The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-16
WHAT JERRY HAS NOT LEARNED.

WHAT JERRY HAS NOT LEARNED.
That was stormy scene in the Reno
county convention Saturday. The ma
jority of the delegates in the conven-
| ton were Favorable TO the nomination
of Jerry Simpson for Congress. One,
Mr.. Kent. attempted to make himself
heard in an address against Jerry
| Simpson. He was uncermOniously
| hOwled down but he Just as uncermon-
! iously held his ground and insisted Oh
being heard. However he had poor
! success. He was allowed to tell the
delegates amid hlses and groans that
Jerry Simpson could not be elected, that
| he owned an immense tract Of land in
Barber county and was "all right on
the land question" and that he was
"aS sound as Christmas goose" on the
money question.
After sQuelching Mr.. Kent the con-
vention proceeded to instruct the cOun-
ty delegation for Mr.. Simpson.
The young man told the Populists Of
Reno county the truth no matter how
unpalatable it may have been.
Let it be said here that the Republi-
cans in this district long looked upon
Mr.. Simpson as powerful and danger
Gus antagonist. The time was when
they would rather have fought any
ether POpulist in the state than Mr..
Simpson.
There was good reason for this. Mr.
Simpson has the most agile mind, the
sharpest tongue, the most cutting
satire Of any member Of the Po2ulist
party in Kansas. He can make a
speech and a good one, that is good In
warming mems passions and preju-
diceS Do the boiling point. The art of
ridicule he has perfected. The Repub-
licans dreaded a fight with him for
years. He could turn an argument
with a word and squelch a column edi
torial with a glance.
But that time has passed; the Repub
licans no longer fear him. His argu-
ments, his wit, his speeches, his ridi-
cule are no onger effective. And for
this Mr.. Simpson has himself to blame.
He was not true to the people Of the
Seventh district. He was not their
faithful and Woodworking servant. He
cut quite 4 figure in Washington with
the result that the nation knew there
was Il protest in Kansas. But he did
not help a single man. a single town,
single township, county or section in
the Seventh district while he was in
Washington.
All of US are perfectly aware that the
passage of single measure in Congress
is a prodigious thing. If Congress
man succeeds in getting anything for
his constituency, he has no time to
fight general measures or keep n gen.
eraI watch over the conduct of the
government. The Seventh district
when it sends a congressman to Wash
ington wants him to be Congress
man from the Seventh district and not
attempt to change the constitution, or
single handed and alone attempt TO
so manipulate the great policies OF the
government that wheat will increase
one dollar and a half bushel. If Mr..
Simpson could have changed the price
of wheat that much, nothing could
beat him now and for life for Congress.
But it was impossible for him tO real
" benefit the district by general as
saults and desultory attacks on the gen
eral condition of things and he wasted
time which he might have used in real
ly picking up a crumb here and there
for this district
There is another matter to which Mr.. |
Simpson can ascribe some of his pres !
ent popularity. He was amusing /
at the start. His sockleSS feet and old /
straw hat gained him hundreds of 1
votes. He looked poor, he looked /
feeble and hardworked, he looked one |
of the people. the proverty stricken. 1t /
caught the fancy of the voters and |
they sent him to Congress. He dressed |
We'll in Washington. Then when he 1
came back for a campaign he put on
his old clothes. his old straw hat and |
tried the same trick. 1t didn't work /
when repeated three times. 1t was /
just little stale. The people came TO |
the conclusion that if Mr.. Simpson was
a fraud IN his dress he probably was a
fraud in his thoughts. And they drop
ped him.
Mr.. Simpson should have followed |
Senator PETER more closely in this.
When PETER arrives from Washington
he does not change his clothes. He
does not throw off his broadcloth and
cloth himself in rags. He is in Kan
Sas Just what he was in Washington
and the people do him the honor of re-
snecling him for his sincerity and the
want OF demagogy in his makeup.
Nr. Simpson simply verestimated
the extent 10 which the people Of the
Seventh district could be fooled and
his present unpopularity is the penal
~. be is a bright mind. q bright
speaker and a bright man. but the PEG
pie have come to the conclusion that Ne
is 4 trickster. And the people will not
tolerate trickster when they once
know hiIA.
1