Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1898-09-10

ing
s.But this isn't ALL he said .sThink
of us commercially. What do you
think of making Europe and other
lands fork over six hundred million
dollars in cold cash for the difference
due US in the deals of the past year?
Aren't we somebody, thought"
Then her lips moved She spoke,
she could make it; her eyelashes not
lifted; her features expressionless.
listened to the words:
ssWe met in the midst of a Nation
brought to the verge of moral, politi-
cal and material ruin"
Like voice from the tomb 1T
sounded to him.
At first nv Populist friend seemed
stunned; then he was angry His
arms flew in the air. his jaw moved,
and his whiskers beat the wind; but
so enraged was he that he could ut
ter not a word Finally, in despair.
he sat down upon the porch steps
and buried his face in his hands.
''Cruel, know it is cruel,r said the
little woman in her softest, meekest
voice; .sbut that is is one of the first
phrases in the first national declara-
| tion of your great Populist party.
| That was the cornerstone on which
you builded; it was the belief in
those conditions that brought your
party into existence. Think of it,
what libel on a great and good peo-
pie. What are you going to do with
| the declaration of ruin anyhow?
Why not frame it, and send it to
Spain? 1 don't know of any one else
who could get any satisfaction out of
it; but, in the light of recent historic
events, it would be difficult task TO
get even her to believe it,
"But that was six long years ago."
plaintively pleaded my Populist
friend.
But you are still following the
trail onto which that infamous decla-
ration led you; and that is what hurts
me-" she answered impatiently.
''Think of yourself, think of it. Can
a great and growing nation make a
complete change in morals in six
years? When was there more evil
dence that Divine Providence was
guiding nation than we have at this
time? Think of our war for human
ity: think of Dewey and Manila;
think of Santiago; think of Spains
navy practically ruined and but one
man of ours killed in doing it. Would
the hand of Divine Providence so pro-
tect a nation that was on the verge of
moral ruin? Would a wicked and de-
PRAYED people wage such war for
humanity as ours has waged?
Financial ruin, too. Think of
that. All those millions of dollars
are being loaned to the Government by
the people, plain, Woodworking, eco
nomical people, such as you. And
yet you say in your great national
platform that we are on the verge of
material ruin How dare you look
Truth in the face and follow the foot
steps of the party which uttered that
libel?
Material ruin,' Yes, the differ
ence in our trade with nations of the
world was more than six hundred
million in our favor, but, great as it
is, that tells only a small part of the
internal growth. England's most re-
liable statistician now asserts that we
have become the richest nation on
the face of the globe, and he furnishes
the figures to prove it. Yet YOU fol-
low blindly in the lead of men who
declared that we are on the brink,
ready to topple over into all sorts of
ruin"
.sBut that was six years ago, i say,
and what makes you always bring
that up?" said my Populist friend,
somewhat detiantly. .sTake our later
acts; we were new party then"
The miscnievous smile began to
play about the lips of the good wife,
as she said: 'sVery well, your later
acts, then Out in the barn loft is a
banner which you lugged about in one
of your reform parades two years
ago. 1t reads:
A vote for Mckinley
means
% cents a buShei for wheat
and
10 cents bushel for corn.