The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-10-27
IN MEMORY oFyERax.
Stories. and Comments from Various
Sources.

Sources.
One event of Simpsons first cam
paign for Congress is worth recalling.
1t was a joint debate with his oppo-
nent Hallowell. Colonel Marsh" Mur
dock of Wichita, a Republican, de-
scribed it as follows:
Our Candidate was a. crack stump
speaker. He was known all over Kan
sas as an orator. We thought that
Jerry wouldn't dare face him on the
platform, and we knew if we could
get them together our man would
wipe the floor with Jerry. So we chal
lenged Jerry to a joint debate. If he
refused we were to have the laugh On
used up. He accepted and arrange
ments were made for a series of joint
only one. Our man never appeared
at another. Why, with the audiences
that turned out at those meetings our
candidate wasn't any match for Jerry
at ALL"
The Kansas City Journal tRep.)
says editoriaIly:
Simpson accomplished one great
achievement. He led the Populist
movement from the distrust and ridi-
cule in which it was born into the
broad light of respectful considera-
ton at the hands of other political
parties. Had this man been the prod
uct of other times and other condi-
tions he might have been a patriot
and zealot in a great cause. His hon
esty was never questioned and even
his political enemies never accused
him of anything but sincere efforts
along false lines. Jerry Simpsons er
rors of judgment and deficiencies of
character pass away with him, but
his honorable, sturdy manhood and
valiant deeds for what he thought
was right will live long in the mem
DRY of the people of Kansas.
The Republican Governor Of Kan
sas, Hon. Ed Hoch. pays the following
tribute:
THE death of Jerry Simpson re-
moves from Kansas one of its most
striking characters. He was a man
of rare gifts, a real genius in fact.
OF poor parentage, 1 believe. and a
very limited education that one oh
tains within the walls of a building,
but literally educated in the great
university of hard knocks, he forged
to the front by sheer force of native
ability and commanded the respect of
political friend and foe alike. On the
stump he was almost irresistible. and
could come nearer making what ma
ny of us believed to be error appear
to be truth than any one in recent
history. even in the fierce forum of
congressional debate he held his own
remarkably well, and it is said was a
prime f~avorite with the great Republi
can leader and Speaker, Tom Reed.
Personally, Jerry was genial and
kindly, and often experienced as well
as exemplifed Garield's beautiful
statement that the sweetest flowers
that bud and blossom in this world
Chamber over the walls of party poll
ties His many Republican friends
as well as those of his own political
faith who have scattered posies of
friendship and compliment along his
pathway in life, will now heap in at
f~ectionate profusion these emblems
of their best nature upon his bier and
grave"
Victor Murdoch, of Wichita now rep
resentative in Congress from Simp-
sons old district, has been credited
by some as the originator of the re-
port that hosiery never covered Ter
rvs feet. Murdoch wrote the follow
ing purporting to be an extract from
one of simpsons campaign speeches:
|. Ladies; and Gentlemen: My oppo-
nent. Prince Hail. wears fine, soft
silk socks. 1 have no money to buy
silk hosiery. The facts of the bust
ness are. that l ave no socks at all,
save the natural buff that my mother
gave me-"
And then to prove it Jerry, SO the
story goes, elevated his pants and
displayed his bare "shanks."
Whether this ever really occurred
or not-probably it did-it bro t