People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-10-21
Senator Harris Speech.

Senator W. A. Harris last Saturday
Unfortunately the season OF raw, cold
weather was initiated on this day:
raiu fell in the forenoon and by the
hodr advertised for the speech a cold
drilling rain was beating against tue
windows. The comfort OF a home
lire and the protection of humble
shelter from this first blast of old
00reas was strong counter attraction
but Notwithstanding many people
6rayed the storm and showed up 10
The opera house at the appointed
hour. The exact number of peOpiv
present, either an over or az under
estimate, will have little effect in de-
Gliding the people how they shall vote
next month, but inasmuch as both the
truthful Republican editors OF
Wellington have heralded that there
were only a little over 100 people pres
ent, the VOICE would say that Chair
man Lamhe counted the crowd from
the platform and found a few more
than 200 present. The editor of the
VOICE did not think the point worth
quaireling over, but we pit the verac-
ity of Chairman Lambe against that
of this bungling, falsifying Mark
Hanna pair Of twins. 1t is worthy OF
note that in the gathering nearl,
every one OF the thirty townships Of
Sumner county were represented,
some having driven twenty-five mi es
and more in order to be present
With this exception there was a strlk.
ing resemblance between this crowd
and that which assembled one bright
Sunshiny day last fall-presidential
year-tO hear Senator Baker. There
was great similarity in the size Of the
crowd.
The speech which Senator Harris
made was worthy OF hearing by an
opera house full of people, which there
would undoubtedly have been had The
weather been prOpitiOuS. He started
out with a comparison of the great
fundamental principles OF the two
parties, showed that the tendency OF
one was toward TOryism while that of
the Other.wa toward AmericaniSm or
pOpuliSm, in its brCadest sense. The
great mass of the people were honest
but were allowing themselves to be
misguided by false tenets promul-
gated by designing leaders.
He took up the new tariff bill and
showed It's Inconsistencies and its de-
ceptionS. The great farce of putting
a duty OF 25c a bushel on wheat,
similar duty on oats, rye, corn, eggs,
etc, was shown to be simple "sop"
thrown TO the agricultural masses.
He quoted from the bureau Of stats
tics furnished by the departments 10
the finance committee that imports
Of these articles had been so very
small under either high or low tariff
as TO be incOnsiderable: in most cases
they were smaller under low tariff
than under high tariff, limited gener-
ally to varieties of new seed grains.
He then showed that what had been
proclaimed in its initiatOry stages as
a moderate tariff had been pushed by
the irresistible power Of the trusts TO
the highest tariff the country has ever
known. Senator White Of California
IA Republican, aptly expressed the
situation when he arose 10 his place
after the final vote on lis passage ana
said: "Mr. Speaker, / hope the trusts
and combines will now have the honor
to give Mr.. Hanna a receipt in full
for services rendered"
Senator Harris then proceeded to
relate some personal experience in
Washington. He was passing the
door of the Secretary OF Agriculture
Secretary Wilson of Iowa with whom
he had enjoyed a personal acQuaintace
for years and whose capability he
commended very highly
Come in here, Harris; have some
good news fOT you," shouted the sec
rotary.
Harris stepped in and Secretary
Wilson tossed bundle Of complied
statistics across the table for his in
spectiOn.
There" says he, "the worlds
wheat crop is five hundred million
bushels short, and the only states |
can see who are going to be able to
supply this deficiency are Kansas, Ne
braska and the Dakotas. 1t means
prosperity for your people"
And so it does, said the senator.
Then it was not the opening of the
mills that vas needed 10 bring good
times but a power on the part of the
people TO buy manufactured products.
The whole east was rejoicing because
Kansas and Nebraska had money with
which to buy.
Bimetallism is the thing that will