Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-07-10
NUMBER 10.

/ Ting in the cause of reform. He
started in with Peter Cooper. and
from 1876 to 1896, there never was a
new party, or a new theory of govern
ment to Which he did not fully and at
once subscribe. Through all these
years he has been hoping and praying
that ''the reform party" as he loved
to call it, should get into power and
redeem the great plain people from
bondage. When Lewelling was elect
ed governor he thought the time had
come, but, as he explained. the Re-
publican house blocked the wheels of
the car of progress, and plutocratic
supreme court broke the coupling.
Last fall the election of q Populist
governor and supreme court were ac-
cOmpliShed. and the old gentleman
could hardly wait until January be-
fore the great work of reform should
begin. He determined to go to To
peka himself and watch the brethren
as they should knock to whay out of
corporations. reduce the profits of
usury, and restore to the people the
rights taken from them by Wall
street.
He went. What he saw and heard
during that sixty days in the capital
of the state will be understood. To
his utter CONSERVATION the legislature
adjourned. the governor went off on a
junket to Texas and the supreme
court was deciding case after case in
favor of the Santa Fe. When he first
returned home his friends noticed a
peculiar look in his eyes, observed
that he wanted to wander alone, and
would go along mumbling to himself.
/ He avoided public places and no long
er appeared in front OF Devier'S gro
cery on Saturday. and did not show
up at the ISilyer Club" although he
| was down for speech on ''What /
Saw at Topeka" and it was the first
time he was ever known to miss an
opportunity to address the public
His friends We're naturally worried
and one evening. ats the. old gentle
man started for fi9imblc, two of
] them followed. He went along numb
ling to himself, and they stroye to
hear what he said. At a turn of the
road he stopped, and they went up
close without being seen. They heard
him repeat the rhyme:
Draw Il breath. draw IA fill.
/ Get your price for every blI
! One hundred dollars for an Oleo bill.
! Two hundred dollars for railroad bill.
''One thousand dollars f ,r stocbyard, bill
Draw. brothers. draw and fill.
Get your price for every bill
The old man moved on but lie con
tinued to repeat the lines over and
over UncOnsciously at first, those
who followed began to recite in their
minds. lone hundred dollars for an
oleO bill, two hundred dollars for Il
! railroad bill." etc. They felt it come
on like a fever and they could not
shake it off. The old man went across
a field to Il school house-the one
where he organized the Alliance in
+ 1890. He went in. advanced to the
rostrum and turned as if addressing
an audience. lie gestured and spoke
but all he said was, Draw. brethren.
draw and ill, get your price for every
Bill: one hundred dollars for an oleo
bill: two hundred dollars for a rail
road bill; one thousand dollars for a
stockyards bill: draw, brethren, draw
and ill. get your. price for every bill
The old man Went home and the
1 watchers followed iiiit they could
not sleep or If they did it was to
dream oi making speeches and being
unable to say anvtnin: ,,stt draw.
brethren, draw and fiii, etc The
next day they told the neigi:t,oi-s OF
the old mans peculiar actions and OF
the singular rhyme which he kept re-
peating. The thing took like measles
in primary school. And HOW in one
township there is not only the old
gentleman numbliHg tie words to
himself. but nearly ali the Old stall
warts of the Alliance and OF '-I6 70 l.
are Keeping tramp OF the !.cFses on
the cultivatur and tie music OF the
! header. with tle words: Draw.
!)rethren. draw with a Will get your
price with every bill. 800 for an oleo
bill. $500 for d railroad bill. sI.O0o ior
y -fucky--arClS tiIt Draw brptttFp;l