The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-18
EASTERN CoMMENr.

While the State Journal in a measure
feels like excusing Congressman Cald-
erhead for his gloomy view of things,
owing, perhaps, to his unceremonious
defeat for congress by the''Under Hail."
their friends and allies, public opinion
in other portions of the country is going
TO strongly condemn him. The first shot
fired at him comes from the New York
Sun, which says:
The Hon. William A Calderhead, a
Republican, represents the Fifth Kan
sas district in the present congress. 1t
IS a district very full Of Popuiists. and
used to have a high old Populist crank
of the name of John Davis as its con-
gresham. The frequency of Populists
seems to have produced an unfortunate
impression upon Mr.. Calderhead. A bill
for the Incorporation of the American
National bank, with a capital of S.
100000, was before the house commit
tee on banking and currency the other
day. Among the incOrpOrators named in
the bill and authorized to establish
branch banks in various countries, if
they choose to do so, are the Hon. Cor
nelius N. Bliss of this town, the Hon.
Andrew Carnegie of Pittsburg, the Hon.
Philip D. Armour of Chicago, and some
other gentlemen guilty of being tolera-
bly, forehanded. The Washington dis
patches contain a partial report of an
extraordinary speech made by Mr.. Cal
derhead in the house committee on
banking and currency, a sub committee
OF which had reported the bill with a
favorable recommendation. Mr.. Calder
head thought it would be a dangerous
business reporting such a bill. In fact,
he scented inSurrectiOn and riot if this
bank bill should be incorporated. His
words are too instructive to students of
political alieniSm not to be given in full:
THE whole country, and particularly
the western portion of it, is in a condi-
ton of unrest. The debtors, the unem-
ployed and the people of small means
believe they are injured in some way by
the power of aggregated wealth, or,
the money power as they describe it.
So widespread is the belief that the
people in a large area of this country
need only a desperate and courageous
leader to give US an insurrection.
speak nothing but the truth when l
say that 4 political storm is likely to re
suit if congress incorporates this pri-
vate bank with a capital of 81, 900, 900.
The plea that it is done for the benefit
OF international commerce will not sat-
isfy that mob for it Is a mob which
needs only a commanding general to
lead it. If the leader should happen to
have the military instinct, it would
mean civil war. I; know the temper of
these people, and attribute their al
legged grievances partly to their own
distress and partly to their envy off the
rich. 1 do not share their feelings, but
1 know the conditions which exist. They
believe that laws are made only to ben
eft the wealthy. OF course, they are
mistaken in this opinion, but we should
I have seen and felt the unrest which
prevails, and I think I am only doing
my duty in giving warning of ii now
and here"
There has been a prolonged revolt
against common sense and political So
briefly in certain parts of the west, es-
pecially in Kansas, and it is not over
yet, although it has subsidized somewhat.
The notion that actual physical violence
is liable to break out if congress con-
sents to incorporate such wicked agent
of the money power as a large bank, is
worthy of craZ1eSt Kansas. Mr.. Calder
head may be no Populist, but he is full
of Populist germs. In spite of the ulu-
latiCnS of many demagOgues, from Mr..
Cleveland to Mr.. CoXey, we must de-
cline to believe that any considerable
number of persons in the United States
pine for instruction. There may be a
few utterly harebrained Bedlanites who
are too lunatical to know that the lead
ers have been humbugging them. and
Kansas is capable of harboring any
amount of strong talk; but strong talk
and heated doesn't make civil war. In
fact the constant discharge of rhetor-
zeal smoke and heat is one OF the best
guarantees of permanent peace AS
for the people of small means" whom
Mr. Calderhead catalogues among the
dissatisfied and dangerous, they them
selves hold a very large part of the "ag-
gregated wealth. of the country, and
cannot be suspected of wanting to de-
StrOy their own homes. The great mass
of American people consists of these.
They are conservative and thrifty. They
do not talk much. They are too busy to
heed the shrieking of the cheap little
demagogues who rave and gibber about
the sufferings of the poor and the
evils done by the rich" The great
mass of the American people is engaged
in minding it's own business; is trying
to add to its own wealth and not worry
ing about that of other folks. If any
body would like to take a hand, how
ever, as "a desperate and courageous
leader to give US an Instruction he
has only to arise and let himself be
seen in a sufficiently inf1ammable state
of instruction. He can be sure of be-
ing taken in by the constables or other
legally appointed quellers of disorder.
1t is recorded in the biography of the
Hon. VIM. A. Calderhead in the Con-
gressional Directory that he was edu-
Gated in the public schools and by his
father, minister of the United Presby-
terrain church, and in the Preparatory
Department of Franklin college, New
Athens, O.; that he afterward taught
school and read law, and that he be-
came county attorney and clerk of the
board of education. His remarks on the
incorporation of the International bank
show that neither his schooling nor his
law study was sufficient to make him a
useful legislator or a competent judge
of public opinion; and as a lawyer and
law maker who proposes to shirk the
passage of an otherwise unobjectiOnable
bill for the sake of mere trucking to
the supposed prejudice of the ignorant
or the vicious, he makes a very sorry
SDPctaCl0