Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-05-30
A TALE OF MAXIMUM RATES.
FOUR BLATANT POPS MEET IN CURB
STONE CONFERENCE.
Discover That All They Know About
Kansas Freight Rates Is That
They Are Too HiEh-Bits
of kansas Political
Gossip.

!
! the dcetnies of the dOwntrOdden masses
| of Kansas depended entirely upon their
political Judgment and wisdom in running
/ the affairs of state As they whitfield away
| and sGuirted tobacco juice at crevice in
! the stone sidewalk they discoursed upon
| various political questions of great mo-
ment. First they tackled fiat money. and
after reaching a conclusion on what should
| be done in that matter, proceeded to adjust
| the land question. Then the issue of
municipal ownership of public utilities was
| solved, and a plan evolved that would
| make the sub-treasury scheme a success.
Finally the burning question of the day
was reachej-maXi Ximum freight rates. This
question causes certain class OF PopuliSt
orators TO shed their coats, vests and col
lars and crack the emporium with seething
| eloquence such as is uttered only in the
actual presence of the great red dragon.
John Leedy. governor Of Kansas, gravely-
pulled his gray goatcc. and, with one eye
closed in fiery meditation. exploded: Il
! tell you what it is, gentlemen; when us
Kansas farmers are so deeply mCrtgaGed
that a post auger is needed to bore holes
through the mortgages in order to plant
corn. the time has arrived for the common
masses to rouse from their lethargy and
curb the souless corporations which are
sucking the life blood from us and which
are responsible for the hellish conditions
which environ us. This, gentlemen. is the
problem confronting us. The only solution
is to curb the rairoads-these monster
creations of law which take eur hogs and
cattle by the throat and force one to go
into its Golfers that another may be sent
to market. The remedy is a maximum
freight law"
BY the way. governor, what are. the
rates on stock and farm products from
your town TO market?' put in one of the
whittlers.
"Damfino. Haven't shipped anything
since l joined the Pop party. Been too
busy trying to help the other poor devils
out to raise anything myself
It's a great cause were interested in"
chipped in Representative W. +. Brown, OF
Pratt, the wild-eyed maximum rater. We
Will be looked upon as patriots some time
after we are dead. It's relief the masses
must have. Why. us farmers are worse
than slaves. 1t takes all of our crops TO
pay the freight tC market. We simply
give the roads warranty deed 10 our stun
when we load it and # that ain enough
when il gets to market we give them a
mortgage on our farms for the balance:
How TERRIBLE remarked another. How
much have they robbed you out OFF,
oh! they never caught me. I'm too
slick for 'em. I'm one Pop who fooled tie
anything to ship. Smootlr game. eh? |
got a better business. | am the business
manager of a jack. The only Jime | pat
rOnize them is in travelling, and they don
well. really" droled Senator George
Campbell. of Labette. THE people are ~ a
terrible condition. Something must be done
to alleviate the suffering of our people. The
present surroundings which environ and
i'm a great measure intimidate citizens
and depress the individuality of our reo-
pie must change. The eXOrbitant freight
rates must be diminished. as Brother Leedy
suggests. We must have maximum
You reside at Parsons?" asked one of the
listeners.
What rate do you pay on freight from
there to mdrket2'
'Ah-em-Ah-Well. really. don't know
You see I'm no shipper. Fact is, L never
shipped a ear of freight in my life. Came
West when there want any railroads and
have stayed right here. I'm a lawyer l
am. When | go anywhere l ride on passes
l know we want maximum freight rate
law, though, because Brother Leedy says
So
here" broke in Senator Nose Householder,
of Cherokee, the champion pussy-wants-a-
corner player of Kansas. The time has
come for the slaves to rouse. We must
have a new declaration of independence.
Then we'll be freed from the grasp of
these rayenous corporations
And how are the fTeightS from your
place 10 the market2' was asked.
Il can't tell without looking it up. You
see l don't ship, either, and nave never
given the roads a chance to rob me. |
live down there in mining district. The
railroads run the most of the mines and
/ sell all my surplus products to their men
at good big figure. So you see instead
of the roads getting all of my money. 1 get
nearly all the money L have from the
roads-that is from their employees. Great
scheme. amt it,
After the four most radical maximum
freight rate Pops in Kansas had finished
their tales of woe, the heavens wept and
the box party disbanded.
In cleaning out an old state house desk
the other day, Taylor Riddle found a re-
port of the secretary of state for 1866 1t
contained only sixteen pages and an elac-
tiOn table. X. A. Barker was secretary.
and he informs Governor Crawford that
with few exceptions the census returns are
in and he hopes to be able to lay the re-
suits before the legislature when il meets
Though the report is dated December Is.
he reports the journals and session laws
of 1855 as still in the hands of the binder
at Leavenworth. Contracts had been let
to J. +. Cummings. John Speer and Mac
donald & Baker for the printing and bind
ing for 1866, but the price is not given.
Most of the report is taken up with a list
of agricultural college lands selected. The
election table disclOses a string of well
known kansans. Sol Miller beat Abrdm
Bennett for the senate by forty-two votes.
There We're six vacancies filled in the sem
ate In the election of the house G. w
Click was bsaten in Atcbiso,1 nv - 4
Blair. AtchiSon county had five members
of the house. as did Doniphan, while Leav-
eight. Ira J. LaCOck and Chase +. Parker
represented Brown county. Walter n. Al
zen showed up from JtlltTSph John n.
Rankin from Douglas &. X. Holiday from
shawnee. Jim SnOddy from Linn, Jacob
Stoller from Lyon. J. NJ. Harvey from Ri
ley. W. a. Phillips from Saline William
Martindale from Greenwood, and T. NJ.
OBrien from LeaVenwOTth. WyandOttp
county was "A small affair with only ~
votes. represented by Isaiah Walker Fred
Willhouse was a member from LeaVen-
worth, which polled the largest vote in the
state. There is nothing about the report
to show who printed IL. but il would go
now as a very rocky job from a country
printing office.
Senator Forney. Of Sumner county. after
home to-day to get up. a meeting to in
dignate' against the traitors in the POpu-
list party who refused to support "A railroad
bill with a clause containing "A maximum
ator Jumpers scalp. He thinks Jumper
blocked the plans of the Leedy crowd of
PopuliSts last winter in reference 10 rail-
road legislation in the senate. But from
counties Jumper will be a member of the
state senate long after FOrney is retired
from politics
There Is a growing sentiment among Pop
ulists throughout the state who do not i'm
Bob Semple is the man TO head the P0pulist
state ticket next year. They argue that If !
Bob can't pull the party through no one |
else can. If he should consent to permit |
his name 10 be used in connection with the |
gubernatorial nomination. Brother Leedy |
would probably be compelled to be satisfied |
without ''vindication" in the shape of |
denomination.
No Fusion in shawnee.
Topeka, Kas.. May 29.-(SpecialD The |
Shawnee county Pop committee at meet |
fpg to-day renlIdfated fusion with tho narn- |