People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1900-03-08
Longs Speech.
Wellington, Kan, Feb. IS
EDITOR BEACON:

lated by reading his speech.
IF Mr.. Long is correctly reported, 1t
said: 4 am supporter Of the admins
tration and will not knowingly Oppose
the wishes of the president This state
ment should bring the lush Of shame t,
each of his constituents in this, the larg
est district in the United States, the in
habitants of which, in point OF intelli'
gence, are second to none.
"Think of it. He would not know
inglv oppose the wish Of the president.
"His own conscience and judgmen
are not to weigh so much as feather
It is simply, Me too Did ever one
know a valet who was more subseryien
than this statement indicates Mr.. Long
to be.
"When did ever congressman make
statement that slowed him to he so OBJ
sequious as he?
1T was only in December last, thai
the president recommended III his mes.
sage that Porto Rico have free trade
with us. Had the president not changed
his position, Mr.. Long would have made
speech supporting the message and
free trade, but since the president ~
obedience to the mandates OF the trusts
has changed his position and IS now de-
handing a duty upon Porto Rlcan pro-
ducts Mr. Long saws, Me too
"Should the president change back to
his original position, Mr.. Long would be
left >in a pitiable condition, since his
speech cannot be expunged from the
records.
"When one reads such declaration
as was made by Mr.. Long he can scarce
ly believe that he represents the same
part, and district that in convention a
few years since instructed its congress
sional nominee to support, if elected,
free coinage Of silver and to keep clear
Of party caucus upon that question.
'If space will permit let me notice the
speech upon its merits.
"Mr. Long and his associates attempt
to Justify their position by claiming that
there is some analogy between the eX-
pansion in the past when we acquired
Louisiana, Florida and Texas. The kind
Of reasoning ends when the analogy
fails. The requisition of the above ter
-itory was expansion and the acquisition
Of the Philippine islands was expansion
and here the analogy can be carried no
'urther. Joe Patchen is an animal, but
ne has but few features in common with
he animal that conversed with Balaam.
There is as much difference between the
ormer and the latter expansion as be-
ween the two animals named.
"In concluding, when Mr.. Long says,
Porto Rico is in most unfortunate
condition. A hurricane last August OBJ
iterated two-thirds of the current
wealth of her people and left thousands
II want that he is feebly indicating
What we may expect i'll the future when
We become responsible for the condition
+ ten million Filipinos and cites fully
pom a colonial policy. Today tens of
thousands of British subjects in India
re starving, while the poor Egyptian is
eing taxed to death and her army is en-
aged in the nefarious attempt to destroy |
he South African republic. A colonial
olicy means for US a standing army OF
lie hunered and fifty thousand, enor-
lous taxation to support it. 1t means
ltional debt that will never be paid.
ngland, France and Spain have eX-
lnded. The debt of Spain is S365 to
lie family of FIVE; that of England S455,
lat of France $3.50, We are paying
wv 10 support the Philippine war about
5 to the family for which we will get
} returns except to the trusts and
of the east. JAMES \. RAY"
The above is a portion Of letter which
Gently Appeared in the Wichita Beacon. !
lie Sumner County Star answers this
cellent argument in its characteristic
amer. The following sentence is a
mple: "Ex-Judge Ray is a blather-
lite, a fy-up-the-creeG a persistent
eker of notoriety, wind-pump at
ched to nothing" This is sample
the methods employed by Long and
S supporters. The price Of the prefer
ent and cheap notoriety he is receiving
Washington in the support of all adj
measures regardless of what
ey may be-a cuckoo of the cuckoos-
pending upon trust money and the
lcking of the administration for a re-
ection. 1t is not what do the people Of
is district want and how may their III
rests be served, but how much support
i'll the administration give, that de-
DIES his course of action. He and his
lpporters may think that by vilifying
Id abusing everyone who dares, In fair
Id candid way, to criticise his course
ley will intimidate and bully all oppo-
ton into silence. In this they are very
Iuch mistaken. The people will de-
land fair play and candid discussion
issues. Such abuse simply shows that
weak spot has been reached and that a
iscussion of issues is feared.
The last act in the drama, the crushing
Pool Grinstead, editor of the Wathe-