The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1905-11-01
~ssS0ckless" Simpson.

s:Sockless" Simpson.
Times-Democsas.
In the death of Hon. Jerry Simpson
Of Kansas which occurred October q,
there has disappeared one of those
unique figures in American politics
which should be an inspiration to the
youth of few advantages and con-
siderable native ability. Jerry Simp-
son at the age of fourteen left his
books and became a sailor or the
great lakes, from which he graduated
as one of the brightest speakers and
most original thinkers of his day.
With no opportunities for culture, he
was nevertheless cultured, and with
scarcely any advantages of education
he easily held his own with his OPP
pOnents in the halls of Congress.
His acquisition of the title which he
bore from the time he entered public
life until his death illustrated one
trait of American character which
will always be cOnspicuous-that of
the quality of its humor, which re-
sembles the bludgeOn rather than the
rapier. When Mr.. Simpson became
prominent as a POpulist speaker, it
was as "SOckless" Simpson that he
was known, and he retained that title
despite the fact that while in Congress
he was known as one of the best
dressed men in Washington. A fell
lOw-member of the House once asked
him how he acquired the title, and
Mr.. Simpson replied, "Oh, it was
given me by a little red-headed re-
porter in Iowa who rotted before he
~ripened."
The low species of wit stuck to
Simpson, but his rapier thrust in
return did not survive to vex the red.
headed reporter. who is himself now
q member of Congress and is known
to few only as the man who rotte6
before he ripened. The crude humOl
OF the reporter became national, while
the wit of the Congressman had nc
vogue. The bludgeon ov~erslaughed
the rapier in the popular fancy.
Mr.. Simpson was one of the organ.
izers of the Populist party and its
leading spirit during the days of its
growth into a really great party
Neither he nor any of his compatriots
lived to see any of the policies they
advocated engrafted into law, but the
meteoric career of that party never.
theless left its impress on the legisla.
ton and the policy Of this govern.
ment, and the day may yet come when
the last of its policies will be accepted,
as was the case with the despised
Chartists of England. There are
even now men high in position in both
of the older parties who are advocat-
ing one or another of the policies OF
the POpulist party, or some COM
promise which bears a very close
resemblance to those policies: Gov.
eminent ownership may never come,
but the advocacy of government
o~wnership undoubtedly FASTENED the
demand for government supervision
and regulation. The Simpsons of the
country were the pioneers in this
movement, and like all pioneers they
bore the burden and received tn,
ridicule which is the lot of those who
march in the advance guard of pro
gress. There may yet come a da.
when "Sockless" Simpson will ap
pear in history as the father of man,
of the policies which will be held t,
sacredly by the people of his country
and when old copies of the Congress
sional Record will be CAREFUL,
searched for his original and quain
speeches advocating measures which
may intimately lie at the very founda
ton of the government. The ston'
which the builders rejected has fire.
quently become the head of the corner
and history may repeat itself again.
When You Have . Bad Cold
You want a remedy that will no