The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-08-23
HEPBURN AT SIDNEY.

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III
Colonel Hepburn, congressman from
this district, and nominee for reelection
made speech at the republican
county convention at Sidney, Fremont
county, last Tuesday. The colonel is
lying pretty close to his home district
just now, until after election, and at
tempting to prove up residence in the
district. But this is only for election
purposes, for as soon as election is over,
whether he is successful or not, he will
return to Washington, his real home
and residence. By the way wouldn't
it be good idea for the agriculturists Of
this district to elect man who lives in
the district, who is a part of the dis
trict, and is therefore in sympathy with
its people, knows their needs, and will
work tor their interests while in con-
gress?
The editor of the Herald, Sidney, at
tended the meeting of Mr.. Hepburn,
heard his speech, and devoted two col
umns to resume of it, showing its in.
consistencies and vagaries. We should
like to reproduce the entire article but
space forbids, BUT We will reproduce
about one.third Of it, as it is SO true to
life, and applicable to the Hon. w. P.
Hepburn. The clipping follows:
Col. w. P. Hepburn, congressman
i - loto
election, attended the republican county
convention held in Sidney last Tuesday,
and after the nominations had been
made, delivered two hours speech to
the convention. Col. Hepburn is re-.
garded as one of the ablest republican
orators in congress-indeed but few men
have been able to "down" the colonel
when it came to debate. He has always
been regarded as fluent and logical
speaker, and fighter in congress for
those measures he saw fit to support.
But Col. Hepburn is growing old and he
is losing much of that physical force
and mental yigor that characterized him
during the years Immediately preceding
and succeeding the famous Anderson
Hepburn campaign of 1886 when he and
Maj. A. r. Anderson held joint discus
sions throughout this eighth congress
sional district.
Those who are familiar with Colonel
Hepburn, who have heard him in by
gone DAYS and who heard him last Tues
day surely feel that he is on the decline.
His speaking is laborious and his here
tofore keen cut logic is conspicuously
absent. In the light of his former
speeches mis- effort last Tuesday was a
failure. However, he managed to create
much applause by his sarcastic remarks,
which were somewhat protuse, and he
spared no pains in ''lambasting' the
democrats and popullsts according to the
Hanna method-that of ridicule and not
reason, the former of which the republic
cans have plenty and the latter of which
it is not safe to their cause to use.
After congratulating the convention
upon nominating what he protested to
"believe' was a winning ticket "a piece
of tafiy which he knows will never
DOWN he launched upon the political
Issues. "This, . said he, is good year
for republicans" Then he proceeded to
say that drouths, hot winds, calamities
of all kinds bred of populism, and that
when all things worked well-that is.
when we have timely showers, good
crops and so forth-the republicans had
easy sailing. 1t would seem party that
can thrive we'll only when nature brings
abundance to the toiling millions tha
there must be something rotten in ane
around the core of such party. W.
were surprised to hear the Colonel con
cede that the g. o. p. prospers when al
nature lends its assistance, but that il
the hour of suffering the other part.
tiourishes.
Thirty-fve years have come and gon
since General Lee surrendered to Gen
eral Grant at Appomattax, since whicl
time those who wore the blue and thos
who wore the gray have marched t
martial music side by side under tn
stars and stripes, and fought loyalty 70
the American republic, and it has been
long time since the waving of tn
"bloody shirt" has been INDUCED i
political campaigns but last Tuesday
for want Of something better to tai
Colonel Hepburn hourished tn
bloody shirt, and told how the republ
cans sayed this union.
But the thing 80 noticeable in thi
part of his speech was how the republ
can party was so radically opposed t
slavery, and how they abolished it froI
our fair land. But he did not even mel
ton how republican president, backe
up by republican congress, in viol.
ton of the constitution-the suprem
law Of the land had again establishe
slavery in its most hideous form undo
the star spangled banner, as in the cas-
of the Sulu Islands. For shame! w