The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1903-05-14
RARE FRANKNESS
IN PUBLIC LIFE
Absolute Candor Feature OF Victor Mur-
docks Political PoliCy-SpeeChes Char
aCterized by Simple ElOquenCe


necessarily wounding the feelings Of those
who oppose him-without, in other words
acting the demagogue. Such a man Is
Victor Murdoch. His speech accepting
the nomination Of the Republican party at
the Great Bend convention is said to be,
by competent critics of political oratory,
one of the cleanest speeches ever made
in Kansas, in his, that while Mr.. Murdoch
stated positively where he stood on all
questions of prime Importance In Ameri-
can politics. he did not, in single In
stance, impugn the motives or question
the honesty of men who differ from the
Republican party on the great questions
with which American statecraft has to
deal. 1t is said that Mr.. Murdoch Is not
an orator, but there Is simple, manly
and inoffensive frankness in the follow
Ing speech which appeals stronger to the
average fair-minded Kansan than the
rhetoric Of the skilled spellbinder This
is what NV. Murdoch said.
my friends. 1t Is with deep emotion,
and with sincerity deeper still, that |
thank you for the nomination you have
50 generously rendered me. 1t is custo-
mary for successful candidate to give
special thanks to his warmest friends In
u contest, and this now do; but on this
occasion also feel that every man in the
convention, and every man he represents,
Is my friend. | do not except the friend
ly Democrats, especially the Democratic
editors who have shown me so many
courtesies during my campaign In a
word, thank everybody and will try to
merit their friendship If l am lucky
enough to occupy the place in congress
recently vacated by our distinguished
junior senator, Mr.. Long.
I'm my remarks, gentlemen, I must be
very brief, for there is at home one who
is waiting a message from Great Bend,
one who must, as soon as possible, share
with me in the joy Of this occasion.
my friends, am going to congress, If
the people ratify the action Of this con-
vention--and l llve--as a Republican.
am going there as Kansas Republican,
as a Seventh district Republican. I am
going there with special and common
purpose. am not vain enough hope, to
think that | can Immediately make the
influence which this great people of the
Seventh district will delegate to me, felt;
but | hope in time by keeping steady
eye on opportunity, to be able to ask, with
some degree Of effectiveness, something
that the shortgrass country--Whether 1t
shall be the Eighth district, or the proud
Big Seventh stil--will remember me by.
In a sentence, my friends, my special
purpose in congress shall be to obtain
some recognition of the dream of the
great caravan Of pioneers who have
crossed and recrossed the prairles in
hopes Of making our western counties
better agricultural as well as better beef
producing territory. am going TO inter
est Uncle Sam, II can, in water; and
don't care for the present whether it is
rain water, artesian water or common
every day Arkansas river water | want
1t applied to the prairles of higher Kan
sas according to the most practicable
principles of advanced scientific irrlga-
ton, and with the start made under fair
auspices you and /, and every one Of us
| hope, may live to see Kansas the i'm
perial commonwealth which our pioneer
fathers dreamed of.
II am going to congress with the gen.
eral Republican purpose Of advancing the
interest, the influence and the glory of ouI
greater republic. am going to stand for
the most stable currency our widening
commerce needs in the control of this and
other natural commercial territory. am
going to stand for money, the best thai
any nation can coin.
'I am going to stand for navy that
will maintain our honor and prestige IN
every port and harbor in the world, and
that will keep alive in our hearts thai
pride of country which was born anew
within us all on that memorable day
when Dewey split the proud blood Of
Castllian dOns in Manila bay.
II stand for an army fit to cope with all
probable exgencies, and national guard
reinforcement that will enable us at any
hour to defend the country's just inter
ests from unjust aggressions by any foe
Or any race, on earth. To my mind, We
will have to defend either the Monroe
Doctrine or its spirit, some day. for with
progressive Republican ideas of national
enrichment through international com.
merce, we will have to deal and trade
with a people whose independence anc
political entity depend largely upon oul
insistence on the Monroe Doctrine as
national and an international policy.
II shall stand for that strong basic ele.
ment Of all our national prosperity, Re-
publican protective tariff. I believe thu
time is nearly ripe, perhaps, when somt
system can be formulated, through thu
wisdom of Republican statesmen, BY
which our tariff schedules can be modiflet
or raised to suit the immediate conditions
and requirements of commerce, without
the necessity and delay of congressional
action. It may be that such a system
would be needed to curb the power ant
immense influence Of combined capital
whose actions, in an arrogant MOOD, may
require that Intervention from which
Republican administration has never
shrank when the natural rights Of TIT
people were threatened by the assumed
power Of wealth.
81 shall stand by that embodied spirl
Of heroic manhood, Theodore Roosevelt
I shall stand with him as long as ne II
president Of the United States and tn
correct Interpreter Of the composite pub
lie opinion Of the nation
ri shall stand by, and with, and for
the men whose deeds and sacrifices merg
ii i,,a i,onoortol achievement at ADpa