Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-12-01

Jerry simpson, Lemue Ell QuiEg,
Joseph Henry walker and James
HAMILTON evil Possessed QuAIi-
ties which Raised Them Far Above
Their Feuows-A Tribute TO Brains.
Especial washington letter.
Imperial Missouri She keeps the
faith. Her lofty head is proudly lifted
above the food In spite OF Doodle, rain
storms and tamtams she elects her state
ticket by $4,000, a Legislature which
viii elect General Cookrell for a fifth
term, and ~ Democratic congressman
ont Of is.
She stands forth today as the foremost
Democratic state In the Union-as the
rallying point in the days to come for
all who are unwilling to convert the re-
public into "a government Of trusts BY
trusts for trusts" All hail imperial
Missouri - glorious Missouri - Demo
cratic Missouri
Tour Of the most picturesque figures
Of the present congress were submerged
at the late election-Josepb Henry
Walker Of Massachusetts,. Jerry Simp-
son Of Kansas Lemuel Eli Quigg Of
New York, and James Hamilton Lewis
Of Washington. No quartet in the
house attracted more attention than
these, and their absence will be a dis
tinct loss 70 the gayety Of nations.
The ssEe of Medicine Lodge.
Jerry Simpsons career shows what q
man with brains in his head can do
When first elected, the metropolitan
press treated him as a freak, a low
demagogue. q senseless mountebank and
q wild man from Kansas. He |as the
subject Of their mirth, the butt Of their
ridioule the constant object Of their
arcasm At high noon, March 4, 1899,
be quits congress the second time-but
let us hope not the last-with the re-
speot Of every member whose respect is
worth possessing. with as many scalps
at his belt as any man of only six years
service can boast and with the reputa-
tion Of being one of the most formida-
BILE rough and tumble debaters that ever
sat in the house. Nobody any longer
sneers at ''the Sage Of Medicine Lodge. "
His splendid ability long since conquer
ed prejudice His unquailing courage
and his rugged honesty compelled ad-
miration. His bitter tongue is feared
by every boodler and corruptionist in
the land and his name is familiar to
the cara Of men from sea to sea. This Is
q record, a triumph, n glory Of which
Jerry Simpson and his children to the
latest generation may be Justly proud.
In the humble homes Of the lowly, in
the haunts of men who must earn their
bread in the sweat Of their faces, In the
abodes Of those who feel the heavy hand
Of oppression under the forms Of law,
there Is nj name among retiring states
men Of this generation which will be
longer or more fondly cherished than
that Of Jerry Simpson.
Had Jerry represented a district GER
tain TO return him regularly there was
no honor Of the republic to which be
might not have reasonably aspired, save
and except the presidency itself, from
which he is barred by the constitution
by reason Of his foreign birth, and
many men weaker far intellectually
than Simpson have occupied the chair
Of Washington and worn the mantle Of
Jefferson. But Jerry held his seat in
congress by a p~recarious tenure, which
in itself largely distracts q members
attention from his congressional duties.
1t prevents him from securing the best
assignments, and, what is
more and worse, prevents his selecting
speciality in legislation, fixing all
his powers upon that and in that way
making his name a permaEsaoy in the
history Of his country.
OF all the manifestations Of political
idiocy which l have observed the worst
is for a district to be p~erpesually swap
ping congressman. There are 10, 600
things connected with q representatives
duty which can be learned only In the
hard school Of experience. With few ex-
captions Of men who have national rep.
utations before entering the house, the
new member must in many ways "be-
gin at the foot Of the class and spell
OF course some do this quicker
than others Jerry was among the swift
est in his ascent and be rose high. He
would have risen higher and more swift
ly had his tenure been securer. He has
made six races for congress, losing in
three and winning in three. he took his
congressional running as the English
man takes his tipple, half and half.
Millions of his fellow citizens-yes,
millioDs-hope to see him return TO
congress in 1900 and remain there till
be dies unless called up higher.
QuiEE Likes n Fight.
Lemuel Eli Quigg looks like the Cir.
tassian girl in the circus, but neverthe-
less Jemuel Eli carries around a goodly
quantity Of gray matter In his noggin.
is a fin de steele sort Of statesman
and ran with the Piatt machine until be
both himself and II into the ground.
Lemuel is by training a newspaper man
and possesses all the sang froid which
pertains to the profession. He was elect
in 1895 by an immense majority and
defeated this year by 5000 by a
Santiago hero. Two things can be as.
serted about Quieg with something like
'ertainty-that be will not hereafter
DO a hero ~worshiper and that he will
bear his defeat with as much cheerful
ness az any other man defeated ON the