Idaho Springs siftings., 1904-10-22
TRiBULATIOkS OF A GREAT
GRANDFATHER.

Alton upon Nearly livery foiuts but
FnalIy succumbs to Drowsiaess
and IL Pat to Bed
Elkins. Sept IS
Dear Sonny:
l don't know what's the matter with
me- l can't seem to recoIect anything
that has happened since | made my pro-
tectien speech in the Senate in 1883.
That was the greatest effort Of my-or
my stenogra pher's-life.
When I went upstairs last night l
forget whnt ! had gone for and had
to can my boy. Steve Elkins. up to tell
me- Quicker'n shootin' he pointed to
the bed and began heipin' me of with
my Congress CATERS. That's jest like
4 Republican. thinkin' Of what We ought
TO think Of first and doin' what we amt
got ait-up-and-git enough TO do for our
selves.
And now few words about your let
ter of acceptance Don't git ho; under
the collar if an old man of SO takes
the privilege of speakin' his mind.
Ysu begin by talkin' abou; centraliza-
ton Where have you been living the
last forty years? Don't you know that
the principle that the Union is bigger
than any of its parts was settled by the
war, when I lnid the foundations of
my fortune sellin' horses to the Federal
srmyf
Don't fash yourself about some youth
full Napoleon usurpiu' any dangerous au-
thority over the So.O0o.Ooo American
soyereixns. They all know their rights
as well as Dave Hill. and KNOWN, dare
maintain them. without the consent of
any other nation, as your friend of SO
aud 1900. Billy Bryan, would say.
What's this thing imperialism you
talk SO much aboutf In my opinion it's
all tommyrot There's no more impe-
rialism In the United States than in
the knothoie stuffed with the clay of
imperial Caesar.
Yoa make me weary when you talk
about the President Of the United States
developing such tremendous power from
year to year until II slnest equals that
of many monarchs." What sort Of small
potatoes do you take the President of
this republic forg You may think he
Is of NO more account than the King
Of Greece or the Akoond of Swnt. but
at my age I'm not runnin' for the remote
chance of succee.iin' to an Office no big
ger than some hop o my thumb might
get By accident.
Don't yon know that II We follow ''the.
itoisAtps VI ouf We HthHA
toward the past? Following the foot
steps Of ancestors can only lead to the
cradle or the tomb. And though they
say that ! am in my second childhood
and have one foot in the grave. prefer
standin' in the footsteps of the livin' to
folIowin' the footsteps of the dead
Aet-act Ia the living present.
Heart within. and God o'ethsadi
has always been the motto of your as
piria' Uncle Gassawey.
Talk of lust OF power What are we
in this race for? l never lnsted for any
thing as l lust after the presidency
Of the Senate, with a reversionary inter
est in the Presidency of the United
States.
Your ideas on the tariff are as hazy as
the vision of a six-day-old steer. Here's
what l said in 1888. and it's good doc
triRe yet:
am for a tariff that will yield sufficient
revense for the economical and proper
penditures Of the government. and In that
iarln I believe Incidental protection TO our
Industries Ii right aud proper.
If tariff for protection Is robbery
TO sae penitentiary with the whole outfit!
We can't cozen the people by denaunein'
the crime while supportin' the govern
nent on the swag
| see you have lugged in the old chest
out about protection building up ''the
business and property of the few al the
expease of the many" Don't you know
that property and wealth in the United
States was never as widely distributed
as to-day? that in all industries more
thaA 90 per cent of the gross income
goes to the wage-earncrs. and that the
wage-earners are our only true imperial
sts7
I netice with qualification that you
sidestep in regard TO trusts.
was deeply affected by your reference
to our martyred President. William
Mckinley" Let me recommend his care
fully thought-out policies to your study
and adoption. Otherwise this appreci-
alton of the dead leader will rebound to
the honor and glory of his young sue
cessor in the White House. who has not
swerved a hairs breadth from the chart
aid down for him by William McKin-
ley.
What do you mean by "tolerating
tyranny" in the Philippinesf Who's
playin' Andy Jackson over there:
Do you know the record of our Dem
ocratic Congressmen on the subject of
civil service-how they have persistent
~ voted to withhold the appropriations
neccssary to the administration Of the
statutef Alton, IL we can't be elected.
let us be honest.
You talk about "the Executive acquir-
Ing the Panama route and rights" Don't
you know that these were acquired by
the government, and not by the execu-
tiyef The Senate ratified the treaty and
Congress appropriated the money to
elinch the opportunity to do what you
say has long been the hope of our
statesmen, to-wit, dig the canalY' If you
are in earnest about the right to dig hav-
in been wrongfully obtained, why don't
you urge its renunciationt There are
still revolutionists on the isthmus who
would Welcome a refurn 10 the good Old