Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-06-29

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) nsassns esasary. Ssasaseas1l. y T.. %
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poleon- Not one person in a hundred
thousand knows that, hns il Is the
plain unvaTnished truth nevertheless
The last day Of the debate Bland astoa-
ishsd the tariff baruns and thsir supple
tools by Offering the following amend
ment. asWheneve- American farm
products are exchanged for foreign ar
ticles these shall come In free. or
wherever American farm products are
sold and the proceeds invested in for
eign articles these shall ON in free"
ssThe Bald Eagle Of the Ozarks' car
ried CONSERVATION into the ranks Of the
pap sackers There was a great hurry
ing to and fro just then. BANDS plan
was a great chunk Of free trade. II
made the cold ehills run mp and down
the spinal columns Of ali the Republican
members misrepresenting agricultural
constituents. those Janus faced western
representatives with eastern principles
who hold with the hare and run with
the hounds II made the cold sweat
core on Major Mckinley. Voting was
to begin at 3 p m, but such was the
shock and fear that the Buckeye Napo-
leon had the time extended three hours
in order to whip in and stiifen up the
backbone Of the western double dealers,
to send out and get the eastern fellows,
and, after all, they only beat Bland's
proposition three votes
Though Bland came near snatching
victory from the jaws OF defeat in that
tariff fight, be is called a man Of M
idea.
Bland was honest as the day Is long,
plain AZ an old shoe, artless as a child
and knew no such word as fear. II he
had been elected president, he would
have restored the government to the
simplicity Of the fathers, q consumma-
tion devoutly to be wished. He would
have recalled theftruly Democratic days
when Jefferson rode to the capitol
hitched his horse TO a sapling and
walked in among the bepowdered and
becued magnates 70 be sworn in as
president and when Old Hickory
smoked his corncob pipe in the White
House.
The Moses OF Free silver.
1t would have been a spectacle wall
worth a trip across the continent to see
''the sage Of Lebanon quietly chew
ing his guild Of 'lopg green" in the
presidential mansion, dressed in plain,
comfortable clothes such as are gener-
ally worn by Missouri farmers. But 1t
was not to be. Bland was the Moses Of
the free silver hosts The great Ne
braskan is their Joshua. History re-
peating itself. Bland was permitted to
look into but not to possess the prom
Used land There can nowhere be found
a scintilla Of evidence that he ever re-
GREETED the result Of the Chicago con-
vention. What be sought with a single
ness Of mind rarely equaled, with a
fortitude never excelled, with self abb
negation that challenged admiration,
was not personal aggrandizement, hut
the triumph Of a cause. Having seen
his pet idea made the principal plank of
his psrty's platform, be was content.
/ have no doubt that the defeat Of
Bryan and that platform in November.
1896, had much to do with his de-
clining health, for be had passed the
halcyon period Of youth, when hope
springs eternal in the human breast
In everything touching his charac-
ter Bland was particular even 10 fas-
t~idiousness. When his Colorado admir-
ers presented him with a silver service
20 magnificent as to make ones mouth
water merely to look upon il, be de-
clined the gift with thanks, thereby
avoiding the very appearance Of evil;
bat when, at the silver wedding Of
himself and wife, his Missouri col
leagues in house and senate. Democrats
and Republicans, presented them with
a handsome silver souvenir Of their
affections be gladly and I think proud
" received IL, as not even malice itself
could suggest a sinister motive in tbi t
transaction in either the giyers or the
recipients.
BIand'a First Campaign.
Looking at Mr.. BANDS serious face.
observing his sedate bearing, one would
never dream that there was a day when
be could trip the light fantastic toe
with the best Of them; but Colonel JEFF
Seay. who Of late years has been both
judge Of the supreme court and govern
or Of Oklahama. could a tale unfold
on that subject which would make the
natives stare If be would dive down
into his memories Of more than a quar-
ter Of a century ago. In 1870 he was
pitted againyt Bland for congress in the
first race the latter ever made. Colonel,
Judge and Governor JEFF is as crafty as
T~alleyrand, and shortly before the cleo
tion be confded TO his friends that he
had "Diek beaten dead to rights, az all
the Bohemian vote had been captured.
But Colonel Seay was just then count
ing his chickens before they were hatch
ed. Mr.. Bland heard that the Bohe-
mians were going to have a picnic in
some placs lar from the railroad and
telegraph on the Saturday before the
election. So be hied himself thither,
made them q speech before noon, par
ticipated in their basket dinner, and
when Emusic rose with its voluptuous
swell, and eyes looked love to eyes which
spake again." the young statesman.
then in the flower Of his years and still
a bachelor, danced with all the pretty
girls in a way that won all hearts. and.
what was a gOod deal mo-e to the pur-
pose. won all the votes for miles around.
That dg6ee of victory sent Bland to
congress TO enter upon that long cares
which filed the world with his acclaim
and left Colonel Andrew Jefferson Seay
at home with h bad case Of mulligruhs
II was a pleasure TO bea guest in the
unpretentious house Of the Blands in
Washington. The guest was made to
feel thoroughly at home by the genuine
hospitality. There peace. c~oniidsnce.
virtue, elegance, abounjed There meyer
was a fonder husband or a tenderer f.
ther than Richard P. Bland He was
amply repaid by the unfailing love and
devotion Of bis wife and children.
M ( Nj