country, Sc
cured by these bonds. we viii be right
face to face with the question Gar
field said that whoever had control OF
the currency Of nation had the con-
troll Of the 1ifeblOOd Of the nation
There has been a continual cry on the
part of the banking corporations FOR
the government to go out OF the BANK
ing business. Now. what l was com
ing to is this: IN this campaign we had
an alliance of all the forces that were
opposed to the gold standard and in
favor of a government by the people
and NOT bz- the cOrDOratfOns and I think
that such measures ought to be taken
as will keep these forces together and
keep Up the fight that has been begun
along the lines that il has started
I think that we are all together and
should be kept so There should be
but one party and that should 90 for
ward under some name just what the
name is. is immaterial-
II have always been raised with an
antipathy towards the name Democrat
and do not like the name But am
ready to go forward under that name
if that is the wish of the majority of
the silver forces and union can be
had under it do not regard the men
who call themselves Democrats and
made the Chicago platform as being
anv more like the old Democracy, than
the Cleveland Democracy, and consld-
er them like the Mckinley Republican
ism
you thislk then that there will be a
measure introduced to retire the green
backs2"
.sYes. that in my opinion viii be the
ultimate object of the gold standard
people"
what viii be your attitude towards
a tariff neasure2'
Il am not in favor of the re-enacr-
rnent of the Mckinley bill Did you
ever examine the title of the Mckinley
biu2 Wen, it is entitled An act to re-
ducz the revenue etc The cry in 1873
was that there was surplus being
piled UP and the cry was that it must
not be allowed TO accumulate The peo-
ME elected the Harrison administration
ana then passed the Mckinley bill and
succeeded in reducing the revenues as
was stated in the title Of the bill to such