The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-01-31

that greatest gladiator of the parlia-
mentary arena, Thomas B. Reed, and
the delegation headed by that match
less Republican leader, SOLDIER ana
statesman, our president, William Nc
Kinley. Yes, and up to 1890 no state
had better credit at home or abroad,
and but for the calamity howl of the
Populists, her credit would equal that
of any other state in the Union today.
During the last seven years the Popu-
lists have written too much history for
Kansas. We cannot point with pride
to that history and we hope it will only
be remembered as a warning to those
who believe that a state and its credit
can stand amy old thing" 1t is true
that we have been encountered with a
great Indebtedness, but fifty millions OF
that debt was cancelled during the last
12 months and one more good Kansas
year will see the record clear. How
great a surprise this achievement must
have been to the PopuliSts, who few
years ago were declaring that if KAN
sas were sold under the hammer, she
would not bring sufficient to pay her
debts. How pleasing it is to the Repub-
licans, for they have always had faith
in the prOductiveneSS of Kansas soil
and the honesty of her people. some OF
our citizens saw that the debt had
grown. They forgot that other things
had grown as we'll and they greatly un-
derrated the strength which stood
ready to bear the burden, confident of
it's power and of its resources.
I'VE have no gold mines in Kansas, but
the value of our agricultural products
last year exceeded that of all the gold
produced in the world during the same
period.
During the last year the Populists
have had full sway and have demon
strated how little faith can be placed
in their promises. In every department
there is abundant proof of mismanage-
ment Their cry for the maximum
freight rate bill one year ago last fall,
was louder than ever before, yet with
the senate and house and all the state
officers under their control, they failed
to keep their pledge. The declaration
that they made during the last cam
paign that they had saved the state
thousands of dollars, was followed by
the sad announcement that our war
rants were being stamped Not paid for
want of funds AS Republicans we are
proud of the fact that a depleted and
ravished treasury was never the result
of the management or administration
of our party, and the present lesson
should be sufficient to demonstrate
wherein lies the welfare and safe con-
duct of our institutions.
again the Populists claimed to be
the friends of the worhngmen- They
declared for free labor in their platform
but failed to keep that promise and
forced convict mined coal on the mar
ket in competition with the coal dug by
Kansas miners. This one fact alone IS
sufficient to condemn them in the eyes
of the industrious, truth-lOVlng, law
abiding class of Kansas wOrkmen-
Il have taken up too much of your
time by calling your attention TO thelr
broken promises. The truth is their
leaders have never made a pledge they
intended to keep. I will not detain you
with a review of their predictions, but
please remember they have never ut
tered a prophecy which has not been
shattered by indisputable facts, show
ing that their leaders have never yet
made an honest prediction or one based
on any ground save that of individual
seIfishness. If the Populists, fusion
Democrats and silver Republicans of
Kansas are not proof against all
warning, the events of the last year
should be sufficient to convince them
that they are in the middle of the road
which leads not to the prosperity and
advancement of a community, state
leads to the destruction of all the ma
terial interests that rebound for the
public good.
Mr.. POSTMASTER, the gentlemen in
power in this state today and their adj
visers have been crying out against
abuses, but they have demonstrated
that they do not possess the qualities
necessary for the work of reform, if re-
form is really needed, and to entruSt
them with further power would be an
error fatal to the best interests of this
great state.
Tonight, while we Republicans meet,
flushed with victory and welcoming the
dawn of better times which tinges the
eastern sky, let US look beyond our
state for a moment. We find public
credit has been re-established; trade