The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-31
HIS COUSIN PRESIDED.
L. D. Mckinley, Cousin of Major
Mckinley,
Presides at the Free Silver
Meeting in Topeka.
Judge Doster Makes an Extended
Speech Listened to With Interest
by a Large Audience.

auspices of the Populist and free sill
yer forces. The first meeting was held
a. 3 o'clock in the afternoon and was
addressed by Rev. J. D. BOtkin. There
were about 200 people present, and
notwithstanding the fact that the
speaker was very hoarse from speaking,
he was closely listened to and made a
good impression.
In the evening the audience was
larger and Judge Frank Doster spoke
for two hours L. D. Mckinley, who
is a cousin of the Republican candidate
for president and who organized "Clan
Mckinley in 1898, presided at both
meetings. At the evening meeting
Colonel Fred Close extended an invita-
ton for the Bryan old soldiers to take
a place on the platform and 60 gray
bearded men made rush for the plat
form.
Mr.. Doster said:
Throughout this campaign I have
neither read nor heard of a platform
utterance by a Republican speaker, and
have rarely read a newspaper article
in a Republican journal which did not
begin with and carry throughout state
ments implying that the present deplor-
able conditions about which we all Talk
so much were peculiar to this country,
and did not exist in other countries of
the civilized globe.
In QlrGCI OppOS1IlOn WndC we are
asked to infer, and in exposure Of what
is thus sought to be concealed from US,
assert what every well informed per
son will bear me out in declaring, that
there exists throughout the entire civ
iized globe, not merely in this cOun-
try, but everywhere, a widespread, gem
eral and almost universal dissatisfac-
ton and unrest, the like of which has
rarely, if ever, been recorded in the
history of the world. What with Nj
hilistS in Russia, socialists in Germany,
anarchy in France and Italy, through
out ali Europe for that matter, and in
this country large and constantly in
creasing class of dissatisfied and con-
tentiOus citizens, it would seem that
we had indeed fallen upon evil times.
Z do not speak of these classes of eX-
tremistS I have just named to indicate
them as the chief elements of disc0rd,
or as constituting the only menace to
the peace of the world and the settled
order and habit of society, but speak
as well and principally Of that larger,
more conservative and cautious body
of people, whose protests thus far have
voiced only demands for changes in ifs
cal administration and economic policy.
4 Will not at this moment enter upon
an explanation from my standpoint of
the causes which have produced this
anomalous condition of affairs.
Before passing to other subjects, let
me say that be these causes what they
may, free trade in England, protection
in Germany. OVeTprOductiOn in Amer
lea despOtisn in Russia democracy in
France, debt in Italy, one fact exists
and cannot be ignored; it stands be-
fore US mountain high, as it were, con-
fronting the gaze at every step and
turn in the course of our investigation
of the subject-one fact exists, and you
may call it cOincident or cause as you
choose, but it exists nevertheless, and
that is that in all these countries, our
own as we'll, the gold standard of money
payment, either absolutely, or some
thing aprpOximating it, exists and be-
gan it's existence Immediately preced-
ing the rise and has continued concur
rently with the spread of this world
distemper of which I speak.
Another position occupied by our
Republican adverSarieS must be no
ticed. 1t is that these distressed con-
ditions, which all admit exist in this
country, are the effects of Democratic
policy and the result of Democratic in
competency in the management of pub
lie affairs.
Mr.. Chairman, there are some dis
tOrtiOns of truth that are not account
ed fasehOOds. They are so gross, so
palpa BILE, so impossible, so self-evident-
ly false as to rise above the level of
common lying into the atmosphere of
Intellectual genius and audacity- OF
such is the prevarication in question.
Sir for the man who willfully misrep- |
resents to me matters concerning which |
he has knowledge, but about which !
am uniformed, can have nothing but
lOathing and contempt, but to the man
who can look me fully in the face and
without a tremOr of voice OF the witch |
ing of a muscle or the bat of an eye,
can sOlemnly assure me that he lumin- !
aries of heaven are dark, and do not |
shine-that black is white and vice |
versa-that the grass of the valleys and
the leaves of the trees are scarlet and |
not green-that the events of yeSter- /
day which I witnessed and in which |
took part did not in reality occur, and |
who can by constant, positive and bra
zen iteration of these perversiOns of |
fact bring me in a hesitating, half |
dazed sort of a way to an agreement |
with him, to that man and his adaman- |
tine cheek and his unaduIterated gall |
[ lift my hat in admiration and hon. |
age. Sir, he's no liar; he's a genius.
why sir have mems memories be- |
come so short that they do not recollect |
the fact that the present agitation out ]
of which has grown the Populist party !
which has rent the Democratic party in 1
twain and which has recently split |
away a large segment OF the RepuDl- /
can party, was born of the hard times |
and distressed conditions of Mr.. Har- |
rison's administration? What, ask |
you, but low prices, unemployed labor, /
monetary stringency, accomplishing in |
debtedness and industrial depression |
brought the Farmers Alliance Organi- !
ZatiOn into being? When did 1t come /
into being? Why. sir, for all the pur-
poses of a political factor, in the first |
year of Mr.. Harrison's administration /
When did it carry politically speaking,
a half dozen states of the union, either |
wholly or largely? Why, sir, in 1890,
for the first time, when the administra-
ton of Mr.. Harrison was less than two
years old When was it that Kansas
most distinguished representative,
from his seat in the senate of the Uni
ted States, denounced as he only can, /
your Republican financial policy, which /
had prevailed for more than a quarter
of a century, as one which offered to
the virtuOus women of the land the al
tentative of prostitution or starvation?
why sir, it was in January, 1891. when
the administration Of Benjamin Harri-
son lacked scarce two months of being
half expired.