The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-28
UNFIT FOR CONGRESS
Brown of Pratt DenounceS
Jerry in a Letter.
TRAITOR To HIS PARTY
On the Maximum Rate Bill,
Populism's Pet Measure.

Pratt, Kan. Oct. 27.-(SpeciaI)-w F.
Brown-"Brown of Pratt''-of this county,
Populist representative in the legislature
from 1893 until the present time; author OF
the maximum freight rate bill which was
introduced and championed by him in the
legislature Of 1897; Populist of high degree
and leader of the party in its state coun-
ellis, is out in the following letter, printed
this week in the Pratt Republican, and ad-
dressed Ito the Independent voters of
Pratt county"
For the first time since the organiza-
ton OF the Populist party dc feel called
upon TO appeal to you through the medium
OF Republican newspaper. That l have
been the object of your confidence in the
past in the matter Of history. No other
man in Pratt county has been so honored
| by its people as myself, nor am ! insen-
sible TO the honors conferred or the conf
! dence bestowed, and did l feel that your
confidence in my integrity had abated to
any measurable degree, 1 certainly would
not waste my time in inditing this appeal
1 ditions which then existed and which still
! exist, we enunciated a certain platform Of
| principles. and a Populist house of repre-
| sentatives attempted to enact those prin-
ciples into law But a hold-over Repub-
lcan senate effectually blocked the way
and the session as result was practically
q failure.
Among the laws passed was a maxi
mum freight rate law.
In 1892 We reaffrmed our confidence in
our past demands and as result the Pop
ulst governor elected that year recon-
mended the passage of a maximum rate
law and the Dunsmore house, by unan-
imous vote, repassed the law Of 1890, and
every Populist in the senate voted for the
same measure. The downfall Of the Duns-
more house prevented the final passage of
the Jaw. In 1894 the campaign was made
upon the old issues and the Populist ma
jority in the senate repassed the maximum
rate law of 1880 and 1892. The campaign
of 1896 came on and was fought out upon
the same demands so far as railway legis-
lation was concerned, as were the former
mentioned campaigns, and up to the time
of the assemblage of thelegislature that
was elected in 1896, not one word had ever
been uttered by any Populist statesman
against tn old maximum freight rate law.
But as soon as tn legislature of 1887
comes together certain eminent statesmen
who claim to be Populists, suddenly dis
cover that the old maximum freight rate
law is altogether 100 radical They sud-
denly discove rthat we have been misrep-
resenting the railroads and that their
charges were not by any means son erron-
eOus as we had been claiming.
II boldly take the ground from the first
that the old maximum rate law was the
one We had gone before the people on and
had demanded their support for it and
since they had given it to US in such
measure, that it was our duty 10 redeem
our pledges and enact this bill into a law.
AS chairman of the House committee on
railroads 1 announced from the very first
my absolute determination to report the |
old maximum rate law for passage, and |
gentlemen of the Populist party, that is
the bill! that was reported from my COM
mittee for passage-not as my bill, but as |
a committee bill. But let me say to you |
that this bill was opposed by as determin- |
ed set of hllibusters as ever attempted to /
defeat a good law, and all the while these /
eminent POpulist statesmen were getting |
in their work. How well they succeeded |
You only too well know; and l am here to /
say to you that no man was more active |
in bringing about the defeat of that meas
ure than Jerry Simpson, and il is useless |
for anyone to claim that this fact was
at the time, for in a letter dated |
at Pratt February 16, 1897 B. D. Crawford
opens up with the following significant
paragraph:
Hon. w. F. Brown. Topeka, Kan.
Dear Sir:-From the remarks of Jerry
that 1 see in the newspapers judge he
does not like your work in the legislature.
After his expression in favor OF the usur-
ers who have been robbing our people 1t
may be TO your advantage
Now If Mr.. Crawford could see so much
in the papers 1 take it that others could
do the same.
Gentlemen, you will doubtless remem-
Der that on December 2, 1897. I published
an article in the Pratt County Union in
which I openly charged Jerry Simpson
with having worked against the passage
Of the maximum freight rate law. Ny aim
was TO give Mr.. Simpson p,enty OF time
TO explain his actions. Have any OF you
ever heard Of his attempting any explans-
tons? Have any OF you ever heard OF
any man who knows anything Of the facts.
denying that Mr.. Simpson did the things
charged.
In August or September OF the present
year l again charged Mr.. Simpson with
having assumed the role OF a professional
lobbyist n Topeka in 1897. Have any of
you heard Of any denial from Mr.. Simp-
son or any OF his friends? The Republican
papers Of not only this congress ona. dis
.rict but OF the state have rlng with these
charges have made against Jerry Snip
son for nearly one year and yet he has
neither in an open letter 10 The public nor
rom the rostTum IN his speeches attempt
ii 10 deny what I have said And gentle
men. Of all the Populist members OF The
house Of representatives of 1ss7. and OF al
he Popullst senators who occupied seats
upon the floor CT the senate 50 far as
know. not one has ever attempted 70 deny
ny charges o. openly claimed that they
we're untrue II I have led. why has not
The truth been made manitest. II I have
81 -.