The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-10-14
AT CHANUTE AEUNION.

1 lCdNTt III "HiSi an h"RNH iN"y ~
proud.
"He did his duty and did it we'll.
And for any man or set of men to
try to make capital, out of the mis-
takes incident to the war is an
outrage that should not be condor
ed. The little mistakes or by chance
now and then dishonest act by
some subordinate are not just causes
for the slanderous and unjust attack
on Secretary Alger and the war de
partment."
We this week give the letter, writ
ten by Mr.. Ridgely from Washing
ton. March the II, 189S,to the Tri-
bune of Pittsburg, and in the next
column extracts from his speech at
| the old soldiers meeting at Topeka,
and also here at the reunion. Mr..
Ridgely seems to have very lately
experienced change of heart and
got his eyes opened to the fact that
| Mckinley is a great man, and that
the war was prosecuted with spirit
and determination that accomplish
ed wonders.
Mr.. Ridgely's deathbed repentan-
&c may carry him through all right,
but it seems to have come pretty
late in the day. Somehow he did
not repent as far as can be found
out till after he got home and found
out the sentiment of the people of
Kansas.
Such letters as he wrote were all
right two years ago when the Pop
ullsts were standing open mouthed
ready to take down at gulp such
slush as that, but the gentleman
soon found after reaching home that
his party had progressed in the two
years he had been i'll congress while
he was still padding in the same
narrow rut. Such reformation as
this only shows the narrowneSs of
the man, and his frantic efforts at
apology now, in season and out
only show the desperate strait to
which he is brought. II would seem
that last March he should have had
some knowledge of the character of
Mckinley and the Republican adj
ministration from his associations
in Congress.
If he did not then, how could he,
since leaving Washington, have
learned of the noble heart qualities
which he lauds SO highly now? Then,
our President was "but clay being
manipulated by Hanna and his
crowd" Now, che is a big-hearted,
big-brained, firm and resourceful
man.
Then, "to our shame as nation,
we are being used through control
of the President as a mere tool to
help ring of spectators" Now,
eff there ever was peer to the i'm
mortal Lincoln, it is William Nc
Kinley."
1t does seem that the people must
see through such him-ham states
manshlp, and that Mr.. Ridgely
will be asked to return to private
life, for awhile, at least. Such vlo-
lent fops of the brain must be inju-
rious to his nervous system, and
should he be reelected his brain
would doubtless turn other side up
again and he would be found in
Congress opposing Mckinley and
the Administration policies again
just as vigorously as he did at the
beginning of the war. If you be-
lieve in Mckinley, if you believe in
the war, if you believe in the &C
QUESTION of new territory and the
policy of building it up and fitting
it for part of this great Republic,
vote for man for Congress whom
you know to be true to Mckinley
and his policies; for a man that
does not change front every time
the moon changes; for a man of
ability and stability; for man that
can be relied upon to stand by your
county and your state; for man
who will ever be found on the side
of patriotism and loyalty to his
country and his constituents; for a
man of broad and statesman-llke
views of the various national ques-
tons that may arise; for a man,
whom, by his actions today you
may judge of where he will be to.
morrow.
Vote for S. S. Kirkpatrick fol
Congress.