The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-19
BIG JOINT DEBATES
Between Jerry Simpson and
Chester Long Recalled.
HOW EACH MAN STARTED
Rivals From the Start in a
Small Country Town.
HOW EACH MAN STARTED
longs Speaking Dates.


Monday, October 2O.-mcPherson
afternoon; Lyons, night.
Tuesday, October 21.-NeWton, aft
ernoon; Wichita, night.
Thursday, October 23.-SterIing, aft
ernoon; Great Bend, night.
Friday, October 24.-Stafford, after
noon; Larned, night
Mr.. Long will be outside the district
on Wednesday, speaking at PaoIa and
Olathe, and on Saturday, speaking al
Kansas City, Kan.
Monday, October 27.-Lakin, after
noon; Garden City, night.
Tuesday, October 28.-Liberal, aft.
ernoon; Greensburg, night.
Wednesday, October 29.-Pratt, aft
ernoon.
Thursday, October 3o.-Kingman,
afternoon; Hutchinson, night.
Friday, October 31.-Arkansas City,
night
Saturday, November 1.-WelIington,
afternoon; Harper, night.
Monday, November 3.-Medicine
Lodge, afternoon.
Especial Correspondence Of The Eagle)
The recent joint debates between w.
J. Bailey and W. II. Craddock, Republic
cand and Democratic candidates for gov
ernor Of Kansas. recall very forcibly the
greatest series OF joint debates ever held
In Kansas. if not in the entire West
Reference is made to the debates in
the campaign Of 1896 between Chester l.
Long and Jerry Simpson, rival candid
dates for congress in the Seventh dis
trict The Bailey-Cra6dock debates
De in ,,g-r-5e..,
TO be compared with the strenuous Sew
enth district campaign OF 1896 These
Long Simpson debates attracted atten-
tion not alone of the Seventh district.
but of Kansas and the country at large
They made fame for both participants
They exploited Simpson the adroit, the
clever, the witty; and Long the keen,
analytical, the masterful. Longs fame
since the campaign Of 1896 has come
more than from anything else, to the
debates OF that year with his clever op-
ponent.
IN telling the story of these famous
debates it is necessary TO preface it with
an introduction. Simpson and Long both
were from the little town of Medicine
Lodge. than which no town of Kansas
has furnished ADLER men to the state.
Simpson came to Medicine Lodge in the
early days. He farmed indifferently:
came often 10 town; participated in Sat
urday afternoon street corner debates;
and finally T. A McNeal, now editor of
the Kansas Mail and Breeze, who was
then mayor of Medicine Lodge, brought
Simpson to town to be marshal. Simp-
son was a good marshal This was his
first office. The position demanded very
little work, and enabled Simpson to be
on the street all the time, where he
could have his little controversies and
debates. Not well educated man, Simp-
son was an omniverous reader, and had
a fair amount Information on matters
Of current interest. The year OF his
marshalship was 1890.
Chester /. Long was born in Pennsyl-
vania, reared in Missouri. Daviess coun-
ty; and in 1879 went TO Paola, Kansas
TO attend the normal school there. He
was then 10 years Of age. a serious, ambi-
tious country boy Completing his course
he taught a time. and then went to To-
pelka to study law with that famous
Kansas firm, Peck. Johnson & McFar-
land In 1885 he went TO Medicine Lodge
to practice law. BY hard work and ap-
piication he became Wen established in
Iaw before even paying attention to To-
cal politics.
In 1855 Simpson was nominated for the
legislature as q union labor candidate.
And here is where fusion in Kansas poll
tics began. A fun union labor county
ticket was named when CSimpson was.
a short time before the election Simp-
son persuaded the Democrats TO substi-
tute his name on their tocket for repre-
sentative. in consideration for which he
arranged 70 substitute the entire bal
ance Of the Democratic county ticket on
the union labor ticket This made COM I
plete fusion-the first on record. Il was
before the days Of the Australian ballot. /
Simpson made a thorough campaign in
the county. Long followed him M.
speaking in school houses and having .
interest almost entirely in defeating Mr.. 4
and breaking I'D the fusion deal. 4
So here began. in 1888, in their own coun- /
~. the famous tits in politics between (
these two clever men. their contests /
eventually spreading to the entife state. /
Simpson was defeated In that cam
paign occurred the first debate between (
the two. It was in Medicine Lodge :on (
!. Saturday afternoon. The usual country
crowd had come TO market and TO visit
Long was on a wason. on a street cor
ner. making a speech. Simpson and a
few followers happened along. First he
listened TO the young lawyer; then he
Interrupted him: next he asked cues
ton; then a dozen-then il became rum
ming FIRE between the two. Long recog-
nized what he was up against; caught
bis breath and feet at the same time. and
he Feet at Simpson until the latter walk
ID AZ
In long was nominated by the Re
Of his district for state sena-
-or. .mpson stumped the district
.gainst him. Long was elected. In 1880
simpson was nominated by the new party
'cr congress and was endorsed by the
Democrats. Seventh district Republicans
named Colonel James r. Hauowen IL
Wichita. Long accompanied Halowen
al about the district. antagonizing his
Medicine Lodge neighbor. Simpson was
elected He was renominated in 1892
Long was named by the Republicans
simpson had over 200 majority IN 1890;
n 1882 he won over Long by only LEA
II the campaign Of 1892 the first at
-empf was made by Long TO secure joint
debates with his opponent. Longs con
yressional committee did not have great
confidence in his provess and was
against debates with the clever Simpson
--4a h~aA Iona committeeman. L Nj