The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-30

cided the laws which the congress of
the United States or the legislature of
our state have passed upon The de-
cision as to what issue should prevail
was made at the polls, and I want TO
say that in making that decision tho
class to which I belong plainly demon
strated their Importance.
Let US stand for a while near the
polls on an election day. We see tha
man with his silk-faced Prince Albert
walk to the polls and cast his ballot.
Perhaps the next man to vote will be q
miner. covered with the dust and dirt
of the mine in which he has done many
an honest days work. Their votes
count the same. In the great privilege
guaranteed by this republic of equal
right. you Mr.. Speaker. and you MIR.
Lawyer, and you Mr.. Capitalist and
you Mr.. Railroad man are permitted
to enjoy the same great privilege in
saying what issue shall prevail that we
farmers possess. and you ought to be
proud that you are in the same class
with US. I am sure we take no offense
because you are up to our high stand
ard.
It is said that in Canton, O.. on cleo
ton day in 1900 Mr.. Mckinley while
going to the polls to cast his vote met
a man who had been laborfng on the
streets but at that time was going to
the same place as our president. They
having known each other for years,
walked to tho voting place together,
one casting a vote Immediately after
the other. Their votes counted the
same. Gentlemen. there are but two
places of which we have any knowledge
where the rich and the poor the
humblest 1aborer of the streets and the
highest officer OF the land, meet on the
same level. and these are the ballot
box and the grave.
OF the twenty-five men who have oc-
| cupied the highest seat within the gift
of the American people, eleven of these
We're born on a farm. Our second
president. John Adams. was the son OF
90
Jackson, Martin Van Buren,. James K.
Polk. Zachary Taylor. and his pardner,
Willard Fillmore. Franklin Pierce,
James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln. U.
| S. Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes were
| each born and the earliest norton of
| their training given them on the farm.
From this we will see that the farmer
has been in politics, and that more
| than that. he is in politics. and still
further. he is there to stay. Gentle
men, do not misunderstood me when I
| say he is in politics to stay. for I do
not refer to the long-haired men and
the short-haired women freaks that
| traversed this fair state OF ours and
! brought shame and ruin to It in the
nineties. by telling the farmers how
| they had been abused by the party in
| power-the Republican Darty-and
warning them to fee from the ranks
! of this G. o. P. or this republic Of ours
| would be changed to an empire, there
| by stating that the Republican party
| was the farmers worst enemy. Nor
do refer to those who followed in the
wake of this cyclone of populism that
swept over this country, taking ad-
vantage of this prejudice that was in
stilled into the minds of the farmers
against men engaged in other callings.
grasping after some office for private
gain, and forming an unwise leadership
for a party built upon class prejudice
But l do speak of that farmer who,
when his neighbors followed the delus-
i've teachings of Mary Helen or Sockless
Jerry, that carefully considered the po-
litical questions of his day and decided
that the Republican party was the
best friend that the farmer ever had,
or ever will have.
Fellow Republicans, while the farmer
leads a more secluded life than his
brothers. the doctors, lawyers, and all
other professional or business men, ha
has place in politics. He is today
kept in touch with the affairs of this
government, the markets, and all the
interesting topics of the day, by Uncle
Sam who brings his mail to him every
twenty-four hours. and by means of
| the rural telephone systems. And well
he should keep abreast of the times,
for as the farmer prosperS, so the BUSH
ness man prospers; let calamity come
to him and the whole world suffers.