People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-11-03

refused on account of your youthful
years. | remembered how all thes
years, your one paramount regret ha
been that you, too, could not wear tn,
little bronze button" of the Grand Arm,
OF the Republic. And l saw or thought
saw in Ralph's enlistment the climax O
your resolution to identify yourself il
some way with the grand and gloriou.
military record of your kith and kin
There was no thought of obstruction
in that grand act of fatherly offering to
the service of your country. Nor do l moi
can believe that an "obstructionist'
in the morning would have made the
offering of his only son in the evening
to the cause obstructed No, no, that
can not be- 1t could not be at any rate
IN your case, for you are not-you can
not, II you would, be hypocritel God
Almighty never put a single fiber of in
sincerity in your make up.
When through you and Hon. Charley
Curtis rendered my services to raise,
organize and lead regiment of Kansas
rifemen independent of the state quota, "
your zeal and indefatigable efforts in
that behalf were not emenations from'the
heart of an "obstructionist' and in the
light OF what yon did and attempted in
that matter no man can truthfully accuse
you of fostering the sentiments of an
"obstruc.:,list."
When the President in return rendered
me the position of assistant adiutant
general through Senator Baker l know
how great was your solicitude that I
should accept, both on the presidents
and senator's account; and have been
told by Republican lips how great was
your Joy when you received my telegram.
these were not the emotions of an
"obstructionst,"
| also remember that when the 22nd
Kansas reached Washington, you were
the first Kansan to meet and greet them,
and l learned from Some of the "boys"
how you marched with them to their
Virginia camp, how you inquired after
their wants, and how heartily you prof
tered your services to promote their
welfare and comfort! These, Jerry, were
not the acts of an "obstructionist.
| also remember that after l had
reached Chicamauga Park and had be-
gun my own labors you wrote noble and
generous words of praise and patriotic
pride about our volunteers and offered
without stint to do anything possible to
further the interests of the army as
whole or of the men individually! There
was no hint of obstruction" in that
1t is matter for serious thought that
men OF any party in this great republic
will resort to contemplate and most
hellish lying regardless of facts patent to
all, to accomplish temporary advantage
in political campaign! l say tenn
porary advantage" for no permanent
good can arise from such methods. Nor
can any permanent injury be done to
the victims of such unmanly, dishonor-
able and disreputable meanness. True a
man may be made to fall from such
work, but if he be wise and true, he will,
like truth in the old saw, rise again"
l hesitate to believe that your opponent
has taken part or has consented to this
disreputable business.
have known him but few years, but
IN that time have learned to admire and
respect him. If it shall be proven that
he is, or has been, or shall be, a party to
this attempt to discredit your loyalty in
the face of the well known facts, then l
shall feel like dispairing of the thing
called manly honor among politicians.
l know how hard it is to patiently bear
the stings and slurs of a lot of uncon-
encneless liars, back-biters and he-gossips.
1t IS not pleasant experience. But it
has its compensations. 1t don't last for
ever and then the fellows who indulge in
that sort of business soon disappear. Did
you never notice that the politicians who
resort to that method are always short
lived? They die off in the presence of a
political frost like flies at the first az
proaches of winter, while their victim,