Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-01-22

Her people have never been guilty OF
mobbing one of their own citizens for
no greater offense than that Of raising
his voice against oppression and wrong.
The stiffness of her atmosphere has net
been broken by the appeals for assist
ance of cringing men and defenseIess
women and children, guilty of no Of
Tense but fleeing to her soil for free
dom, only to be captured and placed IN
chains by her citizens and returned TO
seryitude for o reward. Whatever may
be said of Nebraska, she has not Leen
guilty of any of these crimes against
the laws of God and civilization. She
has never dishonored her foremost citi-
zen, when living, for extolling the
cause of liberty and placed wreaths OH
his grave, when dead, because he had
been the friend of liberty. She has done
none of these, and no dishonor OF this
kind attaches to her name or Imports
her glory.
What was the "crazy attempt ut rev.
olution and passionate crusade OF dls-
honor" Of which the senator from Mas
sachusetts spoke? Nothing, sir, more
than that a majority of the people CT
Nebraska, believing that silver is mon
ey of the constitution, and that it should
be coined at the ratio of 16 to l., upon
terms of equality with gold, saw fit to
cast their ballots in November last for
the elevation of one of her foremost
citizens and the most brilliant orator OF
the age to the presidency. Was theie
anything revolutionary i'll thatf Wns
there anything dishonorable III itt Was
it "crusade of dishonor!'
Sir, for 81 years of our national ex-
istence silver has been thus coined, and
until it was demonetized i'll 1873 by
"crazy attempt at revolution and pas
sionate crusade of dishonor," in which
some of the representative men OF Mas
sachusetts participated aud by which
they sought to confiscate one-half the
property of the debtor classes of the ma
ton. II there can be more dishonor i'll
public affairs, or in government than
the confiscation of the property of is
citizens, directly or indirectly. | do not
know where or In what direction il can
be found. If Massachusetts possesses a
monopoly of useful knowledge OF the
financial question. or any other for
that matter, | have yet to learn the fact
Mr.. President, it is possible that man
can be born under another sun and in
another cline than that of MaSsachu-
sets and possess modicum of intclli'
all ntnip fi aud lporp fbn glI
line of demarcation between ''revolu-
ton and passionate crusade of di9-
honor Oh the one hand and lofty pa-
triotlsm and high sense Of public and
private duty on the other | say, sir, it
is possible because | well understand
that there are those who have been born
and live IN Massachusetts, who have
conceived a most bitter hatred for the
west and everything western and who
believe that neither good nor intelli-
gence can be found in that secton Of
the country. The patriotism of the peo'
pie of Nebraska is as broad and limit
less as her plains; their Christianity
and sense of duty are as pure and I'M
tainted AS her atmosphere. Never thus
far in the history of the state has she
been guilty of dishonor, and never as
long as intelligence is predominant and
God reign in the hearts of her people
will she be guilty of anything that will
place a stain upon her good name CT
that will cause her to he spoken of by
honest, intelligent and fair minded mon
in disparaging manner.
shall net speak at length respecting
this matter. as ( will at another time.
I have only embraced the first oppor-
tunity presented to declafe that Nehras-
ka, though under tho domination of the
Populist party, will be true to her
teachings and will be an honor to her.
self and the Union, of which she is and
will continue to he q foremost meinl err.
Mr.. President 1t is an error to always
look upon the accusing source as pure.
Many times the ancuser is more guilty
than the accused. Shakespeare, who
has given the world more useful kn0wl-
edge than any other single individual,
in my Judgment. very aptly put tha
truth in this language.
The jury, passing on the prisoner life,
May in the sworn II have thief 0f two
Guiltier than him they try.
may be permitted to add that it is
not improbable that among thosa who
accuse Nebraska and Kansas there may
be found few more guilty than those
they try.
Mr.. President, assume that the doc
tripe of the resolution is so well under
stood by the people of this country, and
especially by PopDlists, who are always
abreast of the times ana Familiar in
the latest and best thought on politics.
and legal questions. that it will Hos By
necessary for Inc to discuss il ut le,gt..
Section 10, article !, Of the constitU-
ton declares, among other things, that
no state shall pass any claw impairnk
the obligations of contracts. The states
when they entered the Union surrender
ed this power. OF course no enlighten-
ed government would attempt the eli
actment of such a law, Notwithstanding
there might be no constitutional pro-
hibition. Contracts are sacred Their
obligations must not be sippaired, and
no one understands this more fully or
more cOmpletely than the people of the